Outbound Hyperlinking Has Always Been a Bad Idea
The premise of hyperlinking has always been based on a very flawed
assumption that the target would be reliable, that the knowledge and
content contained within the target would be static and unchanging.
Obviously, that premise is fundamentally flawed. Now we have a world wide
web filled with broken links and SEO mania driving only inbound links to
get the best score and old, outdated content with several “Updated”
sections just to keep the links (and revenue stream) in tact.
- Content is not static because knowledge is not static.
- Therefore, content is a moving target that can’t be locked down.
- Outbound links force people to keep old content around.
- Allowing inbound reliable links forces rigid, unchanging content.
- Rigid, unchanging content is bad for the Web and humanity.
- Few people actively check their outbound link targets regularly.
- Outbound links fail to potentially capture new content.
- Hyperlinks share all the flaws of symbolic links.