Allow/encourage title attributes to links list entries

[matgb]

Title:
Allow/encourage title attributes to links list entries

Area:
styles

Summary:
Create text area within the Links list for link TITLE text, that would then display as per browser standards.

Description:
Currently, the only option we have for a Links List entry is URL and link text. It's good practise to give links Title text as well, that normally, depending on browser settings, then displays as a tool tip.

Other platforms, such as Wordpress, allow and encourage links to be given Title attributes, following usability guides and allowing users to give expanded explanations of what a link is, and why it's there in the sidebar.

Example: in my links list, I link to Miss_s_b using her name. For sidebar space reasons, that's all I can give. I'd like to allow users to know if they hober over a link that she's my fiancée and give a brief description of her content. That's good practise, recommended by usability experts. It can also aid search engines and is recommended white hat SEO behaviour.

Poll #3478 Allow/encourage title attributes to links list entries

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 34

View Respondents

This suggestion:

View Answers

Should be implemented as-is.
17 (50.0%)

Should be implemented with changes. (please comment)
0 (0.0%)

Shouldn't be implemented.
7 (20.6%)

(I have no opinion)
10 (29.4%)

(Other: please comment)
0 (0.0%)

Comments

[jadelennox]

Outside of frames and tables, the title attribute is inaccessible to keyboard-only users and most screenreader users in most user agents. (Screenreaders can be configured to read title attributes, but almost never are.) Additionally, user testing shows that most able-bodied people never see hover text.

If we do enable this, there should be a link to a help text explaining how to write good title text (such as this one from webaim). Many people will otherwise assume title text will be seen or at least accessible by all their readers, which will encourage them to put unique information in that attribute.

[liv]

Not if it's going to be an accessibility problem, no. Implementing some useful features that other blogging systems have is fine by me, but superficially imitating the aesthetic of Wordpress isn't going to make Dreamwidth journals more like "serious" blogs. A journal can be a blog, if you want it to be, but that depends a lot more on the content than on trying to look like other systems. Dreamwidth should play to its strengths, and one of those is really good, built-in accessibility. (If it weren't for the comments, I would have thought that your proposal was ok.)