New Layout Wiki4D [OT]

[Pragma]

Stewart Gordon wrote:
> Pragma Wrote:
> <snip>
>> For general site layout, I agree.  However, for columnar 
>> layout of content, fixing the width for content has everything 
>> to do with readability for the sighted - I for one have a hard 
>> time reading paragraph after paragraph of text laid out at 
>> over 1000px wide.  Granted, I could just resize my browser, 
>> but the effect is hardly the same.
> 
> It also has everything to do with unreadability for the sighted, if they have to keep scrolling their screens in a variety of directions just because the designer's browser dimensions don't match.
> 
>> The ideal solution is having paragraphs elements that layout 
>> such that they create natural (magazine-style) columns 
>> regardless of the dimensions of the page itself.  But I have 
>> yet to see that happen without constraining the page width, 
>> height or number of columns in some way, without resorting to 
>> javascript hacks.  ;)
> 
> Some would claim that magazine-style columns don't belong on the WWW, but are just a pointless attempt to mimic printed material.  Someone once said:
> 
> http://allmyfaqs.net/faq.pl?Fix_the_wrong_problem

Good link.  I'll have to hang onto that one.

> "Trying to force a text-flow from one column to another, when the real problem is creating text interesting enough to induce readers to scroll their displays in a presentation based on methods appropriate to the medium instead of those adopted from print. "
> 
> Moreover, to read columns on a web page you would often have to scroll down the column to read it, and then scroll up again to read the next column.

Aside: I find it genuinely funny that my newsreader (Thunderbird) saw fit to quote you without line-wrapping in my 
editor. :)

You're right (and your quoted source is right) that it's a PITA to scroll down, then up again to keep reading.  I think 
the only way that works at all is if you have dissimilar content, stories or whatnot in each column - kind of like CNN's 
story layout.  That way you have only one true column for something of interest, leaving the user to "shift gears" and 
scroll up to do something else.

Otherwise, for a "minimal scrolling magazine style layout", you'd have to constrain the page to the height of the 
viewport, and encourage horizontal scrolling instead of vertical - a little counter-intuitive (and very unconventional), 
but I've seen similar things done before with good looking results.  I'm not advocating this for the wiki, but I 
wouldn't mind having a personal Blog done this way.

 > Maybe there is a way in which such a thing could be reasonably implemented....

It can be done a whole bunch of ways: javascript + CSS comes to mind so you can adopt a different layout depending on 
the viewport size/shape.  But then it all comes back to accessibility and browser behavior by version and vendor: "what 
is acceptable and what isn't" depends on your audience. :(

Now what would be nice is if browser vendors changed how big an EM is depending on the viewport size.

-- 
- EricAnderton at yahoo