Re: plain text has its point

I strongly disagree with Al concerning "click here"

Al says:

"Click here" is good hypertext usage.  Hypertext links are not
meant to be read in isolation.  As an accomodation to people who
skim by reading just the sensitive text, because this happens to
work with legacy adaptive technology, we have an rule that says
"don't say that."

"Abled" people who use visual graphical browser 
also scan pages for links.  Also click here looks rediculus in print.
Both points have nothing to do with legacy adaptive technology.

Click here makes sense only when the user is a novice 
and needs instructions. Users need "click here" only 
temporarily until they realize that blue underlined is a 
clickable link (namely for the first two minutes with a browser). 

In windows help files which heavily use links I never saw "click here". 
The authors of these files assume correctly that users are familiar 
with the medium.

"click here" was common on the web more than in windows help files,
because may authors were novices who need instructions. It is very bad 
hypertext usage.

Nir Dagan, Ph.D.
http://www.nirdagan.com
mailto:nir@nirdagan.com

"There is nothing quite so practical as a good theory." 
-- A. Einstein

Received on Monday, 7 December 1998 13:01:26 UTC