From: jorn at mcs.com (HyperTerrorist) Newsgroups: alt.hypertext, comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc, alt.culture.www Date: Fri Jan 05 11:47:41 CST 1996 Summary: a way to give feedback to problem sites
This checklist is really for serious sites, not frivolous ones. Frivolous ones can do whatever-the-hell they think is friv...
[_] Undescriptive title
If someone saves a bookmark for this page, the <title> will be
its name on the bookmark-menu. Does it suffice for this?
[_] Page too short
Remember that it takes several seconds to load each page... and much
longer from the antipodes. Does the content have enough individuality to
need its own page?
[_] Link-drunk (massive use of short pages)
[_] Page too long-- break it up
32kb is considered a maximum size for some applications.
[_] Undescriptive table of contents
ToC's should include a brief summary of each 'chapter' to allow readers
to skip over already-familiar topics.
[_] Unflagged #-link (I recommend using the character "#" to flag
these)
Links
within a single document can be disorienting if you don't know that's
what they are. Using <a>#</a> as the anchor seems reasonable (or
<a>^#</a> to warn people it will take them
back in the document).
[_] Page links to self (link should be disabled)
Often a standard set of buttons will produce a self-link, but these
should be disabled on the page itself. The button can remain, for
consistency, but not 'live'.
[_] "Gotcha" link (leads to little or no content, or just a gif, w/o
warning)
Every link should accurately describe where it leads. If it seems to
promise something it doesn't deliver, that's a 'gotcha'.
[_] "False alarm" links (warn you off a link you could follow)
Threatens some danger (eg, a weird file format) that isn't really an
imminent danger.
[_] Link-inflation (linking repeatedly to the same page)
If you write a page that uses the word "memetics" a dozen times, only
one of them should be the live link to the memetics page.
[_] Unannotated hotlist
If it's worth linking to, you should say why you like it.
[_] Undescriptive anchor/link text (doesn't explain what it links to)
[_] Stairmaster fallacy
If files are to be read in series, you should have a "Next" button at
the end of each-- you shouldn't have to go 'upstairs' to the ToC, and then
back down.
[_] Orphan page (no up-link)
Every page should have a button that leads back to its context, because
someone might want to link to it directly (in which case the browser's
'back' function won't suffice).
[_] Foster-orphan (uplink skips levels)
The up-link ought to go up
one step, not several. A 'Top' button may be used for the latter
function.
[_] 'Grandorphans' (content hidden in unhinted depths)
If you've bothered to create useful content, you shouldn't hide it
under a menu-item that doesn't mention it.
[_] Too-long paragraphs of text
For reading onscreen, very short paragraphs work much better.
[_] Footnotes look like 'real' links
WWWeb users expect much more from a live link than just a technical
reference. Make them look different <a>[1#]</a> or don't make
them 'live' at all.
[_] Footnotes segregated in separate file
You shouldn't have to jump between files to check footnotes. Put them
at the bottom of each page.
[_] Too-long list of items needs internal sorting
Grouping comparable items together makes browsing much easier.
[_] Material formatted for non-HTML display
It's not that much work to put "<p>" between paragraphs rather
than just using <pre>. A simple search-and-replace should be able to
do it. If the text is worth posting, it's worth massaging a little. (Ditto
for other special formats, like word-processor files.)
[_] Imagemaps missing text alternative
Excludes Lynx users.
[_] Images missing ALT text (results in [IMAGE] or [INLINE] or
[LINK])
Just including will make these unsightly things vanish. (If
there's important text
in the graphic, it should be dup-ed as ALT text.)
[_] Missed opportunities for live links
Every page you post, you should really spend half an hour with
Altavista to find a few
things it can link to. It's a very easy way to make your pages livelier.
[_] Email address without live 'mailto' URL
Use this: <a
href="mailto:whoever at wherever.whatever">who at where.what</a> It will
allow that person to be emailed immediately.
[_] Newsgroup reference without live 'news:' URL
Use this: <a
href="news:news.group.name">news.group.name</a> Many WWWeb-browsers
will connect straight to the group from this link.
[_] No feedback-button on page
Every page can use a feedback button at the bottom that mails a comment
to the page owner, for instant corrections.
[_] No indication of bottom of page
Some sort of 'footer' that indicates you've reached the bottom is a
nice convention to include.
[_] Vacuous hypertext theory
There's way too much theory and not enough practice!
[_] Advocating design errors
Grrrrr!!!
[_] Non-hypertext advertised as hypertext
This is especially noxious if the topic is hypertext theory!
[_] Self-importance
Me! Me!!! ME!!!!!
[_] Time-references 'stale' (eg, "last month", "the latest issue")
I know, you've been busy. That's why time references should be composed
as if for readers of the next millennium...
;^/
[_] Spellcheck needed
[_] Broken HTML
like this..
j -==--- . hypertext theory : artificial intelligence : finnegans wake . _+m"m+_"+_ lynx http://www.mcs.net/~jorn/ ! Jp Jp qh qh ftp://ftp.mcs.net/mcsnet.users/jorn/ O O O O news:alt.music.category-freak Yb Yb dY dY ...do you ever feel your mind has started to erode? "Y_ "Y5m2Y" " no.