https://www.mysite.org/my-blog/2017/10/this-is-the-thing-to-read?lang=eng
I wanted it to look like:
Here's my link
This is trivial in most email applications. Select the text, click on a tool that allows you to create a link for it and you're on your way.
But Slack isn't an email application, you say. Sure, but it's used for sending messages; sometimes fairly complex ones that we want to add some fairly simple formatting to so it doesn't look like a mess.
How to do this in Slack? So far I haven't figured it out. I know it's possible using the Slack API and Message Builder, but now I have to go learn the API and figure out how to use Message Builder, neither of which is documented in a way for mere mortals to understand. So now I have to invest hours of time to become an "expert" in an application just to do something that is fairly common and I expect (foolish me!) to do without much difficulty.
To do something even simpler like bolding or italicizing text, you have to learn Slack's cryptic markup language and put strange symbols in your text. Sure, there are hints underneath the message entry window for the symbols to use, but that's not a user experience most people are familiar with. We're looking for links or buttons above or below the editor. Markup is for people who enjoy wasting precious time memorizing every application's variation of markup and reading documentation to learn what it is.
Really, Slack? This is as good as your UX gets? Massive fail.
Try making stuff easy for people who don't want to spend an hour or a lot more having to become an expert in yet another stupid software application just so they can do something that's common and should be easy.
More Slack fails:
- Can't delete messages when I make a mistake or regret sending something.
- Pressing Enter automatically posts the message instead of just creating another paragraph which is what anyone who uses a keyboard to create a message, document, or email expects the Enter key to do.
