Obligatory Wikipedia links

mikm · 12th February 2006, 04:54

While reading most blogs is painful enough as it is, I absolutley cannot stand it when people feel the need to post links to Wikipedia for almost a third of the nouns in the post, even if it has little to do with the subject. For fuck's sake, it makes it impossible to read and it makes links to relevant sites seem less important.

You're not being helpful. I know what Google is, for fuck's sake - I haven't lived under a rock for the last 8 years. Even if I DIDN'T, it's not as if I can't look it up myself.

Cheezychops · 12th February 2006, 18:39

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=banish

:P

mikm · 12th February 2006, 19:09

Heh. That's great.

skryingbreath · 12th February 2006, 20:32

Quote:

Originally posted by Cheezychops
http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=banish

:P

You beat me to it!

Mattress · 13th February 2006, 13:16

I think some of those links to nouns on wikipedia or whatever is a new ad-link scheme, the links are created by javascript I believe.
I've seen this on some tech-help forums. The page loads and I look at the text and suddenly the text gets populated by links a second after the page loads, few of the links are relavent but I bet the site gets some money if you click on them.

LuigiHann · 13th February 2006, 13:50

That's a completely seperate phenomenon. Regular links that go to wikipedia articles were put there by the blogger, presumably inspired by wikipedia's habit of cross-referencing. It's actually extremely useful within wikipedia, but I agree it can be pretty pointless outside of that. (Although I must admit to linking to wikipedia articles that no one will probably read).

The ad-link things are much more annoying. Usually in my experience they're green links, that have ads pop up when you hover over them, and are trying to sell you crap. Planetgamecube has them now and eventually you get used to them. It was annoying at first because it's intended to look like it's going to take you to a wiki page, or the site's relevent page (for instance, in the PGC example, I'd see "Mario Tennis" underlined in a review of something else and go to click it thinking it'll take me to PGC's Mario Tennis page, but it's actually a freaking ad for some game store site trying to get me to buy Mario Tennis.) This also leads to phrases like "no doubt" being linked to CD's when someone was just using the expression.
blogs generally don't have that sort of ad, to my knowlege.
/note: Either PGC stopped doing that, or my adblock stops me from seeing it now.

Jay · 13th February 2006, 14:45

well I have come to expect new forms of advertising, it's just undoubtedly going to happen. However I completely agree with the assessment that more links on a page, in effect, devalue every other valid link on your site.

On my sites I value links and try to keep them fairly relevant to the content and under my control.

Mattress · 13th February 2006, 16:21

hmm, well I guess I've never visited a blog where the person has linked every other random noun to wikipedia. I guess I just don't visit retarded blogs?

rockouthippie · 14th February 2006, 04:31

Quote:

Originally posted by mikm
While reading most blogs is painful enough as it is, I absolutley cannot stand it when people feel the need to post links to Wikipedia for almost a third of the nouns in the post, even if it has little to do with the subject. For fuck's sake, it makes it impossible to read and it makes links to relevant sites seem less important.

You're not being helpful. I know what Google is, for fuck's sake - I haven't lived under a rock for the last 8 years. Even if I DIDN'T, it's not as if I can't look it up myself.

Wikipedia is an open source encyclopedia that is competent. You could even tell wiki what you know about anything. The license is that of you find things in the massive amount of wiki data, that you credit wiki if you use it.

Sounds like a bargain to me.

Why do you think wiki is cool!?.

Wiki is beyond cool.

JFASI · 15th February 2006, 03:18

Quote:

Originally posted by LuigiHann
That's a completely seperate phenomenon. Regular links that go to wikipedia articles were put there by the blogger, presumably inspired by wikipedia's habit of cross-referencing. It's actually extremely useful within wikipedia, but I agree it can be pretty pointless outside of that. (Although I must admit to linking to wikipedia articles that no one will probably read).

The ad-link things are much more annoying. Usually in my experience they're green links, that have ads pop up when you hover over them, and are trying to sell you crap. Planetgamecube has them now and eventually you get used to them. It was annoying at first because it's intended to look like it's going to take you to a wiki page, or the site's relevent page (for instance, in the PGC example, I'd see "Mario Tennis" underlined in a review of something else and go to click it thinking it'll take me to PGC's Mario Tennis page, but it's actually a freaking ad for some game store site trying to get me to buy Mario Tennis.) This also leads to phrases like "no doubt" being linked to CD's when someone was just using the expression.
blogs generally don't have that sort of ad, to my knowlege.
/note: Either PGC stopped doing that, or my adblock stops me from seeing it now.

The sad thing is all the suckers who already see that because of adware on their computers.

12th February 2006, 04:54	#1
mikm Major Dude Join Date: May 2001 Location: 2001:4978:20f::/48 Posts: 1,244	Obligatory Wikipedia links While reading most blogs is painful enough as it is, I absolutley cannot stand it when people feel the need to post links to Wikipedia for almost a third of the nouns in the post, even if it has little to do with the subject. For fuck's sake, it makes it impossible to read and it makes links to relevant sites seem less important. You're not being helpful. I know what Google is, for fuck's sake - I haven't lived under a rock for the last 8 years. Even if I DIDN'T, it's not as if I can't look it up myself. powered by Câ‚‚Hâ‚…OH \| eff \| aclu

12th February 2006, 18:39	#2
Cheezychops Major Dude Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Ohio Posts: 767	http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=banish :P Computers may be twice as fast as they were in 1973 but your average person is as drunk and stupid as ever. The only one who's changed is Dro! He's become bitter, and let's face it, crazy over the years. He'll sell our children's organs to zoos for meat. And he'll go into people's houses at night and wreck up the place! Muhuhahahaha!

12th February 2006, 19:09	#3
mikm Major Dude Join Date: May 2001 Location: 2001:4978:20f::/48 Posts: 1,244	Heh. That's great. powered by Câ‚‚Hâ‚…OH \| eff \| aclu

13th February 2006, 13:16	#5
Mattress Forum King Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 4,577	I think some of those links to nouns on wikipedia or whatever is a new ad-link scheme, the links are created by javascript I believe. I've seen this on some tech-help forums. The page loads and I look at the text and suddenly the text gets populated by links a second after the page loads, few of the links are relavent but I bet the site gets some money if you click on them. Besides shooting out a big blank from your buttock, you can feel as if your root chakra leaked sweet hot mucus.

13th February 2006, 13:50	#6
LuigiHann Forum King Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: 80's Japan Posts: 3,408	That's a completely seperate phenomenon. Regular links that go to wikipedia articles were put there by the blogger, presumably inspired by wikipedia's habit of cross-referencing. It's actually extremely useful within wikipedia, but I agree it can be pretty pointless outside of that. (Although I must admit to linking to wikipedia articles that no one will probably read). The ad-link things are much more annoying. Usually in my experience they're green links, that have ads pop up when you hover over them, and are trying to sell you crap. Planetgamecube has them now and eventually you get used to them. It was annoying at first because it's intended to look like it's going to take you to a wiki page, or the site's relevent page (for instance, in the PGC example, I'd see "Mario Tennis" underlined in a review of something else and go to click it thinking it'll take me to PGC's Mario Tennis page, but it's actually a freaking ad for some game store site trying to get me to buy Mario Tennis.) This also leads to phrases like "no doubt" being linked to CD's when someone was just using the expression. blogs generally don't have that sort of ad, to my knowlege. /note: Either PGC stopped doing that, or my adblock stops me from seeing it now. Who is the milkman? What is the purpose of the goggles?

13th February 2006, 14:45	#7
Jay Moderator Alumni Join Date: May 2000 Location: Next Door Posts: 8,888	well I have come to expect new forms of advertising, it's just undoubtedly going to happen. However I completely agree with the assessment that more links on a page, in effect, devalue every other valid link on your site. On my sites I value links and try to keep them fairly relevant to the content and under my control. -Jay \| Radio Toolbox.com

13th February 2006, 16:21	#8
Mattress Forum King Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 4,577	hmm, well I guess I've never visited a blog where the person has linked every other random noun to wikipedia. I guess I just don't visit retarded blogs? Besides shooting out a big blank from your buttock, you can feel as if your root chakra leaked sweet hot mucus.

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