[thelist] advisability of links to the current page (WAS: <h1> + images + search engines penalties)

Christian Heilmann codepo8 at gmail.com
Thu May 25 08:54:43 CDT 2006


> Say you have a navigation list of the pages of your site - does it make
> sense to remove the current page from that list just because you are on
> that page? No it doesn't, IMHO. I think it should remain, at a minimum
> as unlinked text, as a link if it's dynamic content.

This is confusing the matter. We never talked about removing the menu
entry, just removing the link. Removing the menu item would neither
pose as a "you are here" state nor would it help the consistency of
the menu as a navigational aid. IMHO the only real logical way is:

You are on gherkins.html. This is confusing, even if it is a dynamic page:

<ul>
<li><a href="oranges.html">Oranges</a></li>
<li><a href="apples.html">Apples</a></li>
<li><a href="gherkins.html">Gherkins</a></li>
<li><a href="bananas.html">Bananas</a></li>
<li><a href="mushrooms.html">Pink Elephants</a></li>
</ul>

This is only helpful to users with CSS:

<ul>
<li><a href="oranges.html">Oranges</a></li>
<li><a href="apples.html">Apples</a></li>
<li class="current"><a href="gherkins.html">Gherkins</a></li>
<li><a href="bananas.html">Bananas</a></li>
<li><a href="mushrooms.html">Pink Elephants</a></li>
</ul>

This makes sense to everybody and is as easily style-able

<ul>
<li><a href="oranges.html">Oranges</a></li>
<li><a href="apples.html">Apples</a></li>
<li>Gherkins</li>
<li><a href="bananas.html">Bananas</a></li>
<li><a href="mushrooms.html">Pink Elephants</a></li>
</ul>

If you need an extra hook for your CSS or you want to make it VERY
obvious in browsers with only the browser style sheet:

<ul>
<li><a href="oranges.html">Oranges</a></li>
<li><a href="apples.html">Apples</a></li>
<li><strong>Gherkins</strong></li>
<li><a href="bananas.html">Bananas</a></li>
<li><a href="mushrooms.html">Pink Elephants</a></li>
</ul>

Even for dynamic pages I'd keep the menu entry not a link, and offer a
"reload results" button or link instead.

-- 
Chris Heilmann
Blog: http://www.wait-till-i.com
Writing: http://icant.co.uk/
Binaries: http://www.onlinetools.org/



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