Underline hot links or not?

[Jason Edge]

Based on a comment that the hot links (words or phrases with underlying URL links) were hard to see, I changed the website settings so that link are underlined to make them stand out more. Prior to the change, the hot links were simply green text vs the black color on other text. For me the green for "linked" items is clear but I am usually looking at a large 4K monitor.  To me all the links now having under lines, makes the website look a bit cluttered? 

Regardless of whether or not links or highlighted or underlined, I usually indicate that it is a link instead of just posting a word or phrase link and assuming someone knows to click on it.  Also, I do sometimes underline items to make a point! 
 
For example:
If I wanted to tell someone to check out our scans of the 1964 Serviceman Bulletins I would post:
Check out our 1964 Serviceman Bulletins by clicking on 1964 Serviceman Bulletins 
or I might post
Click Here to check out our 1964 Serviceman Bulletins.

What is the opinion?  Underlines or not?

[24ro8f5mbs2jc]

Okay, I agree that underline makes it cluttered. Problem is the green vs. black. Its difficult to see unless holding the mouse over. And on a "smart" phone its even worse near impossible. For me using the link thingy is a way to give extra information in a text without making it cumbersome or to obvious. If someone wants to press the link or not is fine, but not knowing about it is a loss. So the way I see it is that yes underlined works good if its directing towards a special site like The Cadillac 63/64 Chapter but not for a normal word in a text.

So this underline is not good:

And this just makes it very cumbersome to see. Like the whole pages is  cluttered:

Maybe there could be another color than green for linked words? But on the other hand it did look good with how it was setup before you did the last change. I guess I can just learn to underscore when I underline.

[Jason Edge]

I removed the underline, slightly lightened the canvas background and made the green a bit brighter green. I can change the text color to any color imaginable and make darker or lighter. 
I looked at the same screens on my iPhone X and the green is as distinct if not more so on the phone than on the big desktop monitor. I may continue to experiment with colors and also font sizes but have to come up with a happy medium each time.
Again, I think it is important to differentiate highlighted text vs a link you want someone to click on by the way you present it in your post.

[3n49omug8n28i]

Let's try it awhile Jason. I don't have a problem seeing the links the other way with my phone though. 

[Jason Edge]

Clovis, I had removed the underlines again and posted my reply before seeing yours. There are examples of the underlines in the post above. If enough members want to see underlines under all Hot Links I can change back. I made the green a bit brighter and as posted above I see the green very distinctly on my iPhone.

[3n49omug8n28i]

My thoughts are to go with what is universally used on the Internet. If most other websites use green then that would make using this site more intuitive to an uneducated user. I spent 45 minutes on the phone last night with my mother as she tried to do her banking with a new laptop she got for her birthday. She kept saying everything was different with the laptop and couldn't figure it out. After explaining that they don't change "everything" when they upgrade the programming I finally figured out she had her internet explorer in a tiny window. 

[Jason Edge]

There is no absolute standard on hot links (hyperlinks).  Even the info posted on the Wikipedia entry at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperlink is inconsistent where it says "links are displayed in underlined blue text when they have not been visited" in that the hyperlinks on Wikipedia is not underlined! I think there has been a universal migration from underlined to non-underlined as the use of hyperlinks is so prevalent and websites become messy.
Also, when I change the screen colors I usually pick a color that will contrast enough to be able to see but not something that screams (like red). We had so much blue on the old screen I wanted to try something different. I can go with blue but the background already has a greyish tent and will probably need to adjust that. I think I will continue with the no underlines, and slightly brightened green.

[3n49omug8n28i]

Very clear on my iPhone Jason. I like the green but I also have a green 64 and this colour matches great. LOL. 

[24ro8f5mbs2jc]

I like these colors. Its easy on the eyes and the mind. Green always been a calming color. Blue as well for that matter. Think about the sea and the fields.

So I like this change. Then underline/underscore or different color on hyperlinked text, that's a bit more tricky. The current version is better than my examples from yesterday. Maybe you find an even better solution. 

[2o93f8rdftyzj]

Special colours just for Anders.....we always said you were special mate.

[24ro8f5mbs2jc]

Ofc. Yes I'm special. Thank you. Its a lot better than being un-special.  :-)

[2o93f8rdftyzj]

I had to look up what OFC stood for. Ha ha ha