Link rel="start"

[David Dorward]

Writing for the search engines too, does not mean that one does not write
for the users.

You quoted yourself saying that you were adding the <link> elements solely
for the benefit of the search engines, and elsewhere in this thread you
have indicated that you don't care about the negative impact that this will
have on users!

We do not know either how long HTML will be used

All the indications are that it will be for quite some time yet, but there
are people using browsers which present the user with menus derived from

I do not share your opinion.
I design for both.

This is where we disagree. You are writing some markup for users and
different markup for search engines instead of all markup for _both_.

You may design only for the users if you want to.

I don't.

 

[Jukka K. Korpela]

I prefer to design both for the user and for search engines.

But as we have explained, rel="start" has _no_ known support in any
search engine. Besides, _if_ search engines start supporting it some
day, would you bet on their supporting it according to the HTML
specification, as opposite to the decision of browser vendors?

 

[Luigi Donatello Asero]

But as we have explained, rel="start" has _no_ known support in any
search engine. Besides, _if_ search engines start supporting it some
day, would you bet on their supporting it according to the HTML
specification, as opposite to the decision of browser vendors?

If a part of browsers vendors ( who says that there will be all of them?)
should not support the HTML specification who says that I would not support
it?

 

[Luigi Donatello Asero]

You quoted yourself saying that you were adding the <link> elements solely
for the benefit of the search engines, and elsewhere in this thread you
have indicated that you don't care about the negative impact that this will
have on users!

I am of the opinion that the use of <link> elements can bring more
advantages than disadvantages and
you do not need share my opinion of course.

All the indications are that it will be for quite some time yet, but there
are people using browsers which present the user with menus derived from
<link> navigation hints today. Why punish them?

They can use my navigation links anyway, so I do not see why they should
find it difficult to navigate on the site.
And they can see that I have put a home key as well on the page
http://www.scaiecat-spa-gigi.com/de/schuhe-artikel-1168.html for example.

This is where we disagree. You are writing some markup for users and
different markup for search engines instead of all markup for _both_.

Yes. And the site
http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/appendix/notes.html#h-B.4
with
B.4 Notes on helping search engines index your Web site"
seem to suggest to do the same in my opinion because the notes are to help
search engines index web sites!

I don't.

Whom do you design for, then?

 

[Luigi Donatello Asero]

I suggest designing for the web - which means designing for users and search
engines (and everything else) but avoiding writing code which will trigger
known bugs.

In the case we are discussing about I also use navigations links, which can
help users to find the right way.
The problem might arise if I used only links for search engines but that is
not the case.

 

[dorward]

They can use my navigation links anyway, so I do not see why they should
find it difficult to navigate on the site.

Their browser presents them with what appears to be a link to the
homepage, clicking on it doesn't take them to the homepage. Confusing?
Oh yes.

Yes. And the site
http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/appendix/notes.html#h-B.4

The specification describes what is *supposed* to happen. You have to
take it with a pinch of salt and be aware of the flaws in real world
implementations.

Whom do you design for, then?

As previously mentioned - the web, which includes "users" but is not
"only users".

 

[Luigi Donatello Asero]

Their browser presents them with what appears to be a link to the
homepage, clicking on it doesn't take them to the homepage. Confusing?
Oh yes.

If they think that it is confusing, then it is their problem, because they
chose to use a browser which does not follow the specification.

The specification describes what is *supposed* to happen. You have to
take it with a pinch of salt and be aware of the flaws in real world
implementations.

The real world, as you want to call it, includes also the percentage of
users who use a certain browser and visit my site, doesn´t it?