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Thread: Link Titles
Number of posts in this thread: 4 (In chronological order)
From: David Ashleydale
Date: Tue, Jul 03 2012 11:32AM
Subject: Link Titles
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Hi,
The HTML 4.0 spec says this about the TITLE attribute: "This attribute
offers advisory information about the element for which it is set." My
question has to do with non-mouse users that have no visual impairments.
I've never seen a user agent that displays link TITLEs visually to anyone
other than mouse users. Even if you can Tab to an element that has a TITLE,
it doesn't visually display on the screen.
Does this mean that web page authors should steer clear of using TITLEs?
I sometimes use TITLEs on links to add some extra, advisory info. I
wouldn't use it for essential information, but it seems like a "nice to
have" in some cases. For example, I have a link that says "Small Business"
with a TITLE that says, "Small Business. Serving businesses with up to $20
million in annual revenue." This advisory info was deemed informative for
people that happen to come across it, but not important enough to display
as regular text on the page. The page owner figured that if some people saw
it by using their mouse or heard it with their screen reader (if they had
the right settings), great; if they didn't see it, whatever.
I always try to do things semantically correct and I believe that I am
using the TITLE attribute as it was meant to be used. However, I think user
agents dropped the ball on this one. Until such a time as all of the user
agents I support handle TITLEs correctly for non-mouse users, does TITLE
need shoring up using things like JavaScript to display it on focus?
Or would this be a case where the advisory info is not deemed essential, so
if some people can access it and others can't, then so be it?
Which of these do you think is the best current guideline for the use of
link TITLEs?:
1. Only use for non-essential information. Keep in mind that some people
will never encounter it. Even though mouse users can see it, most of them
don't because they don't linger on the link -- they just click and go.
2. Whenever you use TITLEs on links, also add JavaScript to display the
info on focus.
3. Don't use TITLE at all. If the info is truly non-essential, no one
will miss it.
Thanks,
David
From: priti Rohra
Date: Tue, Jul 03 2012 12:02PM
Subject: Re: Link Titles
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Hi David,
i'll suggest continue to add title attrbutes for links as you have
been doing. No need to display title info on focus using JS. I'll go
with the first of the three options you mentioned.
Hope this helps...
Regards,
Priti Rohra
Accessibility Consultant
Twitter: @pritirohra
On 7/3/12, David Ashleydale < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Hi,
>
> The HTML 4.0 spec says this about the TITLE attribute: "This attribute
> offers advisory information about the element for which it is set." My
> question has to do with non-mouse users that have no visual impairments.
> I've never seen a user agent that displays link TITLEs visually to anyone
> other than mouse users. Even if you can Tab to an element that has a TITLE,
> it doesn't visually display on the screen.
>
> Does this mean that web page authors should steer clear of using TITLEs?
>
> I sometimes use TITLEs on links to add some extra, advisory info. I
> wouldn't use it for essential information, but it seems like a "nice to
> have" in some cases. For example, I have a link that says "Small Business"
> with a TITLE that says, "Small Business. Serving businesses with up to $20
> million in annual revenue." This advisory info was deemed informative for
> people that happen to come across it, but not important enough to display
> as regular text on the page. The page owner figured that if some people saw
> it by using their mouse or heard it with their screen reader (if they had
> the right settings), great; if they didn't see it, whatever.
>
> I always try to do things semantically correct and I believe that I am
> using the TITLE attribute as it was meant to be used. However, I think user
> agents dropped the ball on this one. Until such a time as all of the user
> agents I support handle TITLEs correctly for non-mouse users, does TITLE
> need shoring up using things like JavaScript to display it on focus?
>
> Or would this be a case where the advisory info is not deemed essential, so
> if some people can access it and others can't, then so be it?
>
> Which of these do you think is the best current guideline for the use of
> link TITLEs?:
>
> 1. Only use for non-essential information. Keep in mind that some people
> will never encounter it. Even though mouse users can see it, most of
> them
> don't because they don't linger on the link -- they just click and go.
> 2. Whenever you use TITLEs on links, also add JavaScript to display the
> info on focus.
> 3. Don't use TITLE at all. If the info is truly non-essential, no one
> will miss it.
>
> Thanks,
> David
> > > >
From: Steve Faulkner
Date: Tue, Jul 03 2012 12:08PM
Subject: Re: Link Titles
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Hi David,
I have written on the subject of title attribute use:
Using the HTML title attribute
http://www.paciellogroup.com/blog/2010/11/using-the-html-title-attribute/
which may be helpful.
regards
steveF
On 3 July 2012 18:32, David Ashleydale < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Hi,
>
> The HTML 4.0 spec says this about the TITLE attribute: "This attribute
> offers advisory information about the element for which it is set." My
> question has to do with non-mouse users that have no visual impairments.
> I've never seen a user agent that displays link TITLEs visually to anyone
> other than mouse users. Even if you can Tab to an element that has a TITLE,
> it doesn't visually display on the screen.
>
> Does this mean that web page authors should steer clear of using TITLEs?
>
> I sometimes use TITLEs on links to add some extra, advisory info. I
> wouldn't use it for essential information, but it seems like a "nice to
> have" in some cases. For example, I have a link that says "Small Business"
> with a TITLE that says, "Small Business. Serving businesses with up to $20
> million in annual revenue." This advisory info was deemed informative for
> people that happen to come across it, but not important enough to display
> as regular text on the page. The page owner figured that if some people saw
> it by using their mouse or heard it with their screen reader (if they had
> the right settings), great; if they didn't see it, whatever.
>
> I always try to do things semantically correct and I believe that I am
> using the TITLE attribute as it was meant to be used. However, I think user
> agents dropped the ball on this one. Until such a time as all of the user
> agents I support handle TITLEs correctly for non-mouse users, does TITLE
> need shoring up using things like JavaScript to display it on focus?
>
> Or would this be a case where the advisory info is not deemed essential, so
> if some people can access it and others can't, then so be it?
>
> Which of these do you think is the best current guideline for the use of
> link TITLEs?:
>
> 1. Only use for non-essential information. Keep in mind that some people
> will never encounter it. Even though mouse users can see it, most of
> them
> don't because they don't linger on the link -- they just click and go.
> 2. Whenever you use TITLEs on links, also add JavaScript to display the
> info on focus.
> 3. Don't use TITLE at all. If the info is truly non-essential, no one
> will miss it.
>
> Thanks,
> David
> > > >
--
with regards
Steve Faulkner
Technical Director - TPG
www.paciellogroup.com | www.HTML5accessibility.com |
www.twitter.com/stevefaulkner
HTML5: Techniques for providing useful text alternatives -
dev.w3.org/html5/alt-techniques/
Web Accessibility Toolbar - www.paciellogroup.com/resources/wat-ie-about.html
From: Bim Egan
Date: Wed, Jul 04 2012 4:25AM
Subject: Re: Link Titles
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Hi David,
I'm with Steve on this one, the use of TITLE attributes is very limited for
disabled users. My blog on the subject is a bit old now but gives the
reasons why.
http://www.rnib.org.uk/professionals/webaccessibility/wacblog/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?List¾9c76d3%2D7ad0%2D4e03%2Da1a0%2De6f6953b8178&id8
In the future standards compliant browsers (both mobile and desktop) should
be able to overcome the limitations though, (user control over the display
of this type of information will be a requirement in future User Agent
guidelines).
Your particular use is relatively benign but it still may mean that users
could follow the wrong link because they don't know what revenue range
you've set, (if there are other links to medium and large businesses). So
whatever you decide, I'd recommend that the revenue range is immediately
available when a link has been followed, such as in the title bar and / or
the H1 heading.
HTH,
Bim
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Ashleydale" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
To: "WebAIM Discussion List" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2012 6:32 PM
Subject: [WebAIM] Link Titles
> Hi,
>
> The HTML 4.0 spec says this about the TITLE attribute: "This attribute
> offers advisory information about the element for which it is set." My
> question has to do with non-mouse users that have no visual impairments.
> I've never seen a user agent that displays link TITLEs visually to anyone
> other than mouse users. Even if you can Tab to an element that has a
> TITLE,
> it doesn't visually display on the screen.
>
> Does this mean that web page authors should steer clear of using TITLEs?
>
> I sometimes use TITLEs on links to add some extra, advisory info. I
> wouldn't use it for essential information, but it seems like a "nice to
> have" in some cases. For example, I have a link that says "Small Business"
> with a TITLE that says, "Small Business. Serving businesses with up to $20
> million in annual revenue." This advisory info was deemed informative for
> people that happen to come across it, but not important enough to display
> as regular text on the page. The page owner figured that if some people
> saw
> it by using their mouse or heard it with their screen reader (if they had
> the right settings), great; if they didn't see it, whatever.
>
> I always try to do things semantically correct and I believe that I am
> using the TITLE attribute as it was meant to be used. However, I think
> user
> agents dropped the ball on this one. Until such a time as all of the user
> agents I support handle TITLEs correctly for non-mouse users, does TITLE
> need shoring up using things like JavaScript to display it on focus?
>
> Or would this be a case where the advisory info is not deemed essential,
> so
> if some people can access it and others can't, then so be it?
>
> Which of these do you think is the best current guideline for the use of
> link TITLEs?:
>
> 1. Only use for non-essential information. Keep in mind that some people
> will never encounter it. Even though mouse users can see it, most of
> them
> don't because they don't linger on the link -- they just click and go.
> 2. Whenever you use TITLEs on links, also add JavaScript to display the
> info on focus.
> 3. Don't use TITLE at all. If the info is truly non-essential, no one
> will miss it.
>
> Thanks,
> David
> > >