Rant #2: Linkhogs

There are web sites out there that think we don't know the internet. Every single link on their site, links to a page in their site. They never link to anything outside their site. They highjack you, as if staying on their site means you are loyal to them or they can force you to purchase from them. As if we don't know we can pull up another browser or leave their site at will anyway.

Why not make give us high quality links (there is so much junk out there, thanks Jonas et al)? So we know we can trust you to lead us straight for more information or even more objective information. It's good web customer service to help us get what we're looking for and not try to sabatoge us.

Old thinking. The web is all about connection. It's networking. We're not grocery stores who arrange things as roadblocks so we will buy more. We don't have to walk through the entire store to find the staples we came for. We can go straight to the page we want and leave again. We don't force we entice someone to stay. Apple stores aren't arranging things so people will stay (neither is Barnes & Noble). They make it inviting or compelling and you don't want to leave.

I prefer transparency. Where it makes sense, why not link to better information, more information, other sources? Why not become the authority in your niche and direct people to complementary information or products? (do it with affiliate marketing and you'll get a kickback)

Adsense: how it's hurt. With contextual searching you have to worry more about ads which might appear on a page you link to. There could be illegal claims or competitors or misinformation. The legal department doesn't like it at all. Better not to link.