Re: [WSG] Footer Navigation
Hi Sarah, I duplicate my main menu in the footer for those interior pages that scroll vertically more then one-page down so the user doesn't have to scroll up to navigate. I know this is a common practice, which of course an intra-page link such as 'back to top is another viable option often employed. Kind regards, Mario Hi William, Yes, I agree. However, the main navigation elements for websites I design are almost always css based (no images). So is there a valid argument for providing a footer navigation? Or, are there problems with the duplication of links for screen readers and/or disadvantages with search engine rankings? I think this practice is a remnant of pre-accessibility days where navigation options that were provided as images were duplicated as plain text links in the footer to aid people with images turned off etc. With judicious use of alt tags I don't believe this is something that is still necessary. -- XERT Communications email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] office: +61 2 4782 3104 mobile: 0438 017 416 http://www.xert.com.au/ web development : digital imaging : dvd production ** The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list getting help ** ** The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list getting help **
RE: [WSG] Footer Navigation
Hi, Sarah By the accessibility point of view there's no problem in duplicating links on a page if you follow this simple rule: all similar links (links with same text) *must* point to the same pages. Cheers! Angela -Message d'origine- De : [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] la part de Sarah Peeke (XERT) Envoyé : vendredi 14 octobre 2005 06:51 À : WSG Objet : [WSG] Footer Navigation Hi all, I am interested to know what you think of duplicating navigation in the footer of a page. I have a client who has requested it, but I do not, as a rule, include duplicate links - I seem to recall there were some accessibility issues with duplicate navigation links for screen readers. What are the pros and cons regarding usability vs accessibility? Is there a relevant standard I could quote here? Thanks in advance Sarah :) -- XERT Communications email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] office: +61 2 4782 3104 mobile: 0438 017 416 http://www.xert.com.au/ web development : digital imaging : dvd production ** The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list getting help ** ** The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list getting help **
RE: [WSG] Footer Navigation
Hi Sarah, COLD WAR AND NAVIGATION CRITIQUE A usability consideration with link duplication is the potential for 'navigational confusion'. This becomes more pronounced if there are *apparent* differences either in presentation or wording of the navigation. To polarise the issue, it can be useful to adopt a 'cold-war' mindset. Assume that navigation is the interface to a military mainframe computer, where , at a moments notice the operator has to deploy a countering anti-nuclear missile. In this hypothetical situation hesitation caused by poor navigation labels or duplicate navigation could have serious repercussions. (I was put on to this particular paradigm by a Useit article reappraising military computer interface standards from 1986: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20050117_guidelines.html ) SIGN-POSTS In a previous incarnation of our corporate website, we eschewed navigation at the top of the page entirely. Our rationale was, that coming to the end of the content, presenting the user with the top-level navigational options would be more efficient. No scrolling back to the top of the page. Our thinking was changed by Steve Krug's 'Don't Make Me Think' (with its either ironic or unfortunate cover) where he discusses navigation in terms of real-world signage. If you're lost in an unfamiliar city do you look to your feet or up at street signage? In addition, when a user looks to the top-level navigation, it is likely that they are starting a new 'task'. The street-signage analogy, coupled with Western reading traditions of starting at the top left of a page convinced us to move our navigation to the top of the screen (and only list administrative-level links in the page footer). For more support you could also refer your client to our glossary entry on navigation: http://www.motive.co.nz/glossary/navigation.php Best regards, -- Andy Kirkwood | Creative Director Motive | web.design.integrity http://www.motive.co.nz ph: (04) 3 800 800 fx: (04) 970 9693 mob: 021 369 693 93 Rintoul St, Newtown PO Box 7150, Wellington South, New Zealand ** The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list getting help **
[WSG] Footer Navigation
Hi all, I am interested to know what you think of duplicating navigation in the footer of a page. I have a client who has requested it, but I do not, as a rule, include duplicate links - I seem to recall there were some accessibility issues with duplicate navigation links for screen readers. What are the pros and cons regarding usability vs accessibility? Is there a relevant standard I could quote here? Thanks in advance Sarah :) -- XERT Communications email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] office: +61 2 4782 3104 mobile: 0438 017 416 http://www.xert.com.au/ web development : digital imaging : dvd production ** The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list getting help **
Re: [WSG] Footer Navigation
I think this practice is a remnant of pre-accessibility days where navigation options that were provided as images were duplicated as plain text links in the footer to aid people with images turned off etc. With judicious use of alt tags I don't believe this is something that is still necessary. On 10/14/05, Sarah Peeke (XERT) [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi all,I am interested to know what you think of duplicating navigation in thefooter of a page. I have a client who has requested it, but I do not, as a rule, includeduplicate links - I seem to recall there were some accessibility issueswith duplicate navigation links for screen readers.What are the pros and cons regarding usability vs accessibility? Is there a relevant standard I could quote here?Thanks in advanceSarah :)--XERT Communicationsemail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]office: +61 2 4782 3104 mobile: 0438 017 416http://www.xert.com.au/web development : digital imaging : dvd production**The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfmfor some hints on posting to the list getting help **-- Regards,William D. Bartholomewhttp://blog.bartholomew.id.au/
