Links, links, links. We all know they’re web currency but what’s the best way to deal with them? At this new blog I’ve been considering the best way of sharing stuff with my (small, select, some may say, exclusive) audience.
Of the blogs I follow I’m seeing an increasing trend of offering a page of links. My RSS page is a sea of “links for ….year/month/date” these days.
I find this an unsatisfactory experience – the headlines break every golden rule of writing for your audience – yet I click on them every day.
This treatment of links assumes that, because I’ve selected these particular commentators, I’m prepared to read everything they have to offer regardless of topic.
But while I do find these links throw up some important and interesting postings, what I really want is for the blogger to provide some analysis, comment or, most importantly, context for their selection.
If I wanted to just browse what they’re browsing then I could follow their delicious bookmarks.
It made me ponder whether the old attention grabbing headline skills are dead in the age of feeds, niche content and personalisation?
I’d like to think not. Not just because of a nostalgic nod to the dark arts of the grey cardigans but out of usability and even serendipity.
Does anyone ever click on “links for year…. month, day” headline found randomly through search?
I’ve a feeling this will be a topic which I’ll be returning to repeatedly but, for now, my delicious bookmarks will be available on the right-hand side of this blog, on my Facebook profile and any other feeds that I start, but any other postings, articles, comments etc I want to share on this blog will be introduced to the user with some sort of headline and explanation.
Call me old-fashioned if you wish but, for me, context is king.
Dim Sum Digital 