Why does Sitepoint not underline all links?

Community
1

This is a question I posed recently whilst spending
a little time in the Naughty Boys/Girls Room for,
what was considered to be, a posting violation.

The enlightening answer was.

Here, though, is a possible solution…

BBCode

[url=https://webaim.org/techniques/hypertext/]
 [color=#00f]
  [u]
   [b]Links and Hypertext[/b]
  [/u]
 [/color]
[/url]

…which would produce this…

Links and Hypertext

…when the code above is used without all that explanatory spacing. :winky:

coothead

1 Like
2

That seems easy if you do it your self. :slightly_smiling_face:

I’m not sure it is easy to implement if it reqiuire editing the SPF app.

I’m not so sure it is desired to have the underlining, I think a link color is sufficient.

Though we could ask @cpradio if he has any insight on the matter?

(I have my SPF user.css to put a border around links to not miss them and to discover hidden links. I could share it if you like, but now I have to mend it to also cover link text also if emphasized. :wink:)

3

I only made this thread in the hope that it might, possibly,
help prevent other unfortunate members from the shame
of being dispatched to to the Naughty Girls/Boys Room. :rofl:

This is a bad idea most of the time. :unhappy:

Underlining

coothead

1 Like
4

Making a link bold or italic by using the menu buttons:

If you want your link text to be bold and also get the blueish color, then use one of these two methods:

Make a link of a bold text by first using the B button and then make it into a link with the link button:
Links and Hypertext
Links and Hypertext
or first make it both italic and bold:
Links and Hypertext
Links and Hypertext

Make a link text bold in an already made link by selecting the complete link (both text and url) and then hit the B button:
[Links and Hypertext](https://webaim.org/techniques/hypertext/)
Links and Hypertext
or the I button:
Links and Hypertext

But, in case you want the link text bold and black, i.e. not getting the blueish link color, then use one of these methods:

Make a link of a partly bold text:
Links and Hypertext

Selecting only the text part of an already made link and make it bold by using the B button:
Links and Hypertext

Selecting only a part of the text in an already made link and make it bold by using the B button:
Links and Hypertext

Conclusion:
To follow your own advice, use only the first methods above if you want your link bold or italic or both.

Do not use any of the latter methods.
Yes you did. :wink:

5

I agree with @coothead that as a web dev site, SitePoint should follow best practice in making links accessible. Discourse takes a “no clutter” approach to design, believing that to be more important than accessibility. I would have thought, however, that it would be possible for SitePoint’s own theme to rectify the problem.

Note

WCAG 2.0 has 2 additional requirements for body text links that are not underlined by default:

  1. The link text must have a 3:1 contrast ratio from the surrounding non-link text.
  2. The link must present a “non-color designator” (typically the introduction of the underline) on both mouse hover and keyboard focus.

These two requirements help ensure that all users can differentiate links from non-link text, even if they have low vision, color deficiency, or have overridden page colors.

2 Likes