# Make post links more visible with new right gutter timeline
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920
**Category:** UX
**Created:** [Maio 27, 2016, 9:19pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920 "2016-05-27T21:19:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jomaxro](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jomaxro)
#### Post date: [Maio 27, 2016, 9:19pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920/1 "2016-05-27T21:19:15Z")
> [@Change right gutter to vertical timeline + topic controls](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-right-gutter-to-vertical-timeline-topic-controls/44096/123):
>
> While I personally like the new timeline, I have to agree with @iva that post links are now fairly hidden, ands that I don’t like. Having the links (especially incoming) was an amazing feature, and while it still exists, its visibility is drastically reduced. Don’t want to replace new timeline, but very much in favor of increasing visiblity.
> [@Change right gutter to vertical timeline + topic controls](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-right-gutter-to-vertical-timeline-topic-controls/44096/124):
>
> I also want more visibility for links, especially incoming ones. May deserve it’s own topic to kick ideas around!
> [@Change right gutter to vertical timeline + topic controls](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-right-gutter-to-vertical-timeline-topic-controls/44096/125):
>
> New topic for sure. First idea: if the post only has incoming links, which are especially invisible – outgoing links already exist in the post – they could be expanded by default.
Well, here is a new topic for [this idea](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-right-gutter-to-vertical-timeline-topic-controls/44096/123)! I’ll be quite honest and say I’m not really sure what would be the best solution to bring back visibility.
Some options (not exhaustive, nor exclusive of each other):
1. Jeff’s idea to expand incoming links on post automatically
2. Change color of `x post links` to blue, to match old formatting a little more. Makes the text pop more from below post controls.
3. Move `x post links` above the post controls. Current positions sort-of hides itself, but putting above could be issue with numerous links.
4. Provide option to collapes expanded links. Would help with #3, also just plain useful.
5. Make #1 a site setting. Incoming links vary in their importance depending on the site.
6. Automagically 💨 swoosh links into gutter when post is current. i.e. post #5 has links, when timeline is at 5/x, move links into gutter.
7. Alternatively, expand links when timeline is at post, without moving them to gutter like #6.
---
### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [Maio 27, 2016, 9:25pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920/2 "2016-05-27T21:25:36Z")
Just to be clear, it’s unlikely we’ll do anything with this in 1.6, but I do feel some of the ideas could have potential for future versions.
In particular I think **incoming** links deserve more escalation because they are hidden – they come from another post elsewhere on the site that you can’t obviously see. Whereas **outgoing** links are already quite obviously visible in the post, so they are a little bit redundant IMO.
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### Author:  [@jomaxro](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jomaxro)
#### Post date: [Maio 27, 2016, 9:30pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920/3 "2016-05-27T21:30:45Z")
Any chance for _something_ to be done in 1.6? I know #2 is just CSS that a specific site could target, but that small tweak might be enough…
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### Author:  [@erlend\_sh](https://meta.discourse.org/u/erlend_sh)
#### Post date: [Maio 28, 2016, 3:23pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920/4 "2016-05-28T15:23:20Z")
I’m in favour of:
- Expand if single incoming post link
- Bundle if multiple incoming links (like now)
- Don’t list outgoing links
Although we’ve always done it, I don’t see the need to list outgoing links. I probably didn’t mind it as much before since there was always ample room in the gutter anyhow. Now that we’ve moved Links into the post stream, it’s taking up prime screen real estate. Whatever we put there better be essential information.
If a link is hard to spot in a post then the post author has done a poor job exposing that link properly. If a link is easy to find in a post, as it should be, then all we’re doing is repeating ourselves.
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### Author:  [@mcwumbly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/mcwumbly)
#### Post date: [Maio 28, 2016, 4:24pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920/5 "2016-05-28T16:24:44Z")
I really like this proposal. Only showing the incoming links would make them stand out much more by _reducing_ visual noise.
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### Author:  [@DeanMarkTaylor](https://meta.discourse.org/u/DeanMarkTaylor)
#### Post date: [Maio 28, 2016, 4:44pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920/6 "2016-05-28T16:44:30Z")
> [@erlend\_sh](#):
>
> Don’t list outgoing links
> [@erlend\_sh](#):
>
> If a link is hard to spot in a post then the post author has done a poor job exposing that link properly
The one thing I would like to see here is that if a user has created a link **without the optional title** then the title would be “cooked” with the topic title & post # from the linked post.
This allows me to hover over topics and know exactly what has been linked to without deciphering the URL and perhaps additionally provides more info for accessibility users.
---
### Author:  [@mcwumbly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/mcwumbly)
#### Post date: [Maio 28, 2016, 6:19pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920/7 "2016-05-28T18:19:40Z")
Related: [https://meta.discourse.org/t/mini-onebox-support/5838?u=mcwumbly](https://meta.discourse.org/t/mini-onebox-support/5838)
---
### Author:  [@kpfleming](https://meta.discourse.org/u/kpfleming)
#### Post date: [Maio 31, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920/8 "2016-05-31T18:04:01Z")
Yes, I’ve already seen in-post links with useless titles (like ‘1’), and the lack of outgoing link listing in the right gutter meant I had no idea which topic was linked.
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### Author:  [@mcwumbly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/mcwumbly)
#### Post date: [Junho 1, 2016, 2:18am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920/9 "2016-06-01T02:18:26Z")
But at least these you can hover over and see the URL at the bottom of your browser…
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [Junho 1, 2016, 2:25am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920/10 "2016-06-01T02:25:40Z")
The “just one incoming link” case is worth handling if it is not too hard @eviltrout. The rest I think we should wait on.
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### Author:  [@watchmanmonitor](https://meta.discourse.org/u/watchmanmonitor)
#### Post date: [Junho 5, 2016, 5:28am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920/14 "2016-06-05T05:28:28Z")
> [@codinghorror](#):
>
> In particular I think incoming links deserve more escalation because they are hidden – they come from another post elsewhere on the site that you can’t obviously see. Whereas outgoing links are already quite obviously visible in the post, so they are a little bit redundant IMO.
I feel that seeing the related links was a huge benefit, and look forward to their return.
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [Junho 6, 2016, 10:34pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920/15 "2016-06-06T22:34:03Z")
I like what GitHub do here:
Incoming links are inserted into the timeline… for our purpose I would like to see a refined version of:
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [Junho 6, 2016, 10:38pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920/16 "2016-06-06T22:38:05Z")
I think that is fine, _if_ we can rebuild to auto expand only when
1. _ALL_ the links are incoming links
2. there is one link and it is an incoming link (same as #1, I guess)
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### Author:  [@jomaxro](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jomaxro)
#### Post date: [Junho 6, 2016, 10:43pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920/17 "2016-06-06T22:43:38Z")
> [@codinghorror](#):
>
> if we can rebuild to auto expand only when
>
> 1. ALL the links are incoming links
So, does that mean if I include an outgoing internal link, incoming links won’t be auto-expanded? That is going to cause all sorts of confusion. What if incoming links were inserted into the timeline as suggested by @sam, and outgoing links (if they exist, stay where they currently are, with an option to expand?
---
### Author:  [@watchmanmonitor](https://meta.discourse.org/u/watchmanmonitor)
#### Post date: [Junho 6, 2016, 10:46pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920/18 "2016-06-06T22:46:22Z")
> [@codinghorror](#):
>
> ALL the links are incoming links
What’s wrong with outgoing links?
I don’t see much value in listing external URLs but I do like knowing which other topics are related.
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [Junho 6, 2016, 10:51pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920/19 "2016-06-06T22:51:12Z")
Outgoing links are ultra-redundant. They already appear in the text, so where they are is obvious. Guess where the outgoing link is in this post?
[https://meta.discourse.org/t/mini-onebox-support/5838?u=mcwumbly](https://meta.discourse.org/t/mini-onebox-support/5838)
---
### Author:  [@jomaxro](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jomaxro)
#### Post date: [Junho 6, 2016, 10:54pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920/20 "2016-06-06T22:54:40Z")
Sure, that one is obvious, but where do these outgoing links point?
[https://meta.discourse.org/t/input-from-site-moderators-and-admins-requested-how-often-do-you-deal-with-flags-blocks-suspensions-and-tough-users/39002?u=jomaxro](https://meta.discourse.org/t/input-from-site-moderators-and-admins-requested-how-often-do-you-deal-with-flags-blocks-suspensions-and-tough-users/39002)
“this” and “this” isn’t clear at all.
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [Junho 6, 2016, 11:04pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920/21 "2016-06-06T23:04:02Z")
Quite clear; outgoing links exist in the post to be clicked on and will have click counters next to them calling them out even more. We can further obfuscate the outgoing link by making them [.](http://example.com) if you like? 😉
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### Author:  [@watchmanmonitor](https://meta.discourse.org/u/watchmanmonitor)
#### Post date: [Junho 6, 2016, 11:05pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920/22 "2016-06-06T23:05:57Z")
I think we’re on same page already..
In your reply, mini onebox support (a link to another topic in the same discourse) is already included in the post-links.
The plain text `http://meta.discourse.org` is not in the list. Assuming it know that http≠https, this is the behavior I’m hoping for.. just without having to click “post links”
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### Author:  [@jomaxro](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jomaxro)
#### Post date: [Junho 6, 2016, 11:08pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920/23 "2016-06-06T23:08:27Z")
No, that isn’t what I am concerned about. Where does “this” point to? I don’t want to click a link without knowing where it is going, and I shouldn’t have to look in the small text at the bottom of the screen to see what the actual link is. Mini-onebox support could handle this, however, eliminating the need for outgoing links in the post footer and/or timeline itself.
Edit: I am not concerned about outgoing post _visibility,_ as you point out, blue text is pretty clearly a link somewhere. I am concerned where they point to…but looking up at my original post I see I am getting off-topic from my original thoughts…sorry! Will expand on my thoughts in the Mini-onebox topic.
[Next page](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-post-links-more-visible-with-new-right-gutter-timeline/44920.md?page=2)