Hypertextual writing
A few years ago these social networks (and private messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp) started turning URLs into “preview cards”, which is much nicer than looking at ugly raw URLs. But it’s not the web. It’s not writing — or reading — with the power of hyperlinks as an information-density multiplier. If anything, turning links into preview cards significantly decreases information density. That feels like a regression, not progress.
Thanks to John Gruber for articulating something I've felt vaguely, but never managed to express: Exactly why I dislike preview cards generated by many social media platforms. Eschewing hypertextual writing for mere URL links (often shortened by the platform whether you'd like it or not) is hamstringing our ability to truly express ourselves in a way that should be native to the web.