[thelist] Meta-Information was CSS layout help needed

[Joshua Olson]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: M. Seyon
> Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2005 9:21 PM
> 
> Message from klute (1/9/2005 09:27 PM)
> >Marc,
> >
> >got it. i thought you wer talking about impementing
> >img rollovers using javascript. your suggestion sounds
> >good. i'll look into it.
> 
> No, I'm just not really keen on the idea of putting content - 
> a clickable 
> image that leads to another page is content - in the 
> background. I think 
> it's just one of several areas where the "separation of content and 
> presentation" mantra has gotten out of hand.
> 
> That's for another discussion though.

Marc,

Consider this:

Images convey little or no currently-indexible information.  This means that
the link would lose some of its semantic value if the image is used to
represent the link.  However, when a link is text there is a general
understanding that the link within the text accurately (at least if the site
is well designed!) the target of the link.  Through CSS it is possible to
keep the text within the link while making the link display as a graphic to
the user.  If you are one of those who share the vision of a web where
elements on a page carry a semantic meaning and where data can be indexed
and searched as a massive, disorganized, yet somehow integrated and
distributed database, then the advantage of maintaining as much
context-information as possible should be apparent.

I do conceded that there are other, and established, ways to convey meaning
of links... title attribute for example.  However, at this moment these
attributes receive much less weight than they deserve.  So, link text is
very important.

<><><><><><><><><><>
Joshua Olson
Web Application Engineer
WAE Tech Inc.
http://www.waetech.com/service_areas/
706.210.0168