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Why do people submit print versions to a website where people will be reading it on a screen? I shouldn't have to download a Readability extension to get your s

Why do people submit print versions to a website where people will be reading it on a screen? I shouldn't have to download a Readability extension to get your submission to have a reasonable line width.

ilamont 14y ago
Submitter here. The original article was on four or five pages, loaded with ads and links, and may have also had the same readability problem that you experienced. Sorry it's hard to read on your device, but there's not much I can do.
freehunter 14y ago
And if the submitter hadn't, there would be someone else asking for a print view because they don't like the pagination, or the ads, or the lack of reasonable line width. The idea with print view is that everything is on one page and as minimal as possible to allow you to focus on the content. Everyone has their own view about it, as your comment shows.
- nailer 14y ago
  > Everyone has their own view about it I disagree. There's a lot of research on this issue, and they nearly all conclude the same thing. Here's an example: http://baymard.com/blog/line-length-readability http://baymard.com/blog/line-length-readability Most humans don't like screen-width columns.
  - freehunter 14y ago
    That wasn't exactly my point. My point was that a significant number of people would prefer to have the non-paginated, advertisement-free version of the article. Others would rather have the layout that the site was intended to use. Whether or not people actually like screen-width reading, some prefer to see this format and will ask for it much in the same way others will ask to not see it.
- psychometry 14y ago
  The difference is that someone can easily find a print button on a screen version, but not the reverse.
egillie 14y ago
Usually so it's all on one page
lotharbot 14y ago
Because sometimes the full versions are nigh unreadable, split into multiple pages (which don't interact properly with the back button), with popups and share buttons and a bunch of CPU-sucking flash ads in the middle of the text. I'm not exaggerating: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-women-should-embrace-a-good-enough-life/2013/04/18/4b2b086c-a5db-11e2-a8e2-5b98cb59187f_story.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-women-should-embr...
nailer 14y ago
Original, readable version: http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-04-18/opinions/38641168_1_feminism-sheryl-sandberg-gloria-steinem http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-04-18/opinions/38641...
philwelch 14y ago
Because the screen version is not as readable on a screen as the print version.

ilamont 14y ago

Submitter here. The original article was on four or five pages, loaded with ads and links, and may have also had the same readability problem that you experienced. Sorry it's hard to read on your device, but there's not much I can do.

freehunter 14y ago

And if the submitter hadn't, there would be someone else asking for a print view because they don't like the pagination, or the ads, or the lack of reasonable line width. The idea with print view is that everything is on one page and as minimal as possible to allow you to focus on the content. Everyone has their own view about it, as your comment shows.

nailer 14y ago
> Everyone has their own view about it I disagree. There's a lot of research on this issue, and they nearly all conclude the same thing. Here's an example: http://baymard.com/blog/line-length-readability http://baymard.com/blog/line-length-readability Most humans don't like screen-width columns.
- freehunter 14y ago
  That wasn't exactly my point. My point was that a significant number of people would prefer to have the non-paginated, advertisement-free version of the article. Others would rather have the layout that the site was intended to use. Whether or not people actually like screen-width reading, some prefer to see this format and will ask for it much in the same way others will ask to not see it.
psychometry 14y ago
The difference is that someone can easily find a print button on a screen version, but not the reverse.

egillie 14y ago

Usually so it's all on one page

lotharbot 14y ago

Because sometimes the full versions are nigh unreadable, split into multiple pages (which don't interact properly with the back button), with popups and share buttons and a bunch of CPU-sucking flash ads in the middle of the text. I'm not exaggerating: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-women-should-embrace-a-good-enough-life/2013/04/18/4b2b086c-a5db-11e2-a8e2-5b98cb59187f_story.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-women-should-embr...

nailer 14y ago

Original, readable version: http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-04-18/opinions/38641168_1_feminism-sheryl-sandberg-gloria-steinem http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-04-18/opinions/38641...

philwelch 14y ago

Because the screen version is not as readable on a screen as the print version.