The Problem With Link Posts →
Iain Broome on his decision to stop employing link posts on his site:
“There’s nothing wrong with short posts that function primarily to send your readers to information or opinions elsewhere. However, if that becomes the bulk of what you do with your website, I think that something may be wrong.”
I agree with Iain here. And not to get too meta or self-conflicting, I’m agreeing with him by way of a link post. I utilize linked-list-style posts because I want to bring attention to smart, thoughtful people who take the time to publish interesting ideas online. I also like to throw in my two pennies every now and then.
When linked-lists become the primary publishing format, however, they can become problematic for both the reader and the publisher. As a reader, I subscribe to sites that offer thoughtful writing and interesting points of view. Sites that are merely a cascade of external links typically do not interest me. On the other hand, as a web publisher, link posts provide quick and easy ways to keep a site active. This can turn into a trap for writers who value page views over substance.
I publish this site because I enjoy sharing my thoughts about the world with whomever cares to listen. It’s the reason the majority of the writing here is original content. While I try to maintain an 80% – 20% split between original articles and link posts, I certainly feel the linked-list has its place here on Static Made. I think that is a good balance. It feels right to me.
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