Add a new HTML tag to allow navigation across multiple entries in a single tag

[fiddlingfrog]

Title:
Add a new HTML tag to allow navigation across multiple entries in a single tag

Area:
tags, entries

Summary:
Across the web, multi-part series often have a section of navigation links to enable readers to find their way across multiple pages, articles, etc... First/ last page, prev/ next, list all pages/ articles... there's lots of different ways to make it easier for the reader. What I propose is to add a new HTML tag, like <cut>, that will auto-generate some navigation links when included in an entry.

Description:
This suggestion is based on an idea that I had on LiveJournal last year [ http://suggestions.livejournal.com/1107879.html?thread=17520039#t17520039 ]. The idea is that when an author has written something in several parts, whether that is fanfiction, how to articles, a travelogue, or a guide, the existing tag navigation is often insufficient for a reader to browse the entire series.

Say I've written several different entries about my experiences traveling in Scotland. I could just rely on the reader to click on the "Scotland 2012" tag and find all the entries. If I have more entries in this tag than fit on a single page, the reader might miss some. Alternatively, I could edit every entry in the series whenever I publish a new entry, making sure to link to the next in the series, and maybe the latest, and possibly make sure that each entry in the series links to all the others. But that's a lot of work, and it gives a high likelihood for error.

So what I suggest instead is a custom HTML tag that will auto-generate navigation links. At the end of any entry in my series I could add a tag like <series tag="scotland 2012">. This would be displayed in the entry like so:
scotland 2012
First - Prev - Next - Last
Subject of 1st entry
Subject of 2nd entry
Subject of 3rd entry
* Subject of 4th entry, the one currently being read
Subject of 5th entry

If the series contains more than five entries, the fifth and subsequent entries should be hidden behind a link to save space. In addition, there could be several options. Perhaps you can include a title, so instead of saying "corruption" the navigation link header might read "Bribery in City Hall". Maybe the author would like the articles displayed in reverse-chronological order. Or maybe the author wants to include the date/time stamps along with the entry subject line.

One advantage of this approach is that no new UI is needed. All of the links are included as part of the entry, instead of attached to the entry, so no new buttons are necessary. And since the links are auto-generated, authors only have to remember to add the 'series' tag once, when they first write the entry, instead of having to constantly update every entry in the series.

Poll #14594 Add a new HTML tag to allow navigation across multiple entries in a single tag

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 45

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This suggestion:

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Should be implemented as-is.
19 (42.2%)

Should be implemented with changes. (please comment)
11 (24.4%)

Shouldn't be implemented.
8 (17.8%)

(I have no opinion)
7 (15.6%)

(Other: please comment)
0 (0.0%)