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Re: line length and myth of the fold

for

From: Austin, Darrel
Date: Apr 18, 2008 7:30AM

> I'll be sure to post them in the next day or so. I certainly wonder
> where
> they came up with 80 characters and who did so.

It seems that even with the research there is, there still isn't a
dramatic difference between line lengths in terms of
performance/preference. It tends to be an over-emphasized issue. It's
also a very difficult thing to control with any sort of accuracy online
if one is also concerned about accommodating things like varied browser
viewport sizes and settings.

Granted, aesthetically there are plenty of arguments, but in terms of
actual ease of reading, one needs to realize few folks are reading
novels on their computer monitors.

> > With regard to content above or below the fold, I thought that there
> > was research debunking this myth. See for example the article at
> > <http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/blasting-the-myth-of>;.

The report 'Scent of Information' from UIE touches on that as well:

http://www.uie.com/reports/scent_of_information/

The report helped dismiss a lot of old-wives tales that marketing folks
like to toss out all the time (everything above the fold...no more than
7 links...only 3 clicks to get to every single page on the site!)

> The issue is primarily in the idea that people may not know there is
> content
> below the fold, primarily when the page "looks done" - in other words
> when
> the design of the page gives the impression that everything is above
> the
> fold.

Agreed. That is a definitely a concern one needs to watch out for.

-Darrel