The method of using “skip navigation” links is well-known. WebAim uses a technique that’s pretty well established. I’ve used it before with no problems, but that was when I was testing in Firefox. I coded it into a test page for a design I’m doing now, and it didn’t work in Opera. ?!? Is it Opera that chokes on the technique, or is it me? (I’m using the “Links that become visible with keyboard focus” method.)
I don’t have any issue with it using Opera, though older versions of Opera do tend to get a bit quirky every now and again, are you using 10.5 (the latest version)?
Ah, yeah I’ve noticed this, but chalked it up to not knowing how to use Opera right.
I think it’s related to something else I noticed: after making a page where Javascript hides part of the content by abso-po-ing it offscreen, even when it has links in it, regular tabbing browsers would still tab through all the content, which was annoying, while Opera only focussed on link elements who were on-screen.
At the time I thought this was jawsome, but it looks to be the same reason abso-po’d skip links don’t seem to appear on :focus?
Alex, I am using Opera 10.5, and loving (almost) every minute of it. Poes, I think you may have hit on something. It seems to work nicely in FF 3.5, as I noted above, but I’m a snob; I won’t use a technique if it doesn’t work in Opera. 
It must work in Opera… I’ve heard Tommy comment on article sites about letting keyboarders see skip links.
Opera has had limited support for :focus styling, since (I believe) they wanted to make sure pages were usable and accessible for keyboard users. (Just look at the number of threads on this very forum asking how to remove the ‘annoying’ outline on links with focus.)
With recent versions Opera has begun to allow more and more styling of focused links – including, unfortunately, removal of the outline. 
So Opera 10.50 (or perhaps even 10.00?) and newer let you use this technique for users who navigate with A/Q or Ctrl+Up/Down Arrow. Normal spatial navigation (Shift+arrow key), which is what I assume most Opera keyboard users would use, only navigates to visible elements, though.
Hmmmm. Any suggestions for something that will work in Opera, given its limited support of :focus? (And yes, I appreciated the links outline.) I’d prefer to modify the WebAim technique, as it’s solid, well-tested, and familiar to users, rather than use something new and perhaps untried. But this isn’t my area of expertise, I’m sure there are other techniques or designs that would serve the purpose equally well.
My advice: don’t bother! 
Newer Opera versions support this, and Opera users are good at upgrading.
Besides, Opera keyboard users are most likely to use spatial navigation and have little or no need for skip links.
Besides, Opera keyboard users are most likely to use spatial navigation and have little or no need for skip links.
I find them quite helpful on those long pages where the Most Recent stuff is at the bottom to maintain chronological order, rather than at the top like teh Bloggetties do. I want to skip to March or something… those pages usually have a skip link. Unless there’s a $ key in Opera (which also brings page focus not just visual focus)? That would be damn handy in any browser (since Home often brings you back to the top).
Actually makes me wonder about trying out Vimperator with FF except I would want a whole separate (and older) FF to try it on.
Yes, but those kinds of skip links are rarely hidden, since they can be of use even for rodentophiles.
Ctrl+End?
Poes, I don’t do those honking long pages “like teh Bloggetties do” 
Those guys ought to be smacked. Tommy, good point about Opera users being able to function without the skip links. I’ll just ram the WebAim code back into the pages, make sure it functions in the other browsers, and move on to something else.