Having read probably one too many pieces written on theWeb by authors who take great pains to hyperlink words in their pieces just because it can be done, rather than of any need to clarify or enhance the piece, I have decided to undertake an experiment to see how many words in a 400 - 500 word essay could be linked to another page. (You may comment: "This guy has too much time on his hands." You may be correct.)
I will endeavor to link every word herein to somewhere with the exception of the common articles, conjunctions, and verbs i.e.: a, the, and, or, but, to, or, are, is and so forth. There will remain a possibility that these words will also be included as well, but I shall determine this later. The major search engines will be utilized for the generation of the links applied. Also, to ease the assault on the senses I have dictated all of the link text to remain black although underlined. As an added convenience each link will spawn a separate window.
Personally, I don't often follow the links supplied in such an essay blindly as it is abundently clear that these links have no value to add to the commentary at hand. Occasionally if the inclination strikes and time allows, I will. These links do occasionally provide something of interest. Generally they do not, at least for me. This type of exercise falls under the classification of just because it can be done, doesn't mean it should be done.
This sort of thing seems to recur on the Web periodically. A cool, new thing or way of accomplishing the task at hand comes along and becomes overdone and trite as everybody who styles himself a web designer feels compelled to include it on his site so as to not be considered behind the times or out of touch with the bleeding edge. Examples of this are javascript scrolls in the status bar of the browser, animated GiFs, and large image maps. Judiciously used these effects are fine. Over used they become an annoyance.
I am a firm believer in the KISS Principle (Keep It Simple Stupid). When attempting a project of any sort, strive for simplicity. Simplicity has an elegance all its own. I find the most beauty in that which is not overly complex.
I shall now step down off my soapbox and leave you to ponder this, or not, as you go on your merry way. If you actually read all of this I would be interested in your comments on the subject. Thank you for your patronage.
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