Changing the way the "link" button works on post

Question

Currently, the permalink to an answer works like this:

<a title="permalink to this answer"
 href="/questions/2121172/possible-reasons-for-tellg-failing/2121359#2121359">link</a>

I suggest to change it so that it becomes:

<a title="permalink to this answer"
 href="/questions/2121172/possible-reasons-for-tellg-failing/2121359#2121359"
 onclick="prompt('Permalink for this answer:', 'http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2121172/possible-reasons-for-tellg-failing/2121359#2121359'); return false;">link</a>

This will make the following dialog box appear with the text already selected if you have javascript enabled, so all you have to do is press ctrl-c and then Enter or Esc, instead of having to open a new page and then copy the URL from the address bar. Example:

example http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/8767/examplepermalink.png

---

If you have Firebug you can test it right away how it would look like! Just type in the console:

prompt('Permalink for this answer:', 'http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2121172/possible-reasons-for-tellg-failing/2121359#2121359');

Users without javascript enabled (not sure if this is supported at all) will experience the old exact behavior.

Answer 1

Uh... If you really wanted to do something fancy, you could simply create a HTML input field, populate it with the URL, and select it. At least this wouldn't result in a modal dialog standing in your way and prompting you with two buttons that look different but do the same thing...

But that would be pointless. Because right now, even today, if you click that link your browser will navigate to the resulting URL. And you can then copy the "permalink" out of your address bar (which probably already selects the whole thing when you click in it), or bookmark it, or hit File->Send Link, or print out 20 copies and make a suit of clothes from the resulting inky paper... just like you would do for every other URL.

And if you're a "power user" who knows all the "secret browser tricks they don't teach you in browser school" you can "right click" on the "link" with your "mouse" and simply copy the URL that way. Just like you would do for every other link to everything, everywhere.

I do not think it is a good idea to abandon common practices based only on a suspicion that someone, somewhere, is using The World-Wide Web for the very first time and must therefore be accommodated at the expense of everyone else.

Answer 2

Who opens a new page and copies the address? I right-click the link and choose "Copy shortcut" or "Copy link address". That's faster even than a javscript popup.