Printing links; summaries Oct19 '04
I was pondering links this afternoon, and printing, and I realized there is really no way to ever "print" a web page, if there are links included within the body of text on that page.
For example, this sentence is great, because it provides a link to which you can find more related information.
When you read that sentence in the browser, as you are now, you can easily click on that link, and find out exactly what I am referencing.
But, when I print this page to any standard printer – that link above no longer holds any value, other than it’s immediate meaning and linear progression in the actual sentence.
If only there was some way to print all the pages that each link is pointing to – along with the actual page itself.
Does this make sense?
But, really, if printing one web page included all web pages that are linked in that original page – we’d have a heck of a lot of reading to do, and possibly a lot of paper wasted.
So, then... I thought that maybe a brief summary of each link would be beneficial. That way, when we print one web page, and we read through it, we have an idea of what each link refers to.
After some pondering on that, I realized that would never work, because how could I summarize someone else’s article, or site? The problem with links is that you can freely link to any site on the web, without any indication of why you did so, and how it relates to your topic at hand.
And doing that seems kind of strange, doesn’t it?
Sometimes I think that, in order to link to someone, you should have to gain their consent before you do so. Also, I believe every article or web page should provide a "link summary" for sites wishing to link to that reference.
That way, the original author of the "page being linked to" writes the summary, instead of someone who didn’t even write what they’re linking to.
Whew!
I’m done.
Categories: Ponderings 
, Web Sites
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matthom is published and produced by Matt Thommes - an independent publishing enthusiast, mobile blogger, content creator, informative writer, web developer from a suburb of Chicago.
Never one to conform, Matt intends to promote the effect the web has on our lives, in an effort to intensify, instruct, and clarify all that is happening around us.
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