Improve behavior of hyperlinks: support uncommon extensions, allow undo
Some problems with hyperlinks I constantly face in my ~5 years of using Workflowy daily:
- Every time I write or paste (dot) something like "user.id", Workflowy creates a hyperlink, even when it's not meant to be a hyperlink.
- When I write or paste a website address to a less common domain extension (like proaccounting.app) without adding "https://" at the beginning, it doesn't turn it into a hyperlink, though that was the expected behavior.
In other words, Workflowy often applies the auto hyperlink behavior irreversibly where we wouldn't like (ex: user.id), while at other times it doesn't apply it where we would like (ex: site.app).
One way to fix (1) could be: keep adding automatic hyperlinks to stuff like "user.id" (automatic hyperlinks are welcome when they are desired), but allow the user to hit "Ctrl+Z" and remove the link.
Another thing that would be lovely to be able to "Ctrl+Z", is the @tag and #tag automatic "links". I personally have never used either of those tag features, but they often get in my way of using the @ and # characters. I just would like to be able to undo the linking right at the moment. (Ps: I know I can add a dash in front, like -@tag, but that added noise compromises the feel and neatness of Workflowy for me almost or just as much as the undesirable tag/link formatting does).
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Hi Juan,
We are working on an embedded hyperlinks feature, which will allow one the fine control that you want. It will be the typical "Ctrl+K" dynamic where you can edit the text highlighted with any link you wish (or remove it).
Ok... so that's on the way in due course. You are also running into issues precisely because we've (partly) implemented the beginning of this feature: we can now edit the actual text of any link to anything you want – by maneuvering your cursor into the link, typing your text and then deleting the original link text on either side. A couple of bugs have crept in with this... notably that when pasting hyperlinks into WorkFlowy, you may need to add a space after the link for it to be activated (I think we've fixed this).
Typing in or pasting "https://site.app" works as expected. "site.app" won't be converted (but soon we'll be able to create hyperlinks via a popup dialog box).
Typically anything we type in that is a top-level country domain will automatically convert. So "user.id" will convert because ".id" is for "Indonesia". So anything on this list will be auto-converted:
https://www.worldstandards.eu/other/tlds/
Soon we'll be able to edit the embedded link (or remove it).
As far as your tags suggestion... unfortunately (or fortunately for WorkFlowy users in general) this dynamic will not change. It's part and parcel of what millions of users expect now.
~ Frank
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Thanks for the reply, Frank!
Yes, I've noticed the new capability of editing the next in a hyperlink, which is really neat! I use it all the time, including to turn https://site.app type links into site.app (with link).
I'm happy that you're also adding the capability of removing links from ".id" suffixed terms also.
As for the tag features (@ and #), it would be nice to remove those "links" also (or maybe give us the choice of disabling the tagging feature), but I respect Workflowy's design decision and will keep using this great app regardless.
Cheers!
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@juan, I just want to call out that last sentence:
"but I respect Workflowy's design decision and will keep using this great app regardless."There are a ton of really passionate WorkFlowy users and we love to make feature requests, myself included. I love the attitude expressed here "I'd like this but I get that you guys have to make decisions". There a lot of things I'd love to see in WorkFlowy but it *is* already great! There's no Reddit gold to give here but if I could I would.
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If folk here would like to join the WorkFlowy Users Group on Slack... please shoot me a message via help@workflowy.com :-)
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I find that Workflowy automatically turns everything with a "." in it into a hyperlink, even copying a non-hyperlink and pasting it, you get a hyperlink. It is very annoying and I would like to disable automatic hyperlinks completely, so that if you want a link you have to use CTRL-K.
My work-around is to type the first part without the ".', followed by a space, then the "." second part and then go back and remove the space - time consuming!
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As far as your tags suggestion... unfortunately (or fortunately for WorkFlowy users in general) this dynamic will not change. It's part and parcel of what millions of users expect now.
~ FrankMost of our customers are happy, so we don't care about the rest of you. I personally find this attitude on the part of WorkFlowy to be unacceptable, even offensive. For every one person that comes to a forum and expresses a complaint or makes a request, there are a hundred other users with the same thought that never speak up. Just because most people are ok with how it works doesn't mean it couldn't be better.
Juan isn't the first to request the ability to suppress tag creation. I have personally seen it mentioned several times. His suggestion wouldn't interfere in the least with what "millions of users expect now". There is no reason the average daily user should experience anying different. The addition of a key combination to deactivate a selected tag, or doing it with ctrl+z immediately after the tags creation, or a settings switch to temporarily deactivate tag creation, or to disable them entirely - none of these options would affect anyone currently using tags, but many WorkFlowy users would benefit and appreciate them.
Dynalist, for example, has a score of actions that can be accessed by going to settings and adding a keyboard shortcut to make the action available. Users who don't want a feature to be available just don't give it a shortcut, or remove the default shortcut if there is one. (Note, the ability to edit keyboard shortcuts is also a request WorkFlowy has dismissed. We've decided what the best shortcuts are. If you don't like them, your just wrong. )
WorkFlowy's repeated dismissal of the request to allow tag suppression reflects the narrow minded attitude of "the way we work is best and everyone should just do it our way."
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Hi George,
Thank you for taking the time to express yourself.
> "Most of our customers are happy, so we don't care about the rest of you."
That's not at all what was conveyed. And the request was so specific and literally something that will never be implemented for very obvious reasons. It's a very unique letdown. In my opinion, sadly, you have mischaracterized and taken what I wrote out of a broader context (which was also written over a year ago – and perhaps I'm a changed man now), which, by any standards, was incredibly informative and helpful:
Hi Juan,
We are working on an embedded hyperlinks feature, which will allow one the fine control that you want. It will be the typical "Ctrl+K" dynamic where you can edit the text highlighted with any link you wish (or remove it).
Ok... so that's on the way in due course. You are also running into issues precisely because we've (partly) implemented the beginning of this feature: we can now edit the actual text of any link to anything you want – by maneuvering your cursor into the link, typing your text and then deleting the original link text on either side. A couple of bugs have crept in with this... notably that when pasting hyperlinks into WorkFlowy, you may need to add a space after the link for it to be activated (I think we've fixed this).
Typing in or pasting "https://site.app" works as expected. "site.app" won't be converted (but soon we'll be able to create hyperlinks via a popup dialog box).
Typically anything we type in that is a top-level country domain will automatically convert. So "user.id" will convert because ".id" is for "Indonesia". So anything on this list will be auto-converted:
https://www.worldstandards.eu/other/tlds/
Soon we'll be able to edit the embedded link (or remove it).
As far as your tags suggestion... unfortunately (or fortunately for WorkFlowy users in general) this dynamic will not change. It's part and parcel of what millions of users expect now.
~ Frank
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Note that I posted accidentally and was editing my post when you replied. I disagree that his request to suppress tags was unique. I have seen it multiple times. And it is not at all obvious why it will never be implemented. It would not hurt the average user in any way to give others the ability to turn off a tag.
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Hmmm maybe I shouldn't dismiss tag suppression...
I think the best way to go about this, potentially, would be for everyone to join the WorkFlowy Users Group on Slack... where there is a heck of a lot more engagement and direct communication with the whole WorkFlowy team, including Jesse, our CEO... and because of the interactive nature of the Slack group, it will not be a difficult undertaking to gauge general interest in any feature whatsoever... and gather support for a specific idea. Here's an invite link that will last 30 days:
https://join.slack.com/t/workflowyusergroup/shared_invite/zt-pamjzoi9-K1cyDV4jlfLGNCpDqbGX2A
The forum here is a vehicle for communication... however, it is a ghost town in comparison to the Slack community.
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