Things that annoy Andy, number 372 in an occasional series
People that use underlining in web pages.
Underlining means "This is a link, you can click on it, and if clicking on it doesn't work then your browser has probably crashed."
This has, admittedly, removed a method of emphasis from online use, but confusing people further by using a symbol in a way that its new context has redefined is just going to confuse and annoy your audience. It's the equivalent of using "Gay" to mean "Happy" in a Queer Studies tutorial.
Underlining means "This is a link, you can click on it, and if clicking on it doesn't work then your browser has probably crashed."
This has, admittedly, removed a method of emphasis from online use, but confusing people further by using a symbol in a way that its new context has redefined is just going to confuse and annoy your audience. It's the equivalent of using "Gay" to mean "Happy" in a Queer Studies tutorial.