Comments on: Linking Matters

By: Genetic

Genetic — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:49:01 +0000

It’s great tip.

Thank so much.

By: Web Design Malta

Web Design Malta — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:49:57 +0000

Another issue is whether you add a target to offsite links, to open the link in a new window or tab. Some say you should never do it, others seem less bothered. Any views?

By: Property Management Software

Property Management Software — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:15:55 +0000

I think the opposition to links is they really make copy look ugly with the underlining. Underlining traditionally in copy is for highlighting something, or underscoring it, but a link does that unnecesarrily.

If links were dotted lines for instances, and everyone recognized them as such (css styles) I think the use of links would increase greatly.

By: Photo Frame

Photo Frame — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 04:25:33 +0000

Thanks for your commend :

This blog post about New York Times columnist Frank Rich titled “Frank Rich: Why I Link” is worth reading.

By: Lori

Lori — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:02:50 +0000

Websites want to be a destination (as in final and only). In reality, sites are part of a larger conversation. Want to be part of the conversation? Don’t act like you’re the only source of information.

If you want to be a stop along the way, you link.

By: David Abbott

David Abbott — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:23:36 +0000

Links are good, but the questions of where to place links and whether links should take a visitor away from your site remain.

We’ve chosen to include related links at the end of articles, but those links always take a visitor to related content within our site.

What do you think?

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:14:09 +0000

I personally would prefer to see everything linked that has a link, yes. There is nothing quite as annoying to me as a reader as an url in the body copy that isn’t linked.

Exceptions are when it’s an url for the host site (e.g. when referring to domain.com as an entity, not a link, and you’re reading on domain.com).

However, links are often considered to be endorsements. Using a bridge (”this is not an endorsed link, click through to view this content”) resolves most of the concerns that this raises.

Another concern is when linking would make accessing special content questionable, inappropriate, or illegal content more accessible, which has been before the courts in the US (deep linking).

A third concern would be future proofing the content. Dead links have other side effects, and in a news arena, it’s quite likely that many of the links will turn up dead in the short term, and more over time. A system of snapshots or archived documentation would be ideal, but a costly solution.

Linking to available sources, however, seems sensible and an advancement of the interconnectedness. I would appreciate it as a reader, but recognize that there may be other considerations.