Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

DavidONE · 2008-05-10 19:19:36

Currently, the last breacrumb element is hyperlinked to itself and therefore redundant , e.g. http://fluxbb.org/forums/forum/9/feature-requests/. Usability would be improved by making it plain, bold text.

P.S. I've just noticed that the 'Post new topic' breadcrumb gets it right and is not hyperlinked - so there's some inconsistency as well.

elbekko · 2008-05-10 19:31:44

Hmm, I quite like it, makes it easier to link to a topic when you clicked on a link to a post. In forums it's useless indeed.

Paul · 2008-05-10 19:49:03

This is one of the those funny ones. Originally it wasn't a link, Rickard then got a number of requests to make it a link for forums and topics so I did it. I will think about it. My preference is for it not to be a link. I'm going to be changing the headers so a convenient link will be available elsewhere.

DavidONE · 2008-05-10 20:53:43

I hadn't thought about that - it's certainly an argument for it, although based on usability studies (no, I'm not saying the world starts and ends with studies and statistics ), but every one that I've read recommends the no link style. Also, I'd guess that more sites do the non-link, so it's probably a de facto standard.

Thanks for your time, Paul.

Jérémie · 2008-05-11 04:55:45

I like it as a link. It may be slightly confusing to some, but we already are on a page heavy on links and functionalities...

I like it because it's an easy way to find the first post, to find the URI of the thread, and so on.

Paul · 2008-05-11 10:58:08

Jérémie wrote:

I like it as a link. It may be slightly confusing to some, but we already are on a page heavy on links and functionalities...
I like it because it's an easy way to find the first post, to find the URI of the thread, and so on.

Which is I assume why people asked for it to become a link in the first place. Its also the reason its applied inconsistently, nobody is likely to want to find the uri of a form, for example.

This is one of those where there is going to be a 50/50 split in opinion isn't it.

Jérémie · 2008-05-11 13:33:45

Well, opinion doesn't matter. Othewise your board would be vBulletin (or phpBB, take your pick).

Last edited by Jérémie (2008-05-11 13:33:58)

Connor · 2008-05-11 13:34:56

Well it does matter, its just not the only factor

Is the only arguement it against it inconsistency? In which case why is that a problem really?

Jérémie · 2008-05-11 13:57:36

Either way (linked, not linked), imnsho it's a very minor issue, more like a a nano issue.

DavidONE · 2008-05-11 15:22:55

1. "Consistency Breeds Familiarity" - http://www.useit.com/alertbox/breadcrumbs.html (2/3 down the page)

2. "never have a link that points to the current page" - #10 at http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20031110.html (this also applies to 'Index' when on the home page)

This convention is followed by:

* http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food … pics?hl=en
* http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=amb_link_46 … d_i=502394
* http://tech.yahoo.com/pr/nikon-d40/1994466305
* http://cell-phones.listings.ebay.com/PD … esTextFeat
* http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatpro/

I didn't cherry pick those - they represent the most popular web destinations and they're all consistent. For the sake of usability, Flux should follow this de facto standard - unless there is a really good overriding reason to do it differently, which there doesn't appear to be.

Connor · 2008-05-11 16:04:25

How many popular sites have "permalink" links on a page to itself?

DavidONE · 2008-05-12 15:01:13

permalink != breadcrumb

Connor · 2008-05-12 15:08:17

Thats what its being used for in this case though

Taimar · 2008-05-13 16:48:43

We already have permalinks in every post ("Yesterday 18:08:17").

Connor · 2008-05-13 17:20:36

Not to the topic or the forum though

DavidONE · 2008-05-13 18:09:05

The topic is in the browser address bar and the permalinks (which position the viewport to individual posts). The forum is second to last in the breadcrumb.

Next.

jmp · 2008-05-13 18:27:28

DavidONE wrote:

The topic is in the browser address bar and the permalinks (which position the viewport to individual posts). The forum is second to last in the breadcrumb.
Next.

http://fluxbb.org/forums/post/1608/#p1608

This is what's in my address bar right now. Try to get the topic link from that.

DavidONE · 2008-05-13 18:47:55

Well, if I click on that I *do* go to the topic - it just happens to be positioned at your post.

However, I admit it's not the 'official' topic URL... so fair point.

Parker · 2008-05-13 19:53:42

DavidONE wrote:

2. "never have a link that points to the current page" - #10 at http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20031110.html (this also applies to 'Index' when on the home page)

When you're on page two, it's not a link to the current page. Making it a link on every page except one seems like overkill, and inconsistent.

Songbird · 2008-05-14 23:20:34

I never understood, why the link to a post doesn't resolve to the topic-URL with the proper page number and the hash to the said post. So why do you link to

http://fluxbb.org/forums/post/1657/#p1657

instead of

http://fluxbb.org/forums/topic/123/last … ink/#p1657

As this seems to be a non issue at the first look, it may cause trouble with search engines, as it perfectly amounts to duplicate content. Even though these Post-URLs come with a

line in the header, the better choice in my opinion would be to avoid this thing at all.

What is the rationale for these URLs in the first place?

Smartys · 2008-05-14 23:31:20

The rationale? They're permalinks.
Everyone has/can have a different number of posts per page. Therefore, a link to a specific post that relies on page number is impossible. The meta tag avoids the duplicate content issue (even though the search engines never really seemed to care much in the first place).

Forums

#1 2008-05-10 19:19:36

Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

#2 2008-05-10 19:31:44

Re: Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

#3 2008-05-10 19:49:03

Re: Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

#4 2008-05-10 20:53:43

Re: Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

#5 2008-05-11 04:55:45

Re: Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

#6 2008-05-11 10:58:08

Re: Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

#7 2008-05-11 13:33:45

Re: Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

#8 2008-05-11 13:34:56

Re: Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

#9 2008-05-11 13:57:36

Re: Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

#10 2008-05-11 15:22:55

Re: Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

#11 2008-05-11 16:04:25

Re: Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

#12 2008-05-12 15:01:13

Re: Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

#13 2008-05-12 15:08:17

Re: Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

#14 2008-05-13 16:48:43

Re: Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

#15 2008-05-13 17:20:36

Re: Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

#16 2008-05-13 18:09:05

Re: Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

#17 2008-05-13 18:27:28

Re: Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

#18 2008-05-13 18:47:55

Re: Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

#19 2008-05-13 19:53:42

Re: Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

#20 2008-05-14 23:20:34

Re: Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

#21 2008-05-14 23:31:20

Re: Last breadcrumb should be plain text, not link

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