Underlined text that's not a link

Most people consider underlining text that's not a link a usability gaffe, but Warrior Librarian Weekly makes good use of the disconnect you feel when you move your mouse over what you think is a link but then realize is not. It works partially because she has a hover over the real links, and because the fake links look like this:

...There is no more to read >>

It mocks the convention of using "More..." or "More to read..." and then cheerfully goes on to use it on the same page.

Since I'm usually violently allergic to underlined text, disliking it even in print media, this is an accomplishment. The site also has some funny fake error messages.

Posted by Chad Lundgren on Friday, October 18, 2002 (Link)

Comments

Posted by Amanda Credaro Monday, November 4, 2002 at 03:20 PM

Does this mean I have invented the "flink" (fake link), or maybe the "liparic" (link parody trick)?

The Link is there
And yet not.
Humor lives on
Despite the Dead End.

Amanda Credaro
[aka Biblia, the Warrior Librarian]

Posted by Chad Lundgren Tuesday, November 5, 2002 at 01:14 PM

I think so. I haven't seen it before at any rate. My vote for the term definitely goes for "flink".
(Do you think anyone who sees the way I use quotes reads the part on the about us page where I explain that I prefer logical quoting where you don't put punctuation inside the quotes unless it was part of the original quote? You're right, I didn't think so either.)

Posted by Amanda Credaro Sunday, November 10, 2002 at 09:10 PM

The "About Us" page, Chad? Gosh, I hardly even know you!

:-)

But you are correct, according to the site stats for Warrior Librarian Weekly. Very few (site) visitors seem interested in that sort of information (web author/master details, not romantic liaisons - or absence thereof).

I guess it's the real-world equivalent of having dinner with someone you hardly know, and having to look at photographs of their kids - or worse, their cats.

A.
[aka B.]

Posted by Chad Lundgren Sunday, November 10, 2002 at 11:40 PM

How odd, I didn't even realize I said "About Us". Well, I can neither confirm nor deny that I have a thing for funny Aussie librarians. I was using a generic term, and nothing Freudian was meant by it.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

:-P