Board Thread:Support Requests - Getting Technical/@comment-452-20140828002814/@comment-452-20140913020249

I just logged out and clicked the monkey story link, and still didn't get a popup about leaving the site. As far as I can tell, there is no such popup on most wikis, and Memory-Alpha has something special. (It is possible that other wikis do too.)
 * Yes but external links to other sites does.

I have already said "A discussion about using external links at all is a different topic."
 * Not all External links go to trusterd sites

I am specifically asking about using interwiki links on Wikia to link to other Wikia wikis. Whether or not other external links go to trusted sites is not relevant.

I have been addressing each reason separately from the beginning, and will continue to do so. Your suggestion of "SEO due to nofollow" is out as a reason, because nofollow doesn't occur on those links.
 * and SEO isn't the only reason mentioned.

Additionally, if there were any SEO benefits, Wikia Staff would surely have mentioned it, as SEO is in their best interests.

Irrelevant. Although I welcome any suggestions these "experienced editors" have.
 * Also many experienced editors who come to edit her[e] are from wikipedia or various mediawiki projects.

Thanks for your input, but I already have "All the cool kids use them" listed as a reason.
 * You might frown upon that, but in many cases its business 101, which many fools fail to learn. So unless you have an actual benefit of using external-link over interwikis, before you revolt against conventions to comfort with your personal preferences, i'd I suggest that you consider that old saying that "if its ain't broke don't 'fix' it".

The "going for the banana" story is an example of what should be avoided. Doing things because "all the cool kids do it"/"That's the way things are done around here" is what monkeys do, it is immature and foolish, literally: "Devoid of good sense or judgment". No-one should ever do anything for reasons they do not understand. (Unless it is specifically their job, such as soldiers.)

My personal preferences are based on reason, not group-think and peer pressure.

I already have listed an actual benefit.


 * Back to basics:If I convert all interwiki Wikia links to external links, I will gain the ability to search for those links using Special:LinkSearch.


 * Can anyone think of any actual downsides to doing this?