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55 Trillion Hyperlinks Have Inherent Value

MikeMike’s comment on Don’t Be Afraid of the Big Bad Link made me step back a little. I do have a tendency to write in the negative – don’t do this, avoid doing that. So, instead I’ll discuss the inherent value of hyperlinks. This value, I’d suggest, is something that graphic designers working on the web should appreciate (rather than ignore or trivialise). Links are what make the World Wide Web the creature it is today.

  • Links connect the dots – 55 trillion links are the synapses of the Web
  • Links should contain some semantic meaning about their destination
  • Links provide the backbone of websites as navigation hierarchies
  • Links contribute to search engine optimisation
  • Links provide trigger words that draw users to action
  • Links can show states such as hover, visited and active (context)
  • Links contribute to the scent of information on the page
  • Links are signposts – where we are, have been and can follow

My point is that graphic designers moving to web design should appreciate that links are more value than a simple phrase of text on a page. They are at the crux of the issue of print vs web. After all, what poster do you see out there with hyperlinks? Interface (and interaction) design is completely removed from print design to a great part because of that ability for users to interact directly in the web environment. So, readers, that was a short lists of positive things attributable to links in our design work. Our mission, therefore, should really be to enhance those positives rather than detract from them.

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About the Author

Steven Clark Steven Clark - the stand up guy on this site

My name is Steven Clark and my passions are business, web development, photography and writing. My current CV [PDF 775KB] discusses relevant work history and interests. Currently I'm in the second half of a post-graduate university degree of MBA (Journalism and Media Studies) at the University of Tasmania.

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My fine art photography is available online at Steven Clark Studio. You may also enjoy my photo blog Walk a Mile in my Shoes.

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Currently Reading The Accidental Guerrilla by David Kilcullen

Late last year I watched an address to the Australian National Press Club from counter-terrorism expert and author of The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One , David Kilcullen. In that address he mentioned the period after World War 2 when, in retrospect, we had wars against colonialisation as countries pushed back against dominating forces. Similarly, when we look back at the current wars we’ll see them as wars against globalisation – people pushing back against the tide of world wide Americanisation and globalised culture. David Kilcullen is there to inform us that what the American government are group-labeling global terrorists are more often than not local insurgents with local concerns. Understanding this crucial point and unraveling the complexity of the enemy is crucial to America's success in the field.