Re: FN-FORUM: Back buttons

date posted 26th September 2007 07:38

On 25/09/2007 21:03, Tim Pizey wrote:
> Hi web usability maestros,
>
> I am in debate with my boss and project manager wrt back buttons.
>
> We have a large, old, grotty, ASP 1.0 site which used to have a mixture of
> hardcoded and javascript back buttons.
>
> I converted them all to a single ASP variable which contained javascript go
> back 1 in a universal include.
>
> Then I converted that to a comment, at a stroke removing all back buttons from
> the site.
>
> My argument is that it is bad practice to duplicate browser functionality in
> the page and that most users use the browser button as a matter of habit.
>
> Another reason I do not want to have hardcoded back buttons is that you can
> get to some pages by more than one route, so a hardcoded back button might
> not take you back to where you came from.
>
> Anyway they want the back buttons back, and they want some of them to do a
> javascript back -2 so for example if you have a list of timesheets you can
> view the timesheet, update it and then go back to the list.
>
> Please tell me I am right.
>
> Tim
>

My thoughts, don't expect the back button on a browser to work or be
available to use either (ietab on firefox breaks it, people accessing
from limited access browsers where they can only enter the url - some
kiosks are set up like this), you should really provide some sort of
bread crumb trail from a useability and accessibility point of view
and/or have everything accessible from the current page for small sites.
Also don't call the links "Back" call them something descriptive.

Javascript links are bad too, what if javascript is turned off/filtered
at the firewall? If you were doing things correctly you'd provide
noscript with the links anyway so there's no point in using javascript.

Martin