mask/hijack links with jQuery

jquery.evil.js

/*
jquery.evil.js - mask and hijack links
Copyright (C) 2011 Keith Beckman
Released under the GPLv3
*/

/*

mask(url) replaces the href of each selected link with url, restoring it for
	the duration of a click.
hijack(url) replaces the href of each selected link with url for the duration
	of a click.

These have slightly-different semantics. mask() allows your code to contain
legitimate links, but hide them only from hover/statusbar inspection, while
hijack() allows you to apply the click-href to links containing already-
inoccuous-looking hrefs. For instance, hijack() could be used to prevent
search engines from seeing the urls users will use; while mask() will do the
opposite. mask() could be used, at least semi-legitimately, to make (i.e. Amazon)
affiliate urls more friendly-looking. It's a stretch, but there it is. I can't
think of a white-hat use for hijack.

*/

(function ($) {
	$.fn.mask = function (url) {
		var jq = $([0]);
		
		return this.filter('a').each(function (n, el) {
			var orig = this.href;
			this.href = url;
			jq[0] = this;
			jq.mousedown(function () { this.href = orig; })
				.mouseout(function () { this.href = url; });
		});
	};
	  
	$.fn.hijack = function (url) {
	// http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3926119/javascript-how-do-i-make-onclickwindow-location-also-work-when-user-opens-in
		var jq = $([0]);
		return this.filter('a').each(function (n, el) {
			var orig = this.href;
			jq[0] = this;
			jq.mousedown(function(){ this.href = url; })
				.mouseout(function() { this.href = orig; })
			});
	};
}) (jQuery);