[1] Why did you not link directly to the source article?

Under normal circumstances I would link directly to the website’s main article being referenced. However I have a fundamental aversion to websites that monetize using ads in such a way that you can’t get rid of them easily; or use lots of pop-up ads (like being forced to wait 15 seconds is going to give me an incentive to click an ad); or include an “are you sure you want to leave” message whenever you attempt to close the window or leave the page;  or automatically start playing audio or video with no obvious mechanism to turn them off.

While the information these sites contain may be valuable, the user experience is equally as important and these types of predatory practices are simply unethical in my view. So in general, I won’t link to them directly even though I am referencing content from them. If they change the user experience to treat people like people instead of a profit opportunity, I’ll reconsider.

Leave a Reply