I was going to type up a large post on why the notion of “link exchanges” really bother me, but James Huggins’ succinct blog post on said subject pretty much obviates the need for me to do so. The topic came about based on a recent e-mail exchange I had with a reader.

Please note, it is not my intent to hurt anyone’s feelings by rejecting link exchanges. I just feel that if I really wanted to link to a page, I would have already done so. I’m open to checking out links sent in by readers, but I am not obligated to link to them. If, however, I find the link to be interesting to my readers, then I will post it in my blog. Besides, a blog post is more likely to generate click-throughs than a mere link exchange.

By that same token, I am not expecting people who are listed on my Friends page to link back to my site. If they wish to do so, then that is of their own volition. The “Friends” listing I have set up on my site is primarily for my benefit. It’s my daily (or weekly) web “trawl”, if you will.

The recent e-mail exchange I had has cast a sour impression on the very notion of even having a “Links” page. I’m beginning to understand why some of the more popular webcomics have done away with having Links pages altogether.

Next topic: Guest-Comics Etiquette

-Krishna