• Sat, 6 Jun 1998

From: Tracing <alethea@ounce.com>
Date: Sat, 6 Jun 1998 10:48:49 -1000

Do you have previous/next links connecting your journal entries (or a way of getting from one journal entry to the next without going through a third location)?

I assumed that this was a basic given, and it's a requirement that I'm being more strict about on the OFTEN webring, but one of the members appears to feel that this is an unreasonable requirement that is too time consuming.

What do you think? Does it bother you as a reader and how much?

From: deb <deb@io.com>
Date: Sat, 6 Jun 1998 10:53:02 -1000

i think it's crucial. at first i didn't have them, and no one complained (but of course i didn't have any readers then!) if there are no previous/next links, i won't read nearly as many entries on a journal i've just found or haven't read in a while, especially if the 3rd page is a slow loader. it's a very simple courtesy to the reader.

which direction do people usually read? personally, i start with the most recent and work my way back.

From: Vindictu@aol.com
Date: Sat, 6 Jun 1998 10:56:53 -1000

Actually, it doesn't bug me at all, provided that there's somewhere to see what entries are there.

Doing my own journal, I have a back one link, but never a forward link that doesn't take you back to the current entries list. Some people may not -want- to read them in order, or skip around to get a feel for the thing, and clicking one extra time isn't that big of a deal.

Or so I thought. :)

From: Maliyae Terre <differently@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 6 Jun 1998 10:57:48 -1000

Not necessary, but I prefer it, as a reader.

The previous/next links just makes the pages flow easier. Yet, I won't discontinue reading if it doesn't have the links to navigate back and forth, that's ridiculous.

From: Katie Trame <mrkite@apci.net>
Date: Sat, 6 Jun 1998 10:55:42 -1000

I personally cannot stand it when people don't have previous/next links. It's a real pain to have to hit the back button and all that just to get to the next entry. If a journal doesn't have navigational links, I usually won't even bother reading it.

From: James <jamesf@efn.org>
Date: Sat, 6 Jun 1998 10:52:35 -1000

My whole month is one long list of daily entries. My entries are normally so short that I don't need a whole page dedicated to each day. But I do have a link to the next month when I reach the end of one month. Also, at the bottom of each month, I have a link back to the main page.

I think it is a courtesy that is nice if others follow, but not sure I would demand it if I were a burb runner.

From: Kymm Zuckert <hedgehog@hedgehog.net>
Date: Sat, 6 Jun 1998 11:16:24 -1000

I think not having previous/next links is evil, but I'm just picky that way. You have to be a pretty brilliant writer for me to continue reading if you're going to make it difficult for me to do so. And I know that my archival system is no great ball of joy, so I am really not one to talk!

From: Vindictu@aol.com
Date: Sat, 6 Jun 1998 11:23:06 -1000

> personally cannot stand it when people don't have previous/next links.

Despite my last post, I agree with this. Even though I don't have standard 'previous/next' navigation...I have -navigation-. At -least- back to the index of days where someone can select the next entry. Without that, yes, I'd agree...a journal would be a pain the rear.

From: sarah <word@western.wave.ca>
Date: Sat, 6 Jun 1998 12:42:44 -1000

Personally, no navigation drives me bonkers. I find I have to have not only a back and forward link, but at least one to the index page.

Navigation around a site shouldn't be something a reader should be concerned about. I feel that if you leave something as simple as a couple of href tags out for navigation then you really aren't thinking about design or the flow of your site. Perhaps I'm just picky though.

Would it prevent me from reading a journal? Yes. Has done so in the past even though the writing was intriguing.

From: Renee <kat@intrstar.net>
Date: Sat, 6 Jun 1998 16:07:57 -1000

I agree with Kymm. I have to keep up with too many to mess with stuff like that. I just don't have the time nor the patience. You better be a damn brilliant writer if you want me to jump through hoops.

From: ginkgo@mail.jade-leaves.com
Date: Sat, 6 Jun 1998 21:37:11 -1000

As a reader, not having next and previous links bothers me a *lot*. As a journaler, I find putting them in to be extremely easy. While everyone should write their journal however they please, I see nothing wrong with a ring having requirements which are geared towards the readers since that's what rings are basically about. I suggest that you stick to your guns.

From: The Turtle <turtle@fred.net>
Date: Sun, 7 Jun 1998 07:32:55 -1000

If a site is arranged where each day is its own page, forward/backward/top is critical to avoid a million uses of the BACK button. I've got mine arranged where an entire month is one large page, so "forward and back" is simply a matter of scrolling, and there's an "index" link on the page.

From: Cory Glen <coryglen@juno.com>
Date: Sun, 7 Jun 1998 10:11:23 -1000

I've done away with "previous links" on journal entries of the last few months. But I also do the same thing with other diaries if I can--start at the most recent entry and work backwards. But for some reason, I decided to exercise control over my own journal and only make it easy for people to read forward, but not backward. I suppose this drives some people away, but it's a matter of control of presentation that I like.