Hidden text is text within a computer document that is invisible unless certain measures are taken. It can serve several purposes, including advertising, convenience, security, and secrecy. Keyword padding is a common use for hidden text, but it is considered unethical by many search engines. Other uses include reducing screen clutter, hiding site passwords, and keeping certain information secret. Hidden text can be viewed by highlighting the document, but some creators can circumvent this detection method.
Hidden text is text that is not visible to the average reader. More specifically, the term refers to text within a computer document that is invisible unless certain measures are taken by the user of the document. Hidden computer text can serve several purposes, including advertising, convenience, security, and secrecy.
Most hidden text is achieved relatively easily. The creator of the document sets the font color of the desired text to transparent, so that individual letters appear invisible. The text color can also be changed to match the background color of a document, which would also make the text hidden. A less common technique occurs when the font size of a text is set to zero. An individual can change the fonts by looking at the document menu for a similar header or page layout, or by using the HTML code for a World Wide Web document.
Keyword padding has one of the most common and most controversial uses for hidden text. In this practice, a document creator such as a website designer can insert blocks of this text containing keywords within their website. This step is intended to improve the search engine rankings of a website by giving the website the aspect of expertise on a particular topic. For example, a site that wants to achieve a prominent position and therefore attract more visitors for digital photography could place hidden text on the site containing the keywords digital photography. However, many search engines consider this practice unethical and will significantly reduce search engine rankings or even ban websites upon discovery.
There are also less controversial uses for hidden text. Some websites use the practice for convenience by making text invisible until a visitor clicks on a certain area, thus reducing screen clutter. Special navigation links for people with disabilities can also be hidden. In other cases, website creators can hide site passwords so that the site can be better protected for frequent users. Also, some sites may want to keep certain information, such as upcoming storylines or spoilers, secret on television websites.
An individual can often view hidden text by highlighting the document. This precaution will make most of the text, visible or hidden, visible to the viewer. Some creators can circumvent this detection method by placing their hidden text in the margins of a document and outside the viewing range of a typical computer monitor. Layering techniques found in style sheets can also be used by a creator to keep text truly hidden from document users.
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