On 3/21/06 6:49 PM, "Joel de Guzman" <joel@boost-consulting.com> wrote:

David Abrahams wrote:

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Daryle Walker <darylew@hotmail.com> writes:

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I've read on some web design website that this is horrible UI.

Why is "some web design website" an arbiter of good UI?

I assumed that they based it on usability studies. But I am not so sure. Daryle could you post some links to actual studies?

I've been reading the notes at <http://www.useit.com>, specifically the "Alert Box" section at <http://www.useit.com/alertbox/>.

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This is a feature that may be "kewl" for very advanced users, but it's obscure for above-average users, and detrimental to anyone else.

I'm a below-average or middling web user and for me it has nothing to do with "kewlness." Once I discovered the feature I considered it useful.

I agree with Dave, it has nothing to do with "kewlness". I too find them very useful.

I think there's been a big misunderstanding here. I never looked at any of the pages besides the first one Joel explicitly mentioned in the original message. I didn't realize that Joel applied the technique at a sub-section level too. (The sub-sections link to themselves, like '<a name="hi" href="#hi">') I feel that I'm right at the whole-page level, but I don't have a fully-formed opinion at the section level yet. I see why it could be helpful, but couldn't you use an explicit mnemonic instead (maybe a linked "bookmark this" button next to the title)? -- Daryle Walker Mac, Internet, and Video Game Junkie darylew AT hotmail DOT com