Click Here! - NOT!

I love the W3C

[AWildman]

So I'm validating some docs at the W3C validator. It is pretty much the first time I was able to do so without crying about not being valid HTML since until today, I had to support NN4x and below. NO MORE!
Anywho, I'm validating and all of a sudden, the tip of the day that appears on VALID HTML DOCS showed up with the line, "Don't use "Click Here" as link text". I've been fighting with marketing and editorial about this issue for some time. Now, I could point to sites (other than the W3C)that advised against such anchor text, but it wasn't enough to sate them. They always say, "Well other people do it." Other people do a lot of things that don't work on a website! GAH! I did a screenshot and sent it to them in my joy.

[creative craig]

When I first started my current job of three months, I had to go through 300+ pages removing Click here for more info links. I have already started to see the returns from using better anchor text.

[edited by: creative_craig at 4:31 pm (utc) on Oct. 22, 2003]

[AWildman]

OH man! I feel for ya! At least there aren't too many on the sites I maintain.

[stuntdubl]

I think "click here" is now more of a crime than "untitled":)

[PCInk]

Get them sat on a computer with Windows XP. Press StartButton+U, this starts narrator.

Now navigate the site, without the mouse, like a blind person would. Press tab to go through the links on the page - each link gets read out. Now what sense does 'click here' make?

You should get them to change it to at LEAST include other text: 'For dicount widgets click here', for example.

[AWildman]

I wish it was an actual crime for which the punishment was not being allowed to ever write manuscript again.

PCInk, I didn't realize you could do that! Thanks a bunch.

[Nick_W]

People that do that should have tarantulas put down there underpants! ;)

Nick

[AWildman]

WOW! That is HARSH! If that was the punishment, I'd bet a lot less people would want to be all up in my bid'ness!

"In today's news, the W3C has announced that the editorial staff of sites containing the anchor text "Click Here" shall be sentenced to Tarantula Pantsing."

[grandpa]

You guys get outta my head!

2 days ago I told the boss, "See here where it says "Click Here"?, that's not good and I got to change all those for you."

"well why?"

[TheDave]

You seem to be forgetting that we are probably some of the more intelligent people on the net ;) There are still a lot of internet noobs (I meet them every day) who need to be told a link is a link. But I never use "Click here" just on it's own, "Click here to order your Tarantula Panting" works quite well. Trust me. It does! ;)

[aus_dave]

Using the current example "Click here to order your Tarantula Pantsing", I would shorten this to just "Order your...." for link text.

If the mouse goes the way of the floppy disk in a few years time there will be a lot of confusion on web sites - who's to say we will be clicking anything in future?

[plumsauce]

who's to say we will be clicking anything in future

yes, but in the meantime the site has to make
money. an incredible number of users seem to see
only that the link is underlined or bolded text, even if
they float the cursor over the link.

besides, like the paving contractor said,
"make sure it needs repairs next year", billable
hours are a good thing(tm) :)