Introducing Snap Shots: A feature that is sort of cool and mildly useful!
While you weren’t looking, my brother and webmaster Jeff, acting more in his capacity as webmaster than brother, added a new little feature to the site. It pertains to links. Let’s say I was linking to XKCD, a very entertaining web comic that often deals with math and science and other matters of geekery. See that little icon next to “XKCD” in that link? That means that if you hover your mouse over the link, a small window will pop up showing you what the linked page looks like. Move your mouse away and it disappears. Fun!
What purpose does this serve? Almost none! But it’s nifty, so there it is. It’s only for links that take you away from EricDSnider.com, since we figured you don’t need previews of what other pages on this site look like. (They’ll look like the page you’re already on, only with different text. Duh.) And if everyone hates it, maybe we’ll take it away again. But everyone won’t hate it! It’s nifty!
Actually, it is useful when I’m linking to a few specific sites. If it’s an Amazon link, like this one, instead of showing you a picture of that Amazon page, it presents you with a text description of the item being linked. (Harry Potter 7, in this case.) It does the same for Wikipedia links, IMDb links, and probably some others.
Anyway, there it is, in case you hadn’t noticed it. Enjoy your mouse-hovering!
EDITED TO ADD: For those who do hate it, you can disable it simply by mousing over one of the links and clicking “Disable” in the upper right corner of the pop-up box. As long as you have cookies activated, it will remember to disable the feature whenever you visit the site.
May 14th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
I have seen this feature on other sites and I HATE it. Please take it away again. Down with HTML clutter! Thank you, that is all.
May 14th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
Yeah, I realized the upgrade right away, and thought about e-mailing my opinion, but then figured it wasn’t worth it. Hate’s a strong word–it’s not like Snap Shots killed my dad or anything–but I really, really, really dislike it. It clutters up the page, and I have to be careful where I rest my cursor. Oh, and it makes that “clicking” sound, the kind your computer makes whether you have speakers or not, every time you scroll over a link, which for some reason annoys me. But hey, I’m just one person, it’s not my site, and it’s not like ANYTHING will ever stop me from coming here regularly anyways. (It’s too darn funny.) So there’re my two cents.
May 14th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Wow is XKCD ever filled with teenage angst. Emo-ridden doodles are okay I guess.
I did laugh pretty hard at the Godwin’s Law one, though.
May 14th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
I like the Snap Shots. It makes an easy, quick, and convenient way to check a link.
I also wanted to add that I’ve been reading XKCD ever since you had that other blog post about it a few months back. Funny stuff
May 14th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
I like it so far.
May 15th, 2007 at 2:33 am
No, Eric, I will not order the new HARRY POTTER book. Nice try, though.
May 15th, 2007 at 6:30 am
I already have HARRY POTTER on order…… sorry.
May 15th, 2007 at 7:20 am
I noticed it before. I like it.
May 16th, 2007 at 9:32 am
I love it! More to keep me unbored at work!
May 17th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Well, I just ordered the Harry Potter book from that link, so I hope you’re satisfied.
May 17th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Doesn’t work with Firefox, so I’m cool with it.
May 17th, 2007 at 7:46 pm
It sure does work with Firefox. That’s what i’m using and I see them.
May 23rd, 2007 at 8:31 am
Snapshots are awesome. Simplifies the internet.