Browsers would only escape parentheses in the address bar using the percent method until some time in the 2010s so many web users don’t remember it. I agree that there should be an easier way for the writer but at least with a working hyperlink (which can currently only be made with %28 and %29), the experience is smooth for the reader.
Maybe a bot can be made to detect these errors on Lemmy? Another pitfall with Wikipedia links is the m. in mobile URLs that does not redirect to the desktop version (as opposed to the other way around) - a Reddit bot existed for this - so perhaps one can be made with both functions.
Huh, must be a recent development. They also seem to use cookies because clicking “Mobile” or “Desktop” (very last link on each page) has a lasting effect but they’ve been for a long time.