FAQ for those who migrated from the vBulletin version of LFGSS

I know this isn't necessarily the place for requests, but I don't want to sign up for Github for a minor issue - @Velocio @blueprints can you make it so that outbound links in posts open in a new tab as a rule?

This is not possible.

The best we've got is this: http://www.w3.org/TR/css3-hyperlinks/#the-target-new

But the browser support is zero: http://www.w3schools.com/cssref/css3_pr_target-new.asp

It simply is not possible to open outbound links in a new tab from the HTML side of things... it's either a browser preference or a user decision.

The only thing we could do is "force every outbound link into a new window". But that has major implications for desktop use and we will not consider that at all.

Instead it's a user choice... if you're on desktop, use CTRL, APPLE, middle-click, etc... so that it opens in a new tab. If you're on mobile, tell your browser what to do or hold the link for a moment before you do it.

(And is it possible - probably more difficult - to not use URL masking for outbound links? For the sake of argument, if I were at work and I wanted to follow a link, I'd like to be able to eyeball it to guess if it were SFW...)

You can hover over the link and it will tell you the destination.

The link re-writing is there as a core part of Microcosms' business model and isn't going to go away.

The benefits:

1. We can put in affiliate links and they will be immune to adblock, etc
   
2. We can detect which links are being clicked and set up relationships with those destinations to support the site
   
3. We can analyse the links and perform media embedding (i.e. YouTube)
   
4. We can catch malware and instead of manually updating every comment on every site that may have been tricked to link to malware, we can intercept the links and tell you about it before you visit them
   
5. We can detect and escape attempts to perform XSS that might steal control of your account or do other weird things
   
6. We determine which links no longer work by keeping a database of the redirects, and attempt to fix them (i.e. if we understand it's a link to a product, replace it with a link to another place that does the product).
   
7. We can actually use redirects to increase mobile link performance by following the link and updating it with the real end destination (i.e. if it's already link shortened, t.co which points to a bit.ly which points to a goo.gl, and then eventually reaches example.com... we can just make it reach example.com meaning fewer requests for the mobile client).
   
8. We can hide the messy protocol part which most people found unreadable.
   
   

Link re-writing is staying. It works for Facebook, Twitter, Google Search... it works full stop.

Yes it's new here, but the benefits for security, content enhancements (embedding), the business model that will make Microcosm viable, etc... it all massively outweighs the cons.