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Re: TECH: Website Navigation Question

From:T. A. McLeay <conlang@...>
Date:Monday, March 26, 2007, 13:57
Benct Philip Jonsson wrote:
...
> It is also a good idea to enclose the main text area in a > <div class="main-text"> with a corresponding style > definition > > : div.main-text { > : max-width: 33em; > : margin: 15px auto; > : } > > This will make each line of body text no wider than > approximately 66 characters wide, which is convenient for > reading for most people. I actually prefer somewhat shorter > lines (about 55 characters or 33em) for onscreen reading, > but I have a peripheral vision problem.
As it happens, 66 chars is not optimal, but merely a compromise on maximum width vs comfort. Feel free to go lower; the compromise is based on the aesthetics of a printed page, not an infinitely scrollable computer screen. This is part of the reason newspaper columns are so narrow; you can/want to read them much faster than 66-character wide books! In any case, assume your reader will want a narrow width than you do. Also in this day with wide screens common make no assumption about the relationship between screen resolution and window width as was plausible five years ago. Some people with wide screens keep their windows maximised; I prefer to keep two (or more) windows side-by-side. Also remember that anything you (webdesigner) can do in your CSS I can override in my (web user’s) CSS. You can’t account for everything, but be flexible; in particular, expect widths to be different from what you’ve specified. ...
> Just my two pieces of small chainge!
And two very good pieces of small change they were too. -- Tristan.