Post 9tdfc2iRCiBp4HP4eu by aev@mastodon.sdf.org
 (DIR) More posts by aev@mastodon.sdf.org
 (DIR) Post #9tdfc2iRCiBp4HP4eu by aev@mastodon.sdf.org
       2020-04-02T16:28:31Z
       
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       https://usabilitypost.com/2012/11/05/stop-fixing-font-smoothing/ Why you should stop "fixing" the font smoothing of web pages. #Usability #Legibility #WebDesign
       
 (DIR) Post #9tdfc3QkXxdRHi8SjA by publius@mastodon.sdf.org
       2020-04-02T16:37:56Z
       
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       @aev The idea that Web designers consider body text unimportant is disturbing.
       
 (DIR) Post #9tdflgBTpZ9E5EaCJM by aev@mastodon.sdf.org
       2020-04-02T16:39:41Z
       
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       @publius Indeed. They also consider hyperlinks unimportant and want to hide the "ugly" (in their eyes) underline, completely disregarding the meaning of "hyper" in "hypertext".
       
 (DIR) Post #9tdggxGYzc9jZJGtjk by publius@mastodon.sdf.org
       2020-04-02T16:50:03Z
       
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       @aev I'll admit to having changed the default appearance of hyperlinks, but never in an attempt to hide them. In particular I will try to use differences of colour & typeface to make links within the site look different from links to external sites, which seems to me like something which should be more common.
       
 (DIR) Post #9tdgqvT0XNJasrqYvw by aev@mastodon.sdf.org
       2020-04-02T16:51:52Z
       
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       @publius That sounds a good added value for usability. Even the creator of Mastodon removes hyperlink underlines because he thinks they're ugly, ignoring usability.
       
 (DIR) Post #9tdi54SC1MnalSm4bQ by publius@mastodon.sdf.org
       2020-04-02T17:05:38Z
       
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       @aev Concede that underlines are ugly, & also that there are equally good ways of making hyperlinks visually distinctive. Nevertheless it is true that users will expect linked text to be underlined, & underlined text to be a link. Unless you're doing some kind of experimental art thing, it's generally better to support the user's expectation than to confound it.But I honestly think that many Web designers forget about the user entirely, which certainly explains usability problems.
       
 (DIR) Post #9tdiXYkgxwvGqF0mcS by aev@mastodon.sdf.org
       2020-04-02T17:10:47Z
       
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       @publius Indeed. And if not the designers, then their misguided managers. I have worked for a large custom web site creation company, and had to fight our design directors nearly every single project. Instead of protecting usability and the visitor of the site (which, one would think, helps converting visitors into customers), they protected CEOs. From a sales perspective I can understand that: we need to get paid, too. But if visitors don't see that links are links, you've done fucked up.