Steemit Feature Request | Links To Open In a New Tab
Most People will use the standard Markdown editor provided on steemit.com. Currently hyperlinks open in the same tab you are currently in. I think the reasons to include links are obvious; establishing credibility, providing sources, linking to related information. It's great.
But from a marketing perspective, every time someone clicks a link they are taken off site, unless the link is to an existing page on Steemit. This is not good. Steemit should want to remain in a open tab as much as possible. This is for many reasons. First, convenience. That user is more likely to jump back on Steemit to create and consume content if it is convenient. It is also a matter of staying "top of mind". A small reminder that Steemit is there and should be visited for the sake of profit and leisure.
Basically, the more people stay on Steemit, the better the platform will become, as it has more creators and consumers.
There is an argument to be made for keeping the links as is. All links open in the existing tab. This gives the user full control. However, creating the perfect user experience doesn't always mean the user is in full control. Sometimes they are being guided, which is in the best interest of their experience and the platform they are using.
The solution is rather simple. We just add
target="_blank" attribute to the links (anchor tags)
I envision the best way would be to have this built into the markdown editor.
My final example is a reference to Facebook. All outside links open in a new tab. All onsite facebook links open in the same tab. Whether you like Facebook or not is irrelevant. They are a successful business and have a Market Cap of $363.73 Billion. Steemit's Market Cap is currently $46.5 million. If we want to make Steemit better, thus increasing the price and market cap, we should imitate what is working for the big players in the market. Duplicating this feature will add value to the platform and make Steemit a better social network.
Sources:
pexels.com
still not handled and can't put an iframe in...
Very good topic, we are developing a photography platform on Steem blockchain, and would not want users to navigate to our website in the same tab when they want to see a full size window and force them to navigate back. But i presume there is still no solution for this i.e. opening links in new window?
This would be a great feature!
Hi @slickwilly! I totally agree with you. I just posted my first article in Steemit and I noticed that the links were opening in the same page. I am a web developer, so I tried some HTML magic by using the regular markup for an HTML anchor (
<a href="http://google.com" target="_blank">Google</a>) but it didn't work. This is a serious issue for readability and should be fixed.yes I also found out it doesn't work :(
The reason may be because there is a security vulnerability in opening links in a new tab unless done properly.
See my post here https://steemit.com/steemit-issues/@gaottantacinque/steemit-minor-bugs-reporting
Any updates on this?
I think this is a small thing but big mistake. Completely agree with all the downsides. SEO wise, Steemit could be doing much better than what it is doing now for example.
This is still relevant! I can confirm that this still is not fixed. Any way to make some progress? This has a serious effect for UX and could be fixed within a short timeframe.
Great post. I actually don't like the change to the Markdown editor and I actually write my post in Bluefish where I try to make all external links open in a new tab like you said.
I'll have to try bluefish.
The reason may be because there is a security vulnerability in opening links in a new tab unless done properly.
See my post here https://steemit.com/steemit-issues/@gaottantacinque/steemit-minor-bugs-reporting
Is this issue still haven't solved yet?
Agreed. I would rather close the new tab when I'm done looking at it than have to click back one or more times to get to the original post. Sometimes I find myself three or four articles deep into research if it's an interesting topic.
I'm re-steeming this for you.
Great minds think alike! thanks :)
The reason for which this hasn't bee done yet may be because there is a security vulnerability in opening links in a new tab unless done properly.
( see my post here https://steemit.com/steemit-issues/@gaottantacinque/steemit-minor-bugs-reporting )
I agree though that it's necessary for a better UX.