making multiple links more visible February 10, 2006 10:12 AM Subscribe
Just a style suggestion for links that include single words with multiple links.
A period ('.'), or a middle dot ('·' ·), or even a spacing cedilla ('¸' ¸) between the links would make it a lot less annoying, especially for those of us with motor control problems. I'm not suggesting this as any sort of rule, just as a nicety.
A period ('.'), or a middle dot ('·' ·), or even a spacing cedilla ('¸' ¸) between the links would make it a lot less annoying, especially for those of us with motor control problems. I'm not suggesting this as any sort of rule, just as a nicety.
If you're just trying to open all the links, I've found the 'linky' extension to be very useful. It lets you highlight/select a whole selection of links and open them all in new tabs or new windows at the same time.
posted by jacquilynne at 10:30 AM on February 10, 2006
posted by jacquilynne at 10:30 AM on February 10, 2006
Or just don't do it, since most people will completely miss your "cleverness" and will only click on one of the links.
posted by smackfu at 10:42 AM on February 10, 2006
posted by smackfu at 10:42 AM on February 10, 2006
Here's a better suggestion: give your links actual, descriptive anchors so people know what they fuck they're (trying) to click on. This cutesy every word or letter a link shit is incredibly obnoxious.
posted by kjh at 11:18 AM on February 10, 2006
posted by kjh at 11:18 AM on February 10, 2006
My big problem is missing that there are multiple links in the first place.
posted by OmieWise at 11:21 AM on February 10, 2006
posted by OmieWise at 11:21 AM on February 10, 2006
Yeah, I wish people wouldn't do that. I think splitting up the letters with little marks would actually make it worse, though. Look:
Fall 2006 collections have ranged from th.e s.u.b.l.im.e to the r.eg.re.t.t.a.b.l.e.posted by Gator at 11:26 AM on February 10, 2006
Gator, I actually don't mind that at all. "th.e s.u.b.l.im.e" is a little less readable because if the space in there, but "r.eg.re.t.t.a.b.l.e." is fine.
OTOH, making it less attractive to use might be a good thing. :)
posted by Kickstart70 at 12:13 PM on February 10, 2006
OTOH, making it less attractive to use might be a good thing. :)
posted by Kickstart70 at 12:13 PM on February 10, 2006
As always, I agree with Gator.
Oops! Wrong thread.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 1:18 PM on February 10, 2006
Oops! Wrong thread.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 1:18 PM on February 10, 2006
Did anyone notice that his parentheticals looked like cutesy Kirby-esque emoticons? I feel observant and yet ashamed.
posted by Ryvar at 1:32 PM on February 10, 2006
posted by Ryvar at 1:32 PM on February 10, 2006
"This cutesy every word or letter a link shit is incredibly obnoxious."
I agree... I seldom even look at those posts...
and, what kjh said....
posted by HuronBob at 1:36 PM on February 10, 2006
I agree... I seldom even look at those posts...
and, what kjh said....
posted by HuronBob at 1:36 PM on February 10, 2006
kjh said 'This cutesy every word or letter a link shit is incredibly obnoxious.'
Or, you know, fun.
If people don't notice the multiple links (which I find hard to believe, to be honest), or causes problems for folk with motor control problems, maybe some little middots would be a good move. More readable than full stops?
Or, you know, fun.
If people don't notice the multiple links (which I find hard to believe, to be honest), or causes problems for folk with motor control problems, maybe some little middots would be a good move. More readable than full stops?
...to the r·eg·re·t·t·a·b·l·e.posted by jack_mo at 2:34 PM on February 10, 2006
Kickstart70 posted "A period ('.'), or a middle dot ('·' ·), or even a spacing cedilla ('¸' ¸) between the links would make it a lot less annoying, especially for those of us with motor control problems."
Since this is important to you and people will often forget to add the separators (and because it may be less important to, or even unwanted by, others), why not implement it for yourself?
By adding the following lines to your userContent.css file, you can get pretty much what you want:
If this isn't a solution because it doesn't do exactly what you want, a trivial GreaseMonkey script can give you exactly what you specify.
posted by orthogonality at 4:09 PM on February 10, 2006
Since this is important to you and people will often forget to add the separators (and because it may be less important to, or even unwanted by, others), why not implement it for yourself?
By adding the following lines to your userContent.css file, you can get pretty much what you want:
a:before { content:"·" ; }
a:after { content:"·" ; }
Admittedly, it doesn't quite do what you want; this is added to all links, not just adjacent ones, and the added text is "part of" the link -- since it can be clicked on, it's a visual separator and not a "dead area" where clicking has no effect. And the more intuitive
a + a:before { content:"·" ; }
a + a:after { content:"·" ; }
won't really do what you want, as HTML elements are considered adjacent even when text comes between them.If this isn't a solution because it doesn't do exactly what you want, a trivial GreaseMonkey script can give you exactly what you specify.
posted by orthogonality at 4:09 PM on February 10, 2006
Whoops, I almost forgot, you'll need to add "!important"
a:before { content:"·" !important ; }
a:after { content:"·" !important ; }
posted by orthogonality at 4:11 PM on February 10, 2006 i think anything we can do to improve usability and legibility is a plus--for all of us.
I never know that something is more than one link--i always assume the entire highlighted thing is just one link, unless they're separated by something.
posted by amberglow at 4:36 PM on February 10, 2006
I never know that something is more than one link--i always assume the entire highlighted thing is just one link, unless they're separated by something.
posted by amberglow at 4:36 PM on February 10, 2006
I rarely notice those multiple links, because I read the page with my eyes, not my mouse, and you don't see them unless you mouseover. And when I do mouseover, I ignore them because I'm not trying to guess from the status bar where the fuck the link goeth.
posted by bonaldi at 4:44 PM on February 10, 2006
posted by bonaldi at 4:44 PM on February 10, 2006
This cutesy every word or letter a link shit is incredibly obnoxious.I could not agree more.
posted by Rhomboid at 6:59 PM on February 10, 2006
But, but, but... this is my favorite post I've ever posted. How can you say little augeri is annoying? The one on the right is twitching her ear for gosh sakes.
posted by If I Had An Anus at 8:29 PM on February 10, 2006
posted by If I Had An Anus at 8:29 PM on February 10, 2006
I like the way that kur0shin strips the links and puts them in a box beside the article.
posted by Eideteker at 10:13 PM on February 10, 2006
posted by Eideteker at 10:13 PM on February 10, 2006
I admit I've done it, but I thought it fit the post. More often though, I'd like to see a 50 word or so post with links to whole words.
Then again, I think more than 10 FPPs a day is too many. I read slow like that.
posted by ?! at 10:57 PM on February 10, 2006
Then again, I think more than 10 FPPs a day is too many. I read slow like that.
posted by ?! at 10:57 PM on February 10, 2006
FWIW I think the dots look fine. I was aghast at the suggestion until I saw Gator's example, which looks readable enough to me.
posted by scarabic at 10:33 AM on February 11, 2006
posted by scarabic at 10:33 AM on February 11, 2006
I debated about whether to use single letter links, but in the end it seemed like a nice, non-cluttered way to link a lot of related secondary links. If people don't notice that there is more than one link then they will see one ugly dress rather than several, which may be a blessing in itself.
I have safari enabled so that tabs can be used to select links, so I apologize to those who spent extra time trying to click on a lower case 'l'.
posted by Alison at 5:32 PM on February 12, 2006
I have safari enabled so that tabs can be used to select links, so I apologize to those who spent extra time trying to click on a lower case 'l'.
posted by Alison at 5:32 PM on February 12, 2006
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Post preview converted my &-amp-; to a real ampersand and removed my intentional de-entityization to show what HTML 4.0 entities those were.
So:
&-middot-;
&-amp-;
Without the dashes.
posted by Kickstart70 at 10:14 AM on February 10, 2006