Web 'Rules' Changing?

sempf writes "Lots of things have changed since we started this HTML. The IMAGE tag was a nice change, and multimedia with plugins like Flash provide a new look. What interests me the most, however, is the change in two of the hallowed GUI 'Rules' - the three click rule and the 7 +/- 2 rule. The Three click rule (which states that any page in a site or function in an application should be accessible in three clicks) was just debunked by Josh Porter in an article called Debunking the Three Click Rule. The 7 +/- 2 rule states that a user should never be presented with more than 5-9 choices at any given point in the site or application. James Kalbach has an excellent article debunking that rule at Dr. Dobb's Journal. Worried that there will be no more 'rules'? Never you mind - the Government has come up with New Rules for us to follow."

Comments

Sorry Slashdot!

[Anonymous Coward]

The 7 +/- 2 rule doesn't apply on this site. On any given page, there can be what seems like 50-100 links! :D

Re:Sorry Slashdot!

[Maxwell'sSilverLART]

On any given page, there can be what seems like 50-100 links!

That's OK, nobody reads them anyway.

Re:Video

[Pingular]

I wonder if streaming video embeded in web pages will ever become common place or even feasible? As networking technology improves websites get flashier and flashier....
Yes, but at what frequency, K3nn3th?

Use graphics wisely

[Kedder]

It seems they doesn't follow their own rules ...

New rules for 'homepages'

[SharpFang]

1) Use as much stuff as you can. No matter how unnecessary it is, put it there.
2) If you plan creating something something, put a link to 'under construction' page with that thing's name. If you don't plan creating it, put that link anyway.
3) Put as many javascripts and plugin content as possible. Best if you make all navigation buttons using separate java applets, or the "enter" button with flash.
4) A right-click blocking script is a must.
5) Use freestyle HTML. No tag must be ever closed, let's see how the browser handles undocumented parameters, what about making up my own tags?
6) Never forget about "Make this page your homepage" button!
7) Graphics is everything. You may leave a 60x60px box for text content, but a huge background is essential. There should be at least half a megabyte of non-skippable intro in flash before the content proper.
8) Instead of creating thumbnails in your gallery, use height= and width= parameters on original, full-size images.
9) a href= is unfashionable. Use javascript to change pages.
10) It's highly desired to open the page in a new 'kiosk' style popup window. Let's force people to disable their evil popup-blocker software, nobody dares using buttons like "reload" or "back", only site-provided navigation is allowed! ...add your own.

Re:Web vs. UI, simple vs. complex

[balloonhead]

I think if I was demonstrating a bullet-proof vest I'd probably hang it on a dummy or something.

Do you still have all of your limbs? Just wondering...

Re:Interface Design Rules

[nebulous bee]

Should have read this rule concerning picking the right headline on the govt's list.
;)

Re:Web vs. UI, simple vs. complex

[spin2cool]

Pointing a loaded gun at a bulletproof vest?! I'm pretty sure that there was a Darwin Award about that one... Yup! Here it is! http://darwinawards.com/personal/personal1999-19.h tml And here's another similar one: http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2001-15.html

Everything IS 3-clicks away

[ediron2]

Everything already is 3-clicks away:

1. Click in the google search box. Type search terms.
2. Click on the 'search' button (power users: press the enter/return key)
3. Click on appropriate link.

... natch!

Re:Everything IS 3-clicks away

[zCyl]

Everything already is 3-clicks away:

1. Click in the google search box. Type search terms.
2. Click on the 'search' button (power users: press the enter/return key)
3. Click on appropriate link.

4. Repeat 200 times because the word "Graph" is a ridiculous name for a plotting program.

Web Designer's Hell

[spin2cool]

These make my head hurt. Here is the complete list of web designer battle stories. Some notable excerpts:

Client: "We want a website that can play DVD quality video, but we don't want to use streaming video and the load time must be zero."
Designer: "That's impossible. Everything has a load time. DVD quality runs about 100 megs a minute."
Client: "We'll take our business elsewhere..."

Designer: so who will go to this site and for what reason will they go there?
Client: i don't know
Designer: well what is the purpose of this site!?!?
client: i don't know

client - I don't care if it doesn't work in netscape - I want it!
Designer - umm.. okay...
client (2 weeks later) -It looks all broken!
designer - Huh? Nothing looks wrong on my end. ..blah blah blah... What version of IE are you using?
client - Netscape.

Client: Could you use a different font for every name, you know make it cool.
Designer: Uh, that's probably not going to look so good, it'll be all cluttered and ugly
Client: No, it'll look cool, so let's do it.
(after doing what they want...)
Client: Now it looks all cluttered.
Designer: Aarrrgghhh

And my favorite:

"Can't we make the text blink?"

Re:Web 'Rules' Changing?

[squiggleslash]

Quite, and there are no "laws" of physics because physics doesn't have a legislature or a judicial system.

Words like "rules" and "laws" have, however, been known to have more than one meaning...

Here's more rules:

[Lord Graga]

If you are making a personal website, please include:

Black background

Green neontext

Lots of dead links

A rotating green wireskull

A "Under Construction" sign

GIFs
If you do not follow the guidelines, then you might be smarter than those who does.

Re:Web vs. UI, simple vs. complex

[Dun Malg]

I think if I was demonstrating a bullet-proof vest I'd probably hang it on a dummy or something.

Anyone shooting at themselves to test a bulletproof vest is hanging it on a dummy!

Re:Web 'Rules' Changing?

[Anonymous Coward]

What's next? Murphy's law is not a law?

Re:Rules

[198348726583297634]

I was looking for my -1 Obvious or -1 Unhelpful moderation option, but there are too damn many clicks here!

Gov page breaks its own rules?

[Snart Barfunz]

Shouldn't the subject headers on that page be done with text rather than images?

bogus rules?

[fishexe]

If you can have at most three clicks... and only seven choices at each point... then your site can hold only 7 ** 3 == 343 pages! So clearly at least one of the two rules is bogus.

Incorrect. Obviously, both rules are valid, and there exists simply the (correct) corrolary that sites with more than 343 pages are improperly desinged.

Re:What about the blind?

[Comrade Pikachu]

Who was the wise guy that modded this inSIGHTful?

Properly desinged?

[ChrisMaple]

You mean the burned placed weren't repaired properly?

Re:Two clicks for me....

[Walterk]

I'm sure there's a Yoda-ism for this

"Can you because do things don't just."?