Framed: The Furor Over Frames

Framed Sites: the issues, problems, and solutions.

Framed! The word alone has the power to evoke emotions of hate, fear, and fascination.

Frames can be used to enhance a site and to hold the navigational menu on each page allowing a visitor to quickly jump back and forth between pages of the same site. On the other hand, fascinated with the power of creating frames, a Web page creator could easily irritate a visitor by using multiple frames within frames until the visitor leaves in frustration never to return again.

The Good

One frame along the top or side of a Web page to hold the sites navigational menu.

Two frames consisting of a navigation menu within a frame at the top of a Web page for advertisement and a frame along the side to hold the navigation menu.

Three frames? Sure! One at the top to hold the Web site title, one along the bottom for the navigational menu and one along the side for advertisement. Use a bit of discretion in the size of the frames.

The Bad

The inability to see the address of the site that has been pulled up within frames.

The inability to link to the site that has been pulled up within frames.

The Ugly

Any framed site that pulls up frames within frames, within frames, within frames. Multiple frames, such as this are worthless, irritating, and needless.

Any site displaying advertisement while pulling up a linked site within their frames without letting surfers know that they have surfed off site.

Any site that uses more than three frames.

The Solution

Learn how to bookmark a site pulled up within a frame.

Learn how to turn off the top frame, if this is an option the Webmaster of the site has given you.

Bookmarking a Framed Site

Netscape Web Browser: Place cursor inside the frame you want to bookmark. Right click with mouse. Choose Add Bookmark. Check the URL of your bookmark and you will see the site address.

Bookmarking a Framed Site

Internet Explorer Web Browser: Place cursor inside the frame you want to bookmark. Right click with mouse. Choose Add to Favorites. You now have the URL, the address, of the site within a frame!

Turn Off The Top Frame

Some Webmasters will give you the option to turn off the top frame so that you can see the real site address. Look closely at the top frame across the top of the Web page. If you find small text that states, Turn off this top frame, click on that text and the top frame will disappear. You will then see the real site address and will be able to bookmark it.

Frames!

Frames are just another resource for Web page creation. Used with moderation and discretion, frames, like clipart, backgrounds, and sound may be used to enhance and spice up your Web site.

More On This Site

On Site Clip Art

Help and Tutorials

Clip Art Glossary