Why I stopped including so many links to my posts.

If you are familiar with the blogosphere, you may have heard that your should link to every reference you make on your post right then and there.

For example, if you mention a cool site for looking at cat pictures like the Aww subreddit, you should make that piece of text an hyperlink and make it look like this:

Aww subreddit → Aww subreddit

In the past, I used to follow this advice on all of my posts. Actually, if you go and see my older posts, you are likely to find a ridiculous galore of links for no particular reason (links to wikipedia articles, anyone?).

As a blogger, you almost feel like if you’ve signed a contract agreeing to link to everything you write about. And to some level, I understand why this happens.

I mean, if I write about how great an essay from Paul Graham is, I better add a direct to it. Otherwise, readers will struggle to find it. Or if I mention how one of the hilarious comics from the Oatmeal almost made my wet my pants, I better link to it. If I don’t, the reader will miss the fun.

So yeah, I understand why links are great for giving attribution and making the life of readers a little bit easier.

But whats the deal with linking for linkings’ sake?

I mean, it is already hard enough to catch the attention of a reader for enough time for they to read two paragraphs. So why would you make it easier for them to leave the piece you worked so hard on by providing links to everywhere right on the beginning?

For me it makes no sense.

So I have decided to only link to other sites when its absolutely necessary or when proper attribution is required.

If people really want to learn more about the Laws of thermodynamics or 18th century in literature, they can use they favorite search engine to do it.

Peace,
Ricardo Fabila