• Registered: 2009-01-16
  • Posts: 95

Topic: To Pop or not?

We have a News page on our business website and frequently we wish to add small articles that might only run to a couple of paragraphs.

Currently, we put the title(s), followed with a one sentence (or part sentence) introduction to the topic, then 'read more ....' as a link to another page where the full article resides. The problem, as I see it, is that a brief article doesn't a) need a full web page and b) doesn't really look right if the page is largely blank.

I have been thinking that the links to short articles could produce a 'pop-up' window in front of the current page, showing the article. Is this a good idea?

If so, can anyone kindly advise me how to do it please?

Apologies if I am using the wrong terminology for this question.

2 Reply by lm

  • lm
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Re: To Pop or not?

you can start with CSS "show me some more" snippet.

And of course there are many JS based scripts:
accordion type ( google "js accordions") where more of the content opens below the button on click and
lightbox type (also JS - google "JS lightbox" ): extra content appear in the "lighbox" window.

More accessible seems CSS snippet but many JS lightboxes and accordions scripts also decently degrade if JS is off.

  • Registered: 2009-01-16
  • Posts: 95

Re: To Pop or not?

Thanks for the reply. Can you please explain what this means :-

"More accessible seems CSS snippet but many JS lightboxes and accordions scripts also decently degrade if JS is off."

  • Registered: 2009-01-16
  • Posts: 95

Re: To Pop or not?

I've been having a look around and quite like the way this works : http://sandbox.leigeber.com/tinybox/

Would this or something like it do what I want?

5 Reply by lm

  • lm
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Re: To Pop or not?

"More accessible seems CSS snippet but many JS lightboxes and accordions scripts also decently degrade if JS is off."

What I meant is that using JS could cause some difficulties in accessibility ( if for example, JS is off, the content of lightbox will be unaccessible).
Further, in some cases JS can make page  content unreadable for search engines and screen readers.
So when you choose lightbox, look for the accessible one, if possible, not only on how pretty they are.
More reading about it:
Creating accessible JS
and as example of how to evaluate code snippet on usability/accessibility/degradability:
http://mondaybynoon.com/2006/03/27/suck … rlightbox/

  • From: Montreal Canada
  • Registered: 2008-12-19
  • Posts: 3,262

Re: To Pop or not?

"I have been thinking that the links to short articles could produce a 'pop-up' window in front of the current page, showing the article. Is this a good idea?"

This is something you want to avoid. Usability studies have shown (and my own experience) that people don't like pop-up windows. Just have the article appear in the main window.

... People like to use the 'back' button and pop-ups add an extra level of complexity that will only frustrate.

Stef

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Re: To Pop or not?

Fancybox is real nice too. Gives you every option you need as well.

  • Registered: 2009-01-16
  • Posts: 95

Re: To Pop or not?

Stef,

thanks for your response. I know a lot of people are anti pop-up, but I feel really uncomfortable having a web page with very little content - just doesn't look right.

When you say 'just have the article appear in the main window', what do you mean please? Are you referring to something like Accordian?

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  • From: Chico/Sacramento, CA
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Re: To Pop or not?

I believe Stefan was thinking of an actual pop up -- a completely new page -- not something popped up in a lightbox, where the content stays all in one page.

Personally, I'd highly consider something like the "Show me more" link that Im posted... Depends on the length of the text you needs to display, but I'd avoid a lightbox, and just show the text directly in the same news page if possible.

  • Registered: 2009-01-16
  • Posts: 95

Re: To Pop or not?

Ben,

thanks, I like the 'show me more' particularly now it's got the 'less' button - http://www.stunicholls.com/various/more.html

However, I'm not at all sure how to install/use it though, can you/someone kindly tell me where I can find instructions please?

Last edited by Baggy (2009-11-09 12:51:33)

  • Gender: Female
  • From: Tenerife, Spain
  • Registered: 2008-12-29
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Re: To Pop or not?

Scroll to the bottom of the page and there is a download link there, which will probably contain some instructions. If not get back to us once your have downloaded the files.

  • Gender: Female
  • Registered: 2009-11-07
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Re: To Pop or not?

pop up is not a good idea perhaps you should use min height in a style sheet which i think should solve your problem as the page will appear according to the content length.

  • Registered: 2009-01-16
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Re: To Pop or not?

Carmen007 - appreciate your comment but I want to try it (not live) to see how it looks/works and then decide.

Virtual - I have downloaded it - no instructions (sadly). I have created a hidden page to experiment but  it's not working right. The >>more and <<less icons are showing, as is all the text. I can't work out why (yet).

I should add that the site I'm trying to use this in has a CMS, which might be having some effect?

Last edited by Baggy (2009-11-10 04:06:19)

14 Reply by lm

  • lm
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Re: To Pop or not?

Have you got the example page more.html ( from the zip file) working?
If not, upload it ( together with more.css and .js ) files to some test directory and  give us a link.

In case you got the example page working, edit all content replacing all text to yours and see if it works for you.
Now you are ready to add HTML to your working page.
Make sure that Doctype of a test page is the same ( in the example it is

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml2/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">

Also dont forget to add links to css and .js files in the <head></head> of a page.

  • Registered: 2009-01-16
  • Posts: 95

Re: To Pop or not?

Unfortunately, the site we are now using is held by a third party who provide the hosting and provide all the templates/designs. As a result, we don't have full ftp access so cannot save the .js files(s) or access the header code.

Although we can see the code for some of the site, a lot of the important stuff is not accessible. I guess the lack of total control is a trade-off for the functionality we gain in terms of design flexibility and the cms.

I am going to have to re-think this one to see if there's a way of presenting small articles without them having to occupy a full (dedicated) page. Ideas/suggestions are welcome.

Thanks for the help folks.