Writing to the World-Wide Web
Journal 6: The Rhetoric of Linking ...
In class on February 15,
Amelia DeLoach, Links Editor
of Computer-Mediated Communication Magazine spoke to our
class regarding the many issues and decisions involved in making links
in hypertextual environments. Mike Bettuchi
reports, live from 4510 Sage Lab.
Among the issues involved were:
How can links be used to establish or extend an argument? What are some
good examples? Are there inappropriate ways to do this?
What does it mean to say "links can be used to establish context on a page"?
How can the use of links affect -- positively or negatively --
the credibiity
of a web author?
How do we know "how much to link"? That is, in the sentence, "The Bowling
Green hockey team, coached by Buddy Powers, is currently ranked #8 in the
NCAA Poll," the entire sentence could be linked to one site -- the NCAA
Poll. Or to another single site -- the BGSU hockey homepage. Or the single
word "Bowling Green" could link to the hockey homepage. Or to the University
homepage. The phrase "currently ranked #8 in the NCAA Poll" could all be one
link to the poll. Or the single word "poll" could be such a link. You see
the myriad possibilities ... how do we decide?
How can we let a reader know where a link will lead without resorting to
"click here" type phrases? What are bad examples -- i.e., misleading links
that take you somewhere you don't expect to go? How could these be improved?
When you're reading in hypertext, how do you personally find yourself
judging whether a link is helpful? Whether or not you're going to link or
keep reading? How can this process of reading inform the way you decide
how and when to present links in your h-texts?
Discuss the concept of "intermediary links" and how they are helpful in
solving certain problems; are there any possible drawbacks?
How much background about a link should your provide on the site where
that link is? Are there situations where you may be trying to keep people
on YOUR site, and thus have reason to not include links?
What are the "permission" issues involved with linking?
What is a situation when you feel
you should ask to link? What situations might you contact someone and ask
them to link to your site? What is a situation where you might tell
someone NOT to link to your site (these issues may be ethical, or simply
practical)?
How do "anticipation" and "expectation" play a role in the art of linking?
Is linking an "Art"? A "Skill"? What?
How is the decision-to-link an issue of audience identification?
Here's how some of the authors in Writing to the World-Wide Web responded to these issues:
Sonia Brennan *
Mary Anne Burdick *
Dustin Crewell *
Mike DeOrsey
Melissa Draper *
Tom Finan *
Jules Herr *
Allan Kotmel
Nathan Lavertue *
Chris Malloy *
Brian Mardirosian *
Colin Mitchell
Paulo Morales *
Jodi Pellegrini *
Matt Rooney
Wayne Spencer *
Steve Wade *
Bert Weidt
On special assignment:
Scott Jablonski, Greg Phoenix, Chris Westmorland
Quick Access:
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*
RPI Writing Center
mick@rpi.edu *
mcgrak@rpi.edu *
webclass@rpi.edu