Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Tog's thoughts on linking

Author:Daniel Berlinger
Posted:11/23/1998; 8:57:19 PM
Topic:Testing a new feature.
Msg #:426 (In response to 424)
Prev/Next:425 / 427

I read the article on Tog's site, pointed to on Scripting News and wondered about one of the interface ideas he mentioned.

Tog was discussing links and the fact that this no differentiation between links within a page (anchors), sites, and the web at large.

I have also read (Berners-Lee I recall but I could be wrong and couldn't find the citation) that links were not to be especially disruptive in the flow of a page, that there should be no difference between an "external link" and an "internal link" as people often refer to them, thus forming the core notion of a "web". That people should not feel "interrupted" by links and not feel an urge to follow them, but to make choice.

For those who remember, this was one of the complaints of the original Macintosh trash can icon. That when you placed something inside it, the bloated, painful feeling the icon invoked begged people to empty the trash. This (among other things) diminished the value of the trash can early on, which was supposed to provide a means of "undoing" the action of throwing something out. It has since been revised.

Sure, the web has evolved and all that. That's fundamental. But I think there is a dichotomy in the approaches, a fork in the way people are thinking about the web.

Plenty of sites have links that are peripheral to the main topic. They are referential but not essential. Other's are almost all links.

For some it is hypertext, for others sites are applications.

This seems to part of the issue.

Thoughts?

Daniel

PS I find it relevant that the discussion group link on Scripting News II has an icon.

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