Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

I wonder the logic and even history of why right to left came into being. Is there any benefit in choosing a directionality of one vs another.

One thing that comes to my mind- book binding is done on the left edge of the book/news paper. So if folds are created you would go read left paper first and then to the right. Now if you are parsing left to right at higher level- At lower level wouldn’t it become consistency of UX to offer left to right reading?




It’s kinda of arbitrary. For ink:graphite writing top to bottom and right to left has the advantage of not smudging for right handers. For more durable media (carving/etching/chiseling) I think it is more arbitrary.


Boustrophedon (alternating left-to-right and right-to-left) was used sometimes in ancient Greek, so that your eyes didn't have to jump to the beginning of the next line.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: