Fluid links for informed and incremental hypertext browsing

ABSTRACT

This paper and video present a novel user interface technique for hypertext, called fluid links, that has several advantages over current methods. Fluid links provide additional information at a link source, termed a gloss, to support readers in choosing among links and understanding the structure of a hypertext. Fluid links present glosses in a convenient location that does not obscure the content or layout of source material. The technique uses perceptually-based animation to provide a natural and lightweight feeling to readers. Fluid links provide a novel hypertext navigation paradigm that blurs the boundary between source and destination: computed glosses supply a "bring from" approach to hypertext, while multi-way links and nested glosses allow readers to skip through intermediate nodes while still attending to their original source context.

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INDEX TERMS

Keywords:
animation, fluid UI, fluid links, hypertext navigation, user interface