Are there any grammatical rules for linktext?

revgeorge — Wed, 09 Feb 2005 08:33:03 -0800

I know I'm being a bit of a hypertext pedant, but are there any grammatical rules for linktext? Any stylistic rules for linktext? Linktext is the stuff that goes in between <a> and </a>. I know to never use "click here" as linktext but I'm interested in other rules about syntax and style. (more inside) I should point out that I'm barely literate (mostly due to reading MetaFilter) and have the only the loosest grasp on the parts of speech, i.e. I thought "the" was a preposition.

Should I include articles in linktext? "The Star-Belly Sneetches" or "The Star-Belly Sneetches"? Are there differences in linking to nouns and verbs? Do I need to think about how the document would read without the hypertext when writing my linktext?

In the question I wrote the linktext so that if you saw the link 'never use "click here" as linktext' on its own you would know where it goes.

Do I need to think about how the hypertext would read without the surrounding document when choosing what to link? Using my question as an example again, I think that it would read correctly

I've developed a feel for where links should go but the web has been around for over a decade, there have got to be some rules somewhere. I couldn't find anything from MLA or AskOxford.

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Are there any grammatical rules for linktext?