Question: Should I slightly obscure links continually? Should I obscure long links? Should I obscure all links? Should editors be Obscuring my links?

If there can be discussion in this location, I would be interested in discussion.

Hi, this is my first Meta question here , the FAQs is well done, and everything has been asked before , by now.

Anytime I have existed virtually on places on the web, it has been my nature to never obscure or hide or put text over a link, in any way shape or form. I would usually provide only a raw link, unless that link was way to long , Then I would do everything I could to describe what I had Obscured, so the user would not have any surprises.

"Editors" are obscuring my links, which is against my policy of obscuring links, and it is Working out Very Well. It makes the whole thing look better too. But It is against my nature to do so. Because the editor is known/shown, can I absolve myself for using this practice, and continue to enjoy the great job of editing that has been done thus far?

I usually avoid even useing TinyUrl which was (and mabey is) still "safe" way of linking.

Any persons on the web today, should be looking where they are going, and I assume every browser that exists can show where your going on a Hover. So there is no excuse for a user wildly clicking on links without knowing. But lets talk about reality here, I have done it, and I am sure others have too. If we also include non-super users , then the link is slightly obscured.

Dead links, Dead sites, Old data, and Bought out by scum. It is not rare to have a legitimate good quality site go bad, one day your downloading legit programs from them, and a year later they have put addware in them, or some other undesirable traits. Links do not last time generally, and what might be secure one day, is no longer secure on the next. The web is full of dead links, how does having the full link visable without hover assist users ?

Side notes: I usually have very heavy filtering and blocking , on my browser, so like other users here, I can walk on the web without getting stuck in it. I hope I do not ever hand a person a link that sends them to a location that i would not visit myself if I had known.