For what it's worth, seems the bang syntax actually makes a direct link (makes people leave their instance), whereas the links you have as "direct links" (looks like /c/ syntax in the source) keep you inside your instance.

For example, here's the Trekkie community:

Bang (!) syntax: !startrek@startrek.website

/c/ syntax: Star Trek (written as [Star Trek](/c/startrek@startrek.website) not sure if there's a way to autogenerate this)

[–] thegiddystitcher@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes I know, that's why I added both types so everyone could get there. Sorry, not sure what you're trying to tell me here but I am very tired so that's probably not on you! 😄

Oh, unless you're confirming they work that way in Kbin too? In which case, awesome.

Also a bit unrelated but where are you from that ! is called a bang? Never heard that before!

[–] matt@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

To me, direct link means a link that will send me directly to the posts on their instance (i.e. a direct link to the Star Trek website will be https://startrek.website, not https://myinstance/c/startrek@startrek.website).

Unless I'm somehow misunderstanding what direct link means here, which I might be? It seems more intuitive to me that the bang syntax would keep you inside your instance, not leave it.

And yeah, using ! is known as bang when used in this sort of context!

[–] thegiddystitcher@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

Oh right you were just disagreeing about terminology lol, fair enough. I just figured writing "direct link to where you can actually subscribe to avoid you having to do the whole copy paste palaver" was a bit of a mouthful 😆