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Re: Font Resizers (WAS RE: back to top)

for

From: Jens Meiert
Date: Jan 13, 2006 6:00AM

Daniel Champion wrote:
> > Duplicating common user agent functionality should be considered a
> > taboo (and that is quite a non-controversial rule when it comes to
> > Web Usability). Why? Like already stated, it is redundant, and thus
> > unnecessarily clutters pages and irritates users.
>
> My personal experience tells me otherwise. Whether it's a
> non-controversial rule or not (besides, where is this rulebook and
> can I have a copy please?),

I prefer professional experience. And I cannot count the times especially
Jakob Nielsen advised against it (read his books [1,2] or do a search),
since the same problem also affects duplicating "back" button functionality,
offering "print", "bookmark", and "set as homepage" links. Makes sense?

> As to it 'irritating users', or cluttering a page, I've had plenty
> of complaints about my site in my time, but can confidently state
> that not a single one has mentioned the irritation of a small
> text-size widget.

Don't listen to users [3].

By the way, you probably want to include an HTML parser in your web site as
well, just in case.


[1] http://www.useit.com/homepageusability/
[2] http://www.useit.com/jakob/webusability/
[3] http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20010805.html


--
Jens Meiert
Information Architect

http://meiert.com/

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