Insert/edit link Missing Title Field?

I’ve dug around enough to find “The WordPress Philosophy” at https://www.ads-software.com/about/philosophy/

The philosophy statement is fine, to a point; “we do things for the majority”. I’ll seriously not try to interpret what majority means in this case because there are multiple ways to address that idea.

I’ve read a comment that the SEO angle is immaterial, since Title tags for SEO are deprecated [ redacted ]. I disagree with that, but I can accept it, too.

But Otto’s explanation at https://www.ads-software.com/support/topic/insertedit-link-missing-title-field?replies=16#post-6869047, while an explanation, isn’t a good one. Why? Because it’s MY site, so I get to decide whether I think pop-ups are useful.

Are they of less value or confusing value to the visually impaired? Sure. Are they of questionable-if-in-no-way-harmful use on (some) mobile devices? I suppose. But it’s still my site.

I know how to insert the title tags automatically. And WP has the right to go in any direction they want … and that’s why plug-ins exist. The real issue is that this is a genuine change to the way things work in WordPress, and they didn’t bother to mention they’d made it. Wow … that slightly-tweaked color palette sure was important!

Seriously … just stupid.

Why by the way is this topic marked as “resolved”?
I wouldn’t consider this resolved …?

I marked it resolved because the person who created this topic had his or her questions answered.

Thanks Andrew … I see you’re right.
The OP was asking for a “why” and nothing else.
My bad.

@anevins: Pfft. Get real. I didn’t write most of that code. It’s a copy of the wplink.js file from core, with modifications to put the title handling back in. There’s about 10 modifications needed and some extra code at the top to put the title input field back into the form.

That’s why it’s not a good solution, because it straight replaces the core file, albeit through a plugin. Still working on a way to do it as an add-on instead of a replacement.

@andrew;
Since you’re moderator … Would it be inappropriate to post a request concerning this topic in this forum?

Side note totally not related to this topic and this really is a warning:

@pcvip I’ve deleted that link you posted. We’ve covered this and we’re just not doing this anymore.

As I wrote here:

Hi Jeff, I’ll try and explain it simply.

If you post this URL https://wordpress.answerguy.com/blog/ then yes, that’s fine and there will be no problem as long as it doesn’t redirect to the other URL. The other URL which uses a domain name that contradicts the trademark statement at this link.

https://wordpressfoundation.org/trademark-policy/

I’m sure you know which one I mean. ??

The moderators moderate these forums. While you disagree with what the trademark owners have clearly and succinctly stated in that URL, there’s also this link and verbiage.

https://www.ads-software.com/about/domains/

This isn’t new to you and I don’t want to (and won’t) get into it with you. But please be aware that while we’re not the trademark police, that URL will get pulled when found.

Now you can write what you like on your site about my reply. In fact, I encourage anyone to do so but enough with that domain here. Just stop it, OK?

This reply is not a conspiracy thing regarding this link title attribute change and everyone is entitled to their opinion. But that trademark infringing link will not fly in these forums. So stop doing that here.

Back to the topic at hand (which is really what this should be about):

Why by the way is this topic marked as “resolved”?
I wouldn’t consider this resolved …?

The topic is resolved because the answer and explanation were provided already.

There are ways to contribute and join in the discussion and the make.www.ads-software.com site has several places to do that. This was covered in this trac ticket.

https://core.trac.www.ads-software.com/ticket/28206

Anyone can submit a trac ticket but they are reviewed and a decision was made. It can be re-reviewed and that does happen. But just venting won’t do it and a case has to be made to justify that change back.

Now please do not read too much into what I wrote. That’s not being arrogant or any other negative descriptive adjective of your choice. The fact that Otto came up with a plugin to address that is good and IMHO that’s where it belongs.

That’s my opinion. ?? Please consider make a new trac ticket or chime in on an existing one that covers this 4.2 change.

@samuel Wood (Otto) – Ha!

@hansaplastique, yeah you can open a new thread here: https://www.ads-software.com/support/forum/requests-and-feedback#postform – That’s what the Requests and Feedback forum is for

Thank you for the plugin. It works fine and I will use it in the future!

The real reason is that title attributes are bad for accessibility, and you should really not use them.

Yes, in browsers on your computer, they popup when you hover over the link, but on touch-screen browsers like mobile and such, there is no such thing as “hover” and the content you put into that attribute has no way to be seen. It’s also not visible to anybody who cannot use a mouse.

The title attribute is part of the XHTML 1.0 strict web standard of w3c. It is fine to use it for more than ten years. There is no reason to say it is bad or better not to use it. It is fine to use it and I think the user of wordpress should have the free choice to use it.

Thank you, that you gave me this good plugin! Will you put it into WordPress Plugin directory?

Thanks Jan for the clarification.

Should I open a new Trac ticket? (Isn’t this for bugs only?)
Or would it be appropriate to respond to the existing ticket? (Closed)
Or would it be better to start a new post in this forum?

Sorry about all the questions, just would like to do it the appropriate way – and I realize this is going a little off topic, which really is not my intend.

Reason for editing: Did some more reading on the Trac topic.

Should I open a new Trac ticket?

I have not looked (the amount of WordPress reading I am behind in makes me weep) but I would not be surprised if there was already a ticket like that. If there is then you may want to weigh in on the existing ticket.

Sorry about all the questions, just would like to do it the appropriate way – and I realize this is going a little off topic, which really is not my intend.

No no, you’re doing fine! It’s all good and this is the requests and feedback forum. Your posts here are part of that feedback and it is related to this topic.

If you were looking for support, as in something on your site is broken, then I’d suggest you start your own topic. But in this sub-forum as long as you’re on topic and civil it’s fine to chime in here too.

Or you can start your own feedback topic. ?? That’s your option too.

Thanks Jan, we must have just crossed posts haha.

I’ll go search Trac, to see if there is some request like that and chime in if I find one.
Since I don’t consider this a “bug” I thought posting in Trac might be inappropriate.

There was a new ticket opened yesterday and it was closed – see:

https://core.trac.www.ads-software.com/ticket/32095

EDITED – is that the one you were referring to?

I did find that one (and several duplicates) as well.
I left a polite feedback – maybe more of us can post a nice request to as least make the title tag optional?

I’m not sure if it makes sense to open more duplicate tickets on Trac.

Jan, I respect your point. I do. As I wrote complimentary things about your last response, I’m a little confused as to why you want to challenge me to do … otherwise?

I’d like to point out that the thing you’re talking about, while a valid concern on your side (albeit one we disagree on in terms of the metaphorical “letter of the law”), isn’t the issue. I’m not looking to create traffic; I’m looking to be helpful, useful, and productive as a member of the community, and I can’t do that by telling half a story. You know that’s true.

So really the only thing I can translate all of that into is “play by our rules or go away altogether” (the rules being the issue behind the argument that started in December on Twitter; I think I could link to that w/o breaking the rules but I’ll restrain myself).

Under those constraints, sir, “warning me” isn’t really meaningful; you’ve already tied my hands by making me able to talk but not communicate, even when I’m trying to be helpful (I presume you’ll accept that I might actually mean that last part).

I’d hope you’d rather have a more productive exchange than that. If not, that’s on you. You do what you feel you need to; I’ll do the same.