create external link icon for websites

[kaigou]

Title:
create external link icon for websites

Area:
sidebars, design

Summary:
On many styles, there's nothing to indicate that the text in the sidebar is actually the website's link. Could we add an icon to those links?

Description:
The icon would indicate that a) the text really is a link even if the style doesn't reflect this, and b) that the link goes offsite. Examples of standard use:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Icon_External_Link.png
http://sils.unc.edu/redesign/IA/external_link_icon.gif

If it's set as default in the global CSS, it might be easier (maybe?) to make it apply without adjusting every style. Also, I don't know if it could be done as default icon (like the LJ/DW icons) in content text, but it'd at least be handy to have it on sidebars to indicate a user's website and which links in the sidebar are external.

ETA: Alternate might be to make it optional for users, to add it to their selected style?

Poll #1550 create external link icon for websites

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 31

View Respondents

This suggestion:

View Answers

Should be implemented as-is.
5 (16.1%)

Should be implemented with changes. (please comment)
1 (3.2%)

Shouldn't be implemented.
19 (61.3%)

(I have no opinion)
6 (19.4%)

(Other: please comment)
0 (0.0%)

Comments

[instantramen]

The main difference I see between the sites in your original examples and Dreamwidth is that those sites deal primarily with providing information to the user in such a way that it might be important to know when a link goes off-site, whereas here it generally doesn't matter whether the link is external or internal.