"Click here" continued...

[David Segall]

As everybody knows using "click here" as a link is deprecated
<http://www.w3.org/QA/Tips/noClickHere>. One of my web pages
<http://profectus.com.au/ee_getdata.html> contains the sentence "The
relevant chapter can be downloaded from here" and I have used the word
"here" as the link. Presumably, the W3C is implying that "from here"
is redundant. Which words in the revised sentence - "The relevant
chapter can be downloaded" - should be the new link?

 

[Jukka K. Korpela]

As everybody knows using "click here" as a link is deprecated
<http://www.w3.org/QA/Tips/noClickHere>.

Right. See also http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/www/click.html

One of my web pages
<http://profectus.com.au/ee_getdata.html> contains the sentence "The
relevant chapter can be downloaded from here" and I have used the word
"here" as the link. Presumably, the W3C is implying that "from here"
is redundant.

Probably, and in any case it bad style.

Which words in the revised sentence - "The relevant
chapter can be downloaded" - should be the new link?

If that's how you formulate it, then "The relevant chapter" would be
suitable as link text. You might consider omitting the article from the link
text.

But it would be much better to write e.g.

The relevant chapter, <cite><a href="...">Zen and the art of
yawning</a></cite>, is available for download.

or even just

The relevant chapter is <cite><a href="...">Zen and the art of
yawning</a></cite>.

or (if other chapters aren't online etc.)

The relevant chapter, <cite><a href="...">Zen and the art of
yawning</a></cite>, is available online.

(Avoid mentioning technicalities. Downloading is just one thing you can do
with a link.)

 

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

As everybody knows using "click here" as a link is deprecated
<http://www.w3.org/QA/Tips/noClickHere>.

I wouldn't say 'deprecated' but rather just in bad taste. ;-)

One of my web pages <http://profectus.com.au/ee_getdata.html> contains
the sentence "The relevant chapter can be downloaded from here" and I
have used the word "here" as the link. Presumably, the W3C is
implying that "from here" is redundant. Which words in the revised
sentence - "The relevant chapter can be downloaded" - should be the
new link?

Download the <a href='filename.pdf'>relevant chapter</a> [PDF, 100KB].

I do believe I read somewhere that one should use nouns for the link
text, not verbs, adverbs, etc. An appropriate adjective might help.

 

[richard]

As everybody knows using "click here" as a link is deprecated
<http://www.w3.org/QA/Tips/noClickHere>. One of my web pages
<http://profectus.com.au/ee_getdata.html> contains the sentence "The
relevant chapter can be downloaded from here" and I have used the word
"here" as the link. Presumably, the W3C is implying that "from here"
is redundant. Which words in the revised sentence - "The relevant
chapter can be downloaded" - should be the new link?

How about: "Download the relevant chapter as a text file now".

People generally understand most anything that has a single line under
it, or the line shows on mouseover, is a link of some sort.

 

[+mrcakey]

As everybody knows using "click here" as a link is deprecated
<http://www.w3.org/QA/Tips/noClickHere>. One of my web pages
<http://profectus.com.au/ee_getdata.html> contains the sentence "The
relevant chapter can be downloaded from here" and I have used the word
"here" as the link. Presumably, the W3C is implying that "from here"
is redundant. Which words in the revised sentence - "The relevant
chapter can be downloaded" - should be the new link?

One of the reasons it's deprecated is that certain screen readers list the
links in a document at the beginning stripped of their context. For example,
a user might browse to a page and hear "home, about us, profile, contact,
login, click here, click here, click here, download it here, click here"
etc.

For this reason, Jukka's solution is the most appropriate since it makes
sense even when stripped of the context of the surrounding text. When I'm
faced with similar situations I try to get away from the call to action
within the link text, e.g. <p><a etc...>read the relevant chapter
here</a></p> and try to use the link to describe what it's pointing at, e.g.
<p>The chapter on <a etc...>servlets and JSP</a> is available online</p>.

As well as being essential for accessibility and a boon for usability, it's
excellent for giving your number one blind user a hint about what the link
is pointing at.

 

[David Segall]

Right. See also http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/www/click.html


Probably, and in any case it bad style.


If that's how you formulate it, then "The relevant chapter" would be
suitable as link text. You might consider omitting the article from the link
text.

But it would be much better to write e.g.

The relevant chapter, <cite><a href="...">Zen and the art of
yawning</a></cite>, is available for download.

or even just

The relevant chapter is <cite><a href="...">Zen and the art of
yawning</a></cite>.

or (if other chapters aren't online etc.)

The relevant chapter, <cite><a href="...">Zen and the art of
yawning</a></cite>, is available online.

(Avoid mentioning technicalities. Downloading is just one thing you can do
with a link.)

Thank you. You have provided what I consider to be a model answer to a
"How do I..." question. You answered the question as I presented it
and then provided a better solution to the problem and explained why
it was better. I chose your first suggestion.

I don't know whether to thank or curse you for your subtle indication
that I have omitted the <cite> tag. I think I have included it
correctly on the reference page but it raises a question that I have
posed in a new thread. In any case, it means that I have to revise my
entire site to include the <cite> tag where appropriate.