Semantics of Previous and Next for editing posts

[ptvguy]

Suggested by teccus as a 2.0.3 bug. When viewing many posts in the Manage Posts window, the Previous and Next options at the bottom are aligned wrong. Previous is aligned left and Next is aligned right while he suggests "logically that should be previous >> and aligned to the rigth". Just offering this DIFF as a starting point for a fairly minor mod.

[ptvguy]

Diff file for patch

[ptvguy]

Here's the IRC discussion:

<teccus> when ur on a forum
<teccus> previous is on the right
<jeroenl> He's got a point I think.
<teccus> easy mod, but irrotating and i don't want to modd it :p
...
<teccus> hehe
<teccus> when u are on a forum
...
<teccus> and u want to go to deeper posts
<teccus> its on the right hand side
<teccus> not the left
...
<teccus> lol, so u guys going to change it for me?
<ptvGuy> Even on the WP support forum, NEXT PAGE is on the right.
<jeroenl> No idea, I don't have a say in it.
<jeroenl> I can just make a diff for it.
<jeroenl> Yeah but you have to take the semantics in mind there.
<teccus> NEXT as in, deeper to the forum
<teccus> on the right
<teccus> jer, exactly
<jeroenl> teccus got me confused. :P
<teccus> it happens sometimes.. my brain thinks to fast for my typing :)
<jeroenl> I'm trying to get a feel for your suggestion.
<ptvGuy> It is semantics, because we get confused by PREVIOUS, NEXT and NEWER, OLDER>
...
<teccus> but whenever you go deeper into a forum, the link/button is always on the right, even if its called next, new, older
...
<ptvGuy> In a forum or blog that runs newest to oldest, next is usually older until you get into an individual thread at which point NEXT is newer
<teccus> 1 | 2 | 3... thats where the link for older posts in wordpress should be
<teccus> lets stop talking semantics
...
<teccus> DEEPER into the posts.. is on the right
<ptvGuy> gotcha
<teccus> to new posts.. its on the left

[ptvguy]

Better formatting:

<teccus> when ur on a forum
<teccus> previous is on the right
<jeroenl> He's got a point I think.
<teccus> easy mod, but irrotating and i don't want to modd it :p ...
<teccus> hehe <teccus> when u are on a forum ...
<teccus> and u want to go to deeper posts
<teccus> its on the right hand side
<teccus> not the left ...
<teccus> lol, so u guys going to change it for me?
<ptvGuy> Even on the WP support forum, NEXT PAGE is on the right.
<jeroenl> No idea, I don't have a say in it.
<jeroenl> I can just make a diff for it.
<jeroenl> Yeah but you have to take the semantics in mind there.
<teccus> NEXT as in, deeper to the forum
<teccus> on the right
<teccus> jer, exactly
<jeroenl> teccus got me confused. :P
<teccus> it happens sometimes.. my brain thinks to fast for my typing :)
<jeroenl> I'm trying to get a feel for your suggestion.
<ptvGuy> It is semantics, because we get confused by PREVIOUS, NEXT and NEWER, OLDER
...
<teccus> but whenever you go deeper into a forum, the link/button is always on the right, even if its called next, new, older
...
<ptvGuy> In a forum or blog that runs newest to oldest, next is usually older until you get into an individual thread at which point NEXT is newer
<teccus> 1 | 2 | 3... thats where the link for older posts in wordpress should be
<teccus> lets stop talking semantics
...
<teccus> DEEPER into the posts.. is on the right
<ptvGuy> gotcha
<teccus> to new posts.. its on the left

[ptvguy]

Okay, I tried better formatting... Sorry.

[ptvguy]

Wish I could delete previous posts here. Okay, last try at better formatting...

<teccus> when ur on a forum

<teccus> previous is on the right

<jeroenl> He's got a point I think.

<teccus> easy mod, but irrotating and i don't want to modd it :p

...

<teccus> when u are on a forum

...

<teccus> and u want to go to deeper posts

<teccus> its on the right hand side

<teccus> not the left

...

<teccus> lol, so u guys going to change it for me?

<ptvGuy> Even on the WP support forum, NEXT PAGE is on the right.

<jeroenl> No idea, I don't have a say in it.

<jeroenl> I can just make a diff for it.

<jeroenl> Yeah but you have to take the semantics in mind there.

<teccus> NEXT as in, deeper to the forum

<teccus> on the right

<teccus> jer, exactly

<jeroenl> teccus got me confused. :P

<teccus> it happens sometimes.. my brain thinks to fast for my typing :)

<jeroenl> I'm trying to get a feel for your suggestion.

<ptvGuy> It is semantics, because we get confused by PREVIOUS, NEXT and NEWER, OLDER

...

<teccus> but whenever you go deeper into a forum, the link/button is always on the right, even if its called next, new, older

...

<ptvGuy> In a forum or blog that runs newest to oldest, next is usually older until you get into an individual thread at which point NEXT is newer

<teccus> 1 | 2 | 3... thats where the link for older posts in wordpress should be 

<teccus> lets stop talking semantics

...

<teccus> DEEPER into the posts.. is on the right

<ptvGuy> gotcha

<teccus> to new posts.. its on the left

[jeroenl]

Indeed we discussed this.

I have a DIFF for the TRUNK (2.1) version.

I'll upload it this evening when I get home from work. That would be in about nine hours from now.

[jeroenl]

Also, I think it would be better to use labels like: "Newer entries" and "Older entries". That's a better description of the action in the mental model of the user. This prevents confusion about whether or not next would show newer or older entries.

This could conflict if sorting of the relevant lists can be changed by a regular user.

[jeroenl]

Same patch TRUNK 2.1 version, but with the "newer older suggestion" in it too.

[foolswisdom]

Closing as WONTFIX for now.

Although I completely agree with you in use of "newer, older" instead of "previous, next", this likely won't get traction without being already part of a theme.

The left vs right is ever more cultural and harder to argue.

[Howdy_McGee]

#41267 was marked as a duplicate.

[susanvhj95hl]

What is the suggested logical alignment for these options, as proposed by teccus?