Since the very first web pages links have been the backbone of how we travel around the web and how we keep track of things that interest us. With Google they have become a commodity as they are the basis of how Google calculates their Page Rank for every site or blog in their index. Links are also how as bloggers we provide proper attribution when we either mention or directly quote some other writer’s content.

Not only is it considered to be proper etiquette to provide this attribution regardless of the medium you are producing content for it is also a matter of showing some respect to the other person. This concept of respect and attribution was totally discarded in the last couple of days by one of the leading tech bloggers - Robert Scoble. Sorry Robert but in my opinion you were wrong in yesterday’s post when you disrespected a fellow blogger by intentionally misdirecting the first link in the first paragraph of your post. You then repeat the same link once more at the end of that paragraph.

The paragraph in question was the one you started your post called The noise reduction system with:

David Risley this morning wrote about all the noise in all these systems like Twitter and FriendFeed. Of course that kicked off a whole discussion over on FriendFeed.

While the second linkage was directed appropriately to the discussion on FriendFeed you intentionally mislead your readers by linking the first link to the same discussion. It is as plain as day by the phrasing of your opening line in that paragraph that you are referring to David’s original post on his blog and no manner of semantics you might want to throw around that is what 99% of the people reading this post would have expected.

Instead you decided that you wanted to deny David the supposed power of your Scoble / Google link juice which you stated quite plainly in the comments on FriendFeed

In the comments on FriendFeed David got lambasted for being envious or snobby but the fact is that if anyone was being snobbish and ill tempered over the matter it was you as the above quote shows.

Then following David’s post this morning where he questioned this the conversation soon devolved into a pointless discussion of who was grumpy or envious; and where everyone did their very best to ignore the most valid point that David had raised

To me, linking to the source (when you’re a blogger) is not about respect for the person you’re linking to (or not linking to). It isn’t about Google juice. It is about accuracy as a blogger. And this is completely aside from the fact that I, as a blogger, have a certain code of etiquette. Namely, if I’m going to talk about somebody’s viewpoint, I LINK TO THEIR VIEWPOINT. Then, my readers can see what they say, see what I say, and draw their own conclusions.

While I agree with his point about proper linking in order to give the reader the opportunity to see the original thought I do believe that it is also about respect and common courtesy. By doing what you did in your post Robert you denied your readers the viewpoint and instead directed them to where your viewpoint was the primary focus. As well you totally disrespected another blogger.

If there is one thing that bloggers should be doing - regardless of whether or not we agree with each other - is being respectful of one another. I have disagreed with you in the past but I have never not linked - or even worse off-linked - to you or your posts being talked about. I would never do this kind of thing to any blogger and nor would I deceive my readers in this fashion.

This isn’t a matter of Google juice, it isn’t a matter of your ego and it most definitely isn’t about any stupid list position. Neither is it about some-one writing a grumpy post or using plain language to make a point. It is all about being able to show each other and our work the same kind of respect that we would expect for ourselves.

Conversation Tags: blogging, attribution, respect, Robert Scoble