Personally it constrains my eyes if the link is in the middle of article. It simply takes an extra effort.
However, its not just me. You can find online a bunch of research on the topic.
ps. no need to downvote, its just an advice :)
ps. no need to downvote, its just an advice :)
The author that wrote that article was obviously an expert in UI/UX and has spent a great deal thinking/doing articles.
An example that you've mentioned, Wikipedia, it doesn't have such huge contrast between link and text, and I'm expecting it to be full of links.I suppose thats the reason why but I don't do the described behaviour on it. However I often find myself doing the described behaviour when reading blogs, making me ignore/stop reading the blogs that do a lot of linking.
Could you, as an example, rewrite the first paragraph of the fine article, so that the 3 links are either at the start or end of the paragraph (as suggested), in a way that makes the contents of the paragraph and/or the link context clearer?
Looks like you're misunderstanding. There is a need to downvote because you're projecting your opinion (that some people strongly disagree with) as "advice", as if it's a fact. It's correct to downvote imho, which is what I did.
Similar to Wikipedia, it's ok, if not preferable, to link words in the middle of a sentence. I prefer it, some people I know prefer it. It's ok to give advice, but when the jury is still out, it's crucial to be humble.