Comments on: Don’t click here - avoid verbs? http://goodtreecompany.com/wordpress/2007/03/20/dont-click-here-avoid-verbs/ Adventures in New Media Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:09:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: hal990 http://goodtreecompany.com/wordpress/2007/03/20/dont-click-here-avoid-verbs/#comment-13 hal990 Tue, 10 Apr 2007 01:28:26 +0000 http://online-copywriter.com/wordpress/2007/03/20/dont-click-here-avoid-verbs/#comment-13 Thanks everyone for the comments. Clearly, the language of linking is an area of hot interest for many online writers. Thanks everyone for the comments. Clearly, the language of linking is an area of hot interest for many online writers.

]]> By: Linked Text http://goodtreecompany.com/wordpress/2007/03/20/dont-click-here-avoid-verbs/#comment-11 Linked Text Mon, 02 Apr 2007 14:07:14 +0000 http://online-copywriter.com/wordpress/2007/03/20/dont-click-here-avoid-verbs/#comment-11 [...] using something awful like “click here” or “article” as the linked words. Online Copywriter references W3C’s recommendations for linked [...] […] using something awful like “click here” or “article” as the linked words. Online Copywriter references W3C’s recommendations for linked […]

]]> By: David Anderson http://goodtreecompany.com/wordpress/2007/03/20/dont-click-here-avoid-verbs/#comment-10 David Anderson Fri, 30 Mar 2007 19:12:00 +0000 http://online-copywriter.com/wordpress/2007/03/20/dont-click-here-avoid-verbs/#comment-10 Verbs are a really tough call. The advice that the W3C page relies on is seven years old at the youngest. And, frankly, it looks like it's based largely on the opinions of two individuals whose linguistic expertise is unstated. Seven years is an eon. I'd like to see some usability research on the subject. Or, at the very least, the recommendation of language experts. Or we could just go with "click here". According to Google, it's pretty popular with everyone from Adobe to, well, everyone. Verbs are a really tough call. The advice that the W3C page relies on is seven years old at the youngest. And, frankly, it looks like it’s based largely on the opinions of two individuals whose linguistic expertise is unstated.

Seven years is an eon. I’d like to see some usability research on the subject. Or, at the very least, the recommendation of language experts.

Or we could just go with “click here”. According to Google, it’s pretty popular with everyone from Adobe to, well, everyone.

]]> By: Joe Murphy http://goodtreecompany.com/wordpress/2007/03/20/dont-click-here-avoid-verbs/#comment-9 Joe Murphy Fri, 30 Mar 2007 16:54:39 +0000 http://online-copywriter.com/wordpress/2007/03/20/dont-click-here-avoid-verbs/#comment-9 Why not link the whole phrase: <a href="#" rel="nofollow">Contact me</a>, <a href="#" rel="nofollow">Download Amaya</a> etc.? Like LandLogic wrote, linking one word doesn't give much context. Why not link the whole phrase: Contact me, Download Amaya etc.? Like LandLogic wrote, linking one word doesn’t give much context.

]]> By: LandLogic http://goodtreecompany.com/wordpress/2007/03/20/dont-click-here-avoid-verbs/#comment-7 LandLogic Mon, 26 Mar 2007 13:41:13 +0000 http://online-copywriter.com/wordpress/2007/03/20/dont-click-here-avoid-verbs/#comment-7 Interesting subject. One my team is dealing with right now. In the examples it seems that the link phrases have been shortened to a point of confusion. In both the "contact me" and "download Amaya" examples it seems to me that both words should be linked. That way they form a phrase that can be understood out of context. In the examples of linking only "me" or "Amaya" I would assume that I would get to a page introducing Amaya or "me." Maybe later in the content I would expect to find another device to actually download the content or make the contact. So maybe the "no verb" advice should be changed. We often look at our navigation based on the presence or absence of a verb. We use the presence of a verb as an indication that we are offering a "pull" vs. "push" option to a visitor. Sometimes a verb based label is best if clustered with other verb based labels to create a navigation system. This allows us to pull some of the links out of the prose where is it harder to scan. Great topic. LandLogic Interesting subject. One my team is dealing with right now. In the examples it seems that the link phrases have been shortened to a point of confusion.
In both the “contact me” and “download Amaya” examples it seems to me that both words should be linked. That way they form a phrase that can be understood out of context.
In the examples of linking only “me” or “Amaya” I would assume that I would get to a page introducing Amaya or “me.” Maybe later in the content I would expect to find another device to actually download the content or make the contact.
So maybe the “no verb” advice should be changed. We often look at our navigation based on the presence or absence of a verb. We use the presence of a verb as an indication that we are offering a “pull” vs. “push” option to a visitor. Sometimes a verb based label is best if clustered with other verb based labels to create a navigation system. This allows us to pull some of the links out of the prose where is it harder to scan.

Great topic.
LandLogic

]]> By: karl dubost, w3c http://goodtreecompany.com/wordpress/2007/03/20/dont-click-here-avoid-verbs/#comment-4 karl dubost, w3c Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:27:58 +0000 http://online-copywriter.com/wordpress/2007/03/20/dont-click-here-avoid-verbs/#comment-4 Hi, interesting. Why not sending your suggestions to www-qa@w3.org ? Hi, interesting.

Why not sending your suggestions to www-qa@w3.org ?

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