Copyright and Board Ownership Links

[innerfire]

For SMF Community search engine recognition and maximum use of reciprocal links:

I would love for the copyright links at the bottom of the page and "powered by" links to include link title text with key words built in (ie: open source, chat forum, discussion forum, smf, Simple Machines Site Home)  got to use those links to the best of your ability, and without them, the link exchange is not as strong for search engines, or so I have been told.  I would also like the forum name to have a link back to the root page of the site. -Mark

[Chris Cromer]

Do you mean like <a href="http://www.simplemachines.org" title="Simple Machines">SMF</a> or something similar?

[innerfire]

Yea, kind of.  Lets say the link text is "powered by simple machines" which is a text link for http://www.simplemachines.org.  if you include the title tag for the link when you rolled over the link text either a bubble would appear with alternative text(in IE kind of like old school mac help with balloons on) or the link text would appear in the bottom bar of the browser. 

I don't know the internet accessibility laws very well, but commercial site owners are "required" to have alt text for all pictures and title text for all links in order to make their sites accessible to those with "disability."  If an entire site is built this way, with appropriate link title tags and alt text, we get bonus points, not to mention the key words pointing to the next location help that locations ranking for key word searches. 

If you took it to the outer limits of being compliant, every link on every page would have title tags within the forum software, "home" "help" "search" etc.  The title and alt text might just be "home" for "home" or you could go crazy with optimization and have alt text for every image as well that links to the board title to help with key word density (example, "home" button would include "[forum name] Home" with alt image text "[forum name] home".  That obviously adds a lot of extra code that is not needed to make it a "simple machine," but it is what I was told to do for my main html site. 

Anyway, the simple addition of the key words as listed in the one instance with the link to lewis media and simple machines would help in your key word search placement with search engines.  Perhaps including it with ALL links in the board would be a little over the top and make the program larger (but unique and highly beneficial for keeping in the requirements of the site being accessible to those with disabilities). 

[[Unknown]]

Personally, I don't like this method of "stuffing the ballot."

-[Unknown]

[David]

Yeah but it is just taking advantage of how search engines work, people do far worse things to try and trick them.

[innerfire]

Two things:
1)  I am not saying, stuff the ballot.  I am saying, identify the purpose of the link and tell a little of what is on the other end.  Same with the buttons and pictures (thus making the site accessible for those listening to the site and not viewing it).  It is clear that you could abuse this, but it is just a clear way of communicating in a language that the search engines speak.  You could take it over the top.  If your key words were "Forum Search Engine Optimization" you could use that as the link name for every link.  That is stuffing the ballot, Google and most good search engines call it Spam, and there goes your ranking, especially if on a page your key word density gets too high.

2)  By saying as title text in the link to Simple Machines: "Best Open Source Bulletin Board, Simple Machines" or what ever, you are just announcing to the world who is at the end of that link.

[Jeff Lewis]

innerfire isn't suggesting it to cheat on search engines, he is suggesting it for accesibility and I think it's a decent idea (also doesn't hurt with search engines)

[innerfire]

It appears that being 508 compliant is not a requirement for anyone non-governmental according to their website (although I was told differently, perhaps this is an old site). 

Being compliant is an all inclusive gesture which goes beyond even their website (which doesn't have alt text for all images and several links are java script without alt tags and title tags).  Got to love the government's commitment to "law" .   

I don't think that making this forum eventually compliant would be that hard.  Every image would need an alt tag and if you wanted to go over the top you could add in title tags for the links.  If you wanted to take it to the next level, buttons such as "reply to post" could have link title text of "reply to post [post title]" and you could apply this model where it was appropriate. 

Their Website is:
http://www.section508.gov

This quote is from http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Content&ID=11#web

Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and  Applications (1194.22)

  The criteria for web-based technology and  information are based on access guidelines developed by the Web Accessibility  Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium. Many of these provisions ensure  access for people with vision impairments who rely on various assistive products  to access computer-based information, such as screen readers, which translate  what's on a computer screen into automated audible output, and refreshable  Braille displays. Certain conventions, such as verbal tags or identification of  graphics and format devices, like frames, are necessary so that these devices  can "read" them for the user in a sensible way. The standards do not  prohibit the use of web site graphics or animation. Instead, the standards aim  to ensure that such information is also available in an accessible format.  Generally, this means use of text labels or descriptors for graphics and certain  format elements. (HTML code already provides an "Alt Text" tag for  graphics which can serve as a verbal descriptor for graphics). This section also  addresses the usability of multimedia presentations, image maps, style sheets,  scripting languages, applets and plug-ins, and electronic forms.   

The standards apply to Federal web sites but not  to private sector web sites (unless a site is provided under contract to a  Federal agency, in which case only that web site or portion covered by the  contract would have to comply). Accessible sites offer significant advantages  that go beyond access. For example, those with "text-only" options  provide a faster downloading alternative and can facilitate transmission of  web-based data to cell phones and personal digital assistants.

[[Unknown]]

Actually, I tested this forum and it was mostly compliant.... WAI or 508, I forget.  But I only did the BoardIndex.  Alts are required by xhtml anyway, so they are always used, if sometimes blank.

-[Unknown]

[innerfire]

I see title tags for in some places such as when I roll over the name of the individual that has made the post ("view the profile of [unkown]") but not for buttons and links to posts.  Are they there and just hidden deeper in xhtml?  -M

[[Unknown]]

Alt and title tags are not required by any specification I have seen.  Only for images.

-[Unknown]

[innerfire]

Not so.  I was just looking at the new requirements and link title tags are a good thing.  Currently the laws are not in place, that is not even government is required to be compliant, but the date is definitely this year.  Later comes corporations, small business,....  This is open source software so it may never be "required"  You can read through the recommendations at:
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10-HTML-TECHS/

Here is what they say about link title tags:

Good link text should not be overly general; don't use "click here." Not only is this phrase device-dependent (it implies a pointing device) it says nothing about what is to be found if the link if followed. Instead of "click here", link text should indicate the nature of the link target, as in "more information about sea lions" or "text-only version of this page". Note that for the latter case (and other format- or language-specific documents), content developers are encouraged to use content negotiation instead, so that users who prefer text versions will have them served automatically.

In addition to clear link text, content developers may specify a value of the "title" attribute that clearly and accurately describes the target of the link.

If more than one link on a page shares the same link text, all those links should point to the same resource. Such consistency will help page design as well as accessibility.

If two or more links refer to different targets but share the same link text, distinguish the links by specifying a different value for the "title" attribute of each A element.

"Auditory users" -- people who are blind, have difficulty seeing, or who are using devices with small or no displays -- are unable to scan the page quickly with their eyes. To get an overview of a page or to quickly find a link, these users will often tab from one link to the next or review a list of available links on a page.

Thus, for a series of related links, include introductory information in the first link, then distinguishing information in the links that follow. This will provide context information for users reading them in sequence.

Example.
  <A href="my-doc.html">My document is available in HTML</A>,
  <A href="my-doc.pdf" title="My document in PDF">PDF</A>,
  <A href="my-doc.txt" title="My document in text">plain text</A>

[[Unknown]]

Nowhere in that does it say anything is required; and, then it only says if the link content is identical should you distinguish.

Unless I'm very tired, and reading it wrong.

I'd like to see them make a law to do this or that... it won't get followed.  That's a dumb law, like saying everyone must carry pens.  There simply isn't the enforcement to carry it through, and thus the law only degenerates into blackmail.

-[Unknown]

[pulpitfire]

I see title tags for in some places such as when I roll over the name of the individual that has made the post ("view the profile of [unkown]") but not for buttons and links to posts.  Are they there and just hidden deeper in xhtml?  -M

links to posts already contain the subject of the thread.  is title text necessary for that?

[pulpitfire]

...Example.
  <A href="my-doc.html">My document is available in HTML</A>,
  <A href="my-doc.pdf" title="My document in PDF">PDF</A>,
  <A href="my-doc.txt" title="My document in text">plain text</A>

i understand why someone would need an alt tag to know what an image is, and how key words could benefit in a search query. but when a person who sees looks at a link that says "PDF", they see "PDF", and are supposed to figure out what it is.  why would "visually challenged" people need to have an explanation of what PDF is? or is it for mentally challenged?

[innerfire]

...Example.
† <A href="my-doc.html">My document is available in HTML</A>,
† <A href="my-doc.pdf" title="My document in PDF">PDF</A>,
† <A href="my-doc.txt" title="My document in text">plain text</A>

i understand why someone would need an alt tag to know what an image is, and how key words could benefit in a search query. but when a person who sees looks at a link that says "PDF", they see "PDF", and are supposed to figure out what it is.  why would "visually challenged" people need to have an explanation of what PDF is? or is it for mentally challenged?

Good point.   
I was just trying to pass along the upcoming laws as my friend described them to me.  Your points are all well made. 
As for the PDF mentally challenged statement.  I guess the only difference is that theoretically you might have "pdf" visually next to the name of the article, but according to how the page is heard as it is read, the "pdf" might come out of context.  If there are several "pdf" links that are all out of context, then having link title tags would help.  Obviously now that I have thought it through, every link doesn't need one.  But it is a good topic to have thought about during the design of the program.

What's more, one of my best friends is a specialist in 508 compliance.  He works for corporations as a consultant and has worked with google learning how they will be rating websites on compliance to the 508 standards.  He was saying that although link title tags and alt text tags are not required, 508 compliant web sites are given points in the google rating system, not to mention they are added to a larger database of compliant sites (and the ultimate gift of making them fully accessible to ALL PEOPLE). 

If it is a matter of a couple more hours of coding before the final release, or as a side project for someone after the board is more stable, then it would be worth the effort and could open the doors for the use of this software at the governmental level.  -M