So the New York Times presents an interesting question today:
What will ebooks do to footnotes?
The author laments that footnotes being relegated to endnotes is destructive. I agree.
But HTML has shown us what needs to happen with footnotes: hyperlinks. Now, this isn't yet possible in all ebooks because all ebooks aren't for presentation on touch screens.
But they will be.
Solve the problem now, even with the clunky cursor system of the Kindle and you get folks used to the idea of hyperlinked footnotes and expecting that sort of interaction when capacitive touchscreens are the norm in ereaders.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Footnotes and Ebooks
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But HTML has shown us what needs to happen with footnotes: hyperlinks.
Too crude. Let me suggest implementing :hover to make a hidden object visible, floated in at a higher z level. Hyperlinks are a fallback for the case where hover doesn't exist, e.g., in mobile space.
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