Those magnificent links
Internet links, or hyperlinks to give them their
full name, seem perhaps a strange topic here, but their importance for net
designers, authors, and users cannot be underestimated. They are the basis of surfing the web, and search engines and
other major websites such as Wikipedia
and social media sites. All use hyperlinks
extensively, and they are used extensively on Goldhanger
Past website.
Computer programmers who
gained their experience in the days before the arrival of the internet, when
their applications were isolated inside the bounds of one processor, will
doubtless remember their forerunners, the “jump” and “goto”
instructions. Then, as now, there were pros & cons to their uses and were
much maligned as the source of excessive complexity, errors and bugs.
Hyperlinks have some similarities, but have many overwhelming benefits. . .
o
they empower the reader to choose their own path through
a website.
o
they provide relevant and recommended routes to other
parts of the net.
o
links can be shown in forms: a word, a phase, an image, a
button, an icon, or be part of a list or menu.
o
the displayed text does not have to reflect the destination
address.
o
the destination, or target,
can take many forms such as a picture, video, audio, music, etc.
o
they are effortless for the user with point & click or select.
o
they save web designers and authors time and effort by
removing duplication, and avoid plagiarism.
o
the link can be opened in a new tab or window by the
author or user, leaving the original page still visible.
o
links can be copied into emails, social media messages
and be in most on-line documents types.
o
the back-button on the browser returns the user through
the chain of previous links and pages.
However there are some disadvantages. . .
o
a user can opt for a link to
new site, becomes absorbed in it, and not return to the original site.
o
users can be confused by a multiplicity links, and not
recognise a link for what it is.
o
links can open in a separate browser tab and users can end up with too
many pages open at the same
time slowly the device down and
even stopping it working completely.
o
links can be deliberately disguised to mislead for commercial
gain and to hide viruses.
o
links not updated after the destination site has been restructured,
resulting in not found messages,
experience has shown that it is large
public organisations and councils that regularly re-structure their
websites, resulting in these not found messages. The only solution
found has been to copy some of the
salient text onto the Goldhanger Past site.
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