While writing, I almost never want to actually visit the links I’ve created. Usually when I click on a word within a link, it’s because I want to change the link text. Since I’m in an editor, I tend to just click the link where I want the cursor to be and then get surprised when my browser suddenly jumps into the foreground.
Currently I have to jump through some hoops to edit link text. I have to place my cursor outside of the link and either arrow-key over to the word I want to change or move the cursor to the edge of the link so that the link icon shows up, then click the link icon to open the link configuration dropdown and do it there.
What I propose is this: when I click a link, it should behave exactly as if I’ve clicked the link icon; it should open the link-configuration dropdown instead of navigating to the link’s location. Then, within that dropdown, there should be a new “Visit URL” button that I can click to navigate away from the app. Because some users may not want this behavior, I also propose adding the ability to turn this behavior on/off to one of the menu bar dropdowns. It could function like the “Auto Hide Markdown” option where a checkmark is added to menu item when it is enabled.
Edit: better proposal based on feedback– Put an option in the menu bar for something like “Shift+click to visit link urls.” When this is enabled, clicking the text in a link does not navigate but simply places the cursor where you clicked. To visit the link, you would hold shift and click. Alternatively, make it so that something like shift+click on a link avoids navigating and places the cursor instead.
Edit: It’s worth noting that in the iPhone version, clicking a link currently places the cursor while the keypad is open; it does not navigate, which I vastly prefer. Maybe in this context something like a long press could be used to navigate since otherwise you have to either close the keypad and click the link or copy the url and paste it into the mobile browser.
