This is one of my most common annoyances on web, and I am glad more and more people are taking an interest. For those with an interest in a deeper understanding of typography in general, I can't recommend The Elements of Typographic Style enough. Web is still primitive in the way it handles a lot of this, but there are some shining examples out there. The New Yorker is my favorite of these. To understand why, find a text hyperlink containing a descender (g,y,j,q,p) and observer how elegantly it is handled.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0881792128/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_d...

http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/is-the-islamic-state...