DISQUS

Rob · 2 years ago

Yeh, Scott but you still don't link from your blog to other sites in a new window which is a royal pain in the arsh. Tab browsing, man... c'mon.

David Mastio · 2 years ago

Here's a pub that just this week launched a project with BlogNetNews.com that is nothing but linking out:

blognetwork.knoxnews.com

Sérgio Santos · 2 years ago

I don't believe there's a problem in not forcing links to open on new windows. Anyone who wants to open in a new window/tab can choose that option on their browser, our use a shortcut like Ctrl+MouseClick or MiddleMouseButton. And the ones on don't want new tabs/windows can navigate freely. This way is clearly the best, no chance needed.

Mark Forman · 2 years ago

Agreed. In a nutshell by pointing to other sites with engaging or relevant content you add value to your own work and treat the reader with respect. Good will is a rare commodity with old media and hence is part of our new media currency.

David Mastio · 2 years ago

Mark puts it well. If you give your customer what he wants (even if it isn't on your site) he'll come back to you because he knows you put him first.

If you try to keep him but don't give him what he wants, he'll go somewhere where he will get what he wants. ... and not come back to you because he knows you'll try to play him.

David Cushman · 2 years ago

Yes Scott, this is something which has been anathema - but it has to change. It changes based on one simple understanding - you put the community (of interest/purpose) first.
A community wants the information that suits its needs best - no matter which source it comes from.
That community should also then rate which of that stream of information from all sources is best.
Few traditional media brands are brave enough to apply this.
But you have to ask, what don't they want to learn from the process?

I posted "A blank sheet of paper approach would open our eyes to simple facts such as:

* The best content for the community is welcome - be it our own, rival media brand owners', or user generated content.
* The community should judge which content gets highest prominence - and which gets booted into touch.
* Groups should be allowed to form which set their own parameters for what equals interesting and 'good'.

This requires some bravery on the part of the media brand owner. It means that only if our own content is good enough/a good enough fit with the community will it score the highest ratings and get top billing.

But what would you not want to learn from this?"

It's all gathered up in a white paper now: http://fasterfuture.blogspot.com/2007/08/white-...

Rich Gordon · 2 years ago

For more on the importance of linking out, and the reasons to do it, you might want to read something I wrote recently:

http://www.readership.org/blog2/2007/04/build-n...

Dhyana Sansoucie · 2 years ago

What's missing here is the realization that for many newspapers, it's the extra work and understaffing that's the issue, not an intentional decision to not link to other sites. They just don't have the resources yet on the online side to do this consistently, so it's the special local projects that get the extra attention.

Mike Schinkel · 2 years ago

This is a GREAT article, and exactly what I've been trying to put into words for my current client. Bravo!