can you give a complete example of what you did?
Here is an example of a link to your post done two ways. The first one with [ for the less than sign and with ] for the greater than sign. The second one with the signs switched so we both can see if I made a good example.
1) [a href="http://www.habitablezone.com/geek/messages/455756.html";]link to your post[/a]
2) link to your post
All I did to create the second one was:
copy everything after "1)".
after "2)" paste.
change the two instances of "[" to "<".
change the two instances of "]" to ">".