At 5:58 PM -0400 08/06/00, Tom Neff wrote:
Basically I agree with all of what Tom says. (My FAQ is text-only; when
people write referring to my web site, I assume that they found
faqs.org.)
>Certainly most of the B/STRONG/EM/IMG/FONT sorts of tags are just
>window
>dressing that don't add anything to the information a FAQ imparts.
Window dressing can, however, add significantly to readability if used
well (though that's a BIG IF). The last time I heard, reading speed on
screen was typically 75% of speed on paper, so readability is a major
concern.
>in a pure text FAQ
>we might have said
>
> [1] Jeff keeps a list online:
>http://abc.jeff.org/gnomes/list.html
>
>whereas in a pure HTML FAQ, using the A HREF container, we could say
>
> [2] Jeff keeps _a list online_
>
>and if you are lucky enough to be browsing the original HTML, clicking
>on
>the phrase would take you to the page. But which form is really
>better?
For a visually impaired person using a non-visual browser, a link which
includes only the raw link is frustrating (because the browser reads
the link text aloud to give the user an overview of the links on a
page).
>If a beautiful
>version is made, it should still be usable from a printout.
Yet also still usable to those who cannot see it.
Ideally we would have an interface that shows the links when you want
to see links, and text when you want text, and would do so even when
printed. However, the mind-reader module still has some limitations,
and some advancements in paper technology are still needed for the full
version of this vision.
Edward Reid
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