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> 5. Provide Previous and Next links Wait! Give them better names. "Older" and "Newer" can be helpful on blogs and such, when it's not clear whether "next" mea

by Gracana 11y ago

> 5. Provide Previous and Next links Wait! Give them better names. "Older" and "Newer" can be helpful on blogs and such, when it's not clear whether "next" means "more recent" or "deeper into the archive."

quaunaut 11y ago
I don't know why I never thought about this, but this would be so helpful.
thesteg 11y ago
I agree if page numbers are not visible. If page numbers are visible, next and previous page perfect sense.
- ZeroGravitas 11y ago
  If you're on a blog, for example, what is on page 1? The very first post ever, or the very latest post? The numbers don't help unless you know what the numbers mean.
unicornporn 11y ago
Honestly, I don't know where "Next" and "Previous" idiocy stems from, but Older and Newer is what I've used too. Now that I think of it, perhaps I should write Greasemonkey script to try to replace next and previous where applicable.
- dspillett 11y ago
  > I don't know where "Next" and "Previous" idiocy stems from Next page and previous page. It is usually the default wording because when making a generic paging routine you don't know if things are going to be sorted ascending or descending, or if they are in date order, numeric order, alphabetic, in the order of the author's first pet's birth month, or something else entirely. Sometimes a framework has no option for changing the captions, and sometimes we as devs are lazy... Where the ordering is obvious next/previous is fine, but as you say it is much better to be more precise about what you mean if at all possible.
  - unicornporn 11y ago
    > Next page and previous page. Yes, I understand that it has its roots in print. But on a screen that isn't physically chronological it becomes more complicated. > Sometimes a framework has no option for changing the captions, and sometimes we as devs are lazy... I guess that's a good explanation :-)
DanitaBaires 11y ago
"Older" and "Newer" don't really seem to work that well with blogs. Usually the default page has the post sorted by most recent (top) to least recent (bottom). When you reach the bottom of the page, the post you have is not the most recent. Now, what do "Older" and "Newer" mean in this context? Because, "newer" than the post I'm currently at are too the posts that are above it. It introduces a tiny moment of hesitation trying to decipher which link takes me to "the next page of posts". Also, we occidentals seem to place "past" and "future" in left and right, which would match "older" and "newer" in location. But we're also used in the web that a link that goes "back" usually means "back from where I come from", which if you're reading the first page of posts doesn't make much sense. EDIT: Grammar, because English is not my first language :)
- gkya 11y ago
  Why ever put a "newer" or "next" link on the front page? How do you conclude that we occidentals seem to place "past" and "future" in left and right?
  - DanitaBaires 11y ago
    I've read about it a long time ago, but I just found this paper: http://www.ugr.es/~santiago/Santiago-LeftRightTimeMetaphor-2007.pdf http://www.ugr.es/~santiago/Santiago-LeftRightTimeMetaphor-2... EDIT: also the design of browser fwd/back buttons or VCR and tape recorder buttons seem to honor this theory.

by Gracana 11y ago

quaunaut 11y ago

I don't know why I never thought about this, but this would be so helpful.

thesteg 11y ago

I agree if page numbers are not visible. If page numbers are visible, next and previous page perfect sense.

ZeroGravitas 11y ago
If you're on a blog, for example, what is on page 1? The very first post ever, or the very latest post? The numbers don't help unless you know what the numbers mean.

unicornporn 11y ago

Honestly, I don't know where "Next" and "Previous" idiocy stems from, but Older and Newer is what I've used too. Now that I think of it, perhaps I should write Greasemonkey script to try to replace next and previous where applicable.

dspillett 11y ago
> I don't know where "Next" and "Previous" idiocy stems from Next page and previous page. It is usually the default wording because when making a generic paging routine you don't know if things are going to be sorted ascending or descending, or if they are in date order, numeric order, alphabetic, in the order of the author's first pet's birth month, or something else entirely. Sometimes a framework has no option for changing the captions, and sometimes we as devs are lazy... Where the ordering is obvious next/previous is fine, but as you say it is much better to be more precise about what you mean if at all possible.
- unicornporn 11y ago
  > Next page and previous page. Yes, I understand that it has its roots in print. But on a screen that isn't physically chronological it becomes more complicated. > Sometimes a framework has no option for changing the captions, and sometimes we as devs are lazy... I guess that's a good explanation :-)

DanitaBaires 11y ago

"Older" and "Newer" don't really seem to work that well with blogs. Usually the default page has the post sorted by most recent (top) to least recent (bottom). When you reach the bottom of the page, the post you have is not the most recent. Now, what do "Older" and "Newer" mean in this context? Because, "newer" than the post I'm currently at are too the posts that are above it. It introduces a tiny moment of hesitation trying to decipher which link takes me to "the next page of posts". Also, we occidentals seem to place "past" and "future" in left and right, which would match "older" and "newer" in location. But we're also used in the web that a link that goes "back" usually means "back from where I come from", which if you're reading the first page of posts doesn't make much sense. EDIT: Grammar, because English is not my first language :)

gkya 11y ago
Why ever put a "newer" or "next" link on the front page? How do you conclude that we occidentals seem to place "past" and "future" in left and right?
- DanitaBaires 11y ago
  I've read about it a long time ago, but I just found this paper: http://www.ugr.es/~santiago/Santiago-LeftRightTimeMetaphor-2007.pdf http://www.ugr.es/~santiago/Santiago-LeftRightTimeMetaphor-2... EDIT: also the design of browser fwd/back buttons or VCR and tape recorder buttons seem to honor this theory.