Scroll vs Book

Okay this is not a download but it is something related.

The trend for most internet sites is now Continuous Scrolling or infinite scrolling. This is where all the content is loading on one page and as you reach the bottom its adds more content. Yahoo has just changed to this pattern.

Notice the scroll bar on the right side it just keeps getting longer and jumping while never hitting the bottom.

This is done mainly for the smartphone and tablet market. They find infinite scroll is faster because you do not have to leave the page to search for the next.

Book or reading effect gives each page and the contents their own place so once you reach the end just click on next and you get more. For older computers like mine and slower internet connections it is great plus you always can skip stories and advance to page 10 or 100 without have to load 1,000 unwanted pages on to one.

This guy has a better argument against the scrolling effect...
http://timtfj.wordpress.com/2012/07/14/infinite-scrolling/

Partial scrolling where you are asked to load more is what Blogger.com did for their comment segement and it is horrible. For my blogs with 2,000+ comments per post you will never be able to see the newest comments without spending 2 hours loading and clicking "Load More".

This example shows after 10 minutes of clicking I still cannot see the newest comments and I am only inot comments made several years ago.

Many people have compared this effect to devolving. The scrolls used throughout history gave way to books because it was a better system. Finding information was faster and general thumbing through was better.

This quote from awwards is shortsighted.

It can be a smoother solution to show more content on a site than pagination, as it does not require to refresh the page and dynamic loading makes the site faster.

This is only true when content is limited and not added to on a regular basis. Unfortunately the shortsighted programmers are catering to a short attention span audience. After a few scroll downs most people give up. those who want to look for something specific can always use a search box.

I like browsing and that is why they are called BROWSERS. Often I just have nothing in mind and just want to look for new content. Also I have little to no confirmation bias so even if I search for something I want the right answer not a pat on the back. Both of these actions leads to a vast amount of links and with continuous scrolling it is difficult to keep track of everything.

I hope this trend is temporary or they do like Lifehacker and allow you the option on how your page loads. Still not great as they still have infinite scrolling.

Feel free to let me know your comments and possible solution to the continuous scrolling problem.