[thelist] Is changing window.status='evil?';

[Mark Gallagher]

Geoff Sheridan wrote:
> On one of my websites I've used javascript to change the
> window.status to give a description of the page the link will lead
> to. I've also used title="whatever" to describe the link.
> I am getting an unsettling feeling that using window.status in this
> manner is somehow inherently *EVIL*.
> thelist-ers, should I remove this code?

Yes!

Zeldman uses JavaScript to screw around with the window.status (at
least, theoretically - thanks to the magic of Mozilla, I can ignore his
status-bar shenanigans), so I assume a great many designers grow up
thinking it's "k3w1" to do so.  It's *not*.

Using TITLE to describe the page you're linking to is a good move.
Using window.status='' to do the same means that most browsers (who
display URIs in the status bar) will prevent their users from working
out where a link points.  It also annoys the piss out of almost everyone
(well, me), so it's a Bad Thing :-).




--
Mark Gallagher
Desperately attempting - and failing - to stay on topic since 1999
fuddleriffic - http://cyberfuddle.com/
blog - http://cyberfuddle.com/infinitebabble/