[LINK] Redirects, User counters and Advertising

[Ivan Trundle]

On 27/02/2007, at 9:10 AM, Gordon Keith wrote:

> On Mon, 26 Feb 2007 23:08, Eric Scheid wrote:
>> A good designer knows what line length is optimal for reading,  
>> anyone who
>> calls themselves a web developer should know it, and designs to  
>> provide
>> this as the default sizing. Users don't want to futz with the  
>> window size
>> for every web page they go to, a good designer makes it easier for  
>> users,
>> not make more work for them.
>
> Is that optimal line length measured in pixels, characters or words?

Characters (which can loosely translate into words).

Depends what you mean by optimal, though - since research shows that  
researchers can't agree on this either. Nonetheless, it appears that  
the shorter the line length, the better the comprehension (and the  
reduction in lateral eye movements assists this). Speed, on the other  
hand, is a different criteria ('Effective reading' is what  
researchers are looking for).

As to the proposition that a shorter line length is desirable, the  
jury is still out for online activity. Part of the problem is that  
most of the research carried out in the past 20 years has been  
focussed on print, and only recently are they discovering that adults  
and children produce different results in effective reading vs line  
length.

If you want references, I've got dozens of psych papers which have  
researched this area over the past 20 years. Or use Google and look  
up 'line length' or 'pedagogy of reading'.

Warmly

iT