Pet Peeve: Don't just post a link without commentary or summary!

[ddeclue]

I don't want to watch a 15 minute video to get to the 5 seconds you think are important - especially if you won't summarize the point for me and provide a few extracted quotes!

It would be nice too if you would provide some independent analysis, let me know what YOU think and not simply be a cut and paste link gatherer...add to the universe of ideas please

Doug D.

[Lost in CT]

1. important link below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W91sqAs-_-g

[Posteritatis]

2. [insert tangentially-related, context-free tinyurl link here] (nt)

[hlthe2b]

3. I could not agree more....

It is a major pet peeve with me, especially video, which consumes not insignificant resources to watch on any but the fastest broadband connections.

[LiberalFighter]

25. I've commented once or twice about such things. And I agree.

I sure as hell don't have time viewing all the videos even though I am retired.

Links are not as bad for articles but the least people could do is provide the 3 or 4 paragraphs that appears so we can figure out if we want to take the additional step of checking the source.

Personally, I thought this forum was to make it easier for members. We probably just need to nudge more to put a little more effort.

[el_bryanto]

4. I kind of agree ,particularly in the video case

I don't have time to watch endless videos no matter how awesome they are - take a moment and tell me why it's worth my time.

On the other hand overly verbose posters bug me too.

Bryant

[Hello_Kitty]

8. Ditto on the verbose posters.

If you can't say it in 4-5 paragraphs you need to break it up into a series.

[Adelante]

5. Hear hear!!

I don't even click through if somebody doesn't care enough to provide some information along with a link.

[lame54]

6. ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc8ORnpxfIw

[A-Schwarzenegger]

7. The future is

non-verbal.

[ddeclue]

9. The internet is NOT television.. and even my television has an on screen guide with a plot synopsis

so that I don't waste my time watching something I don't care to watch.

Doug D.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

11. Words are losing to the noise and the pitchers.

But deep underneath the silence grows.

[ddeclue]

14. Simon and Garfunkle: The Sound of Silence...

Hello darkness, my old friend,
Ive come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence.
In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone,
neath the halo of a street lamp,
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence.

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more.
People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening,
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dare
Disturb the sound of silence.

Fools said i, you do not know
Silence like a cancer grows.
Hear my words that I might teach you,
Take my arms that I might reach you.
But my words like silent raindrops fell,
And echoed
In the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon God they made.
And the sign flashed out its warning,
In the words that it was forming.
And the sign said, the words of the prophets

Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls.
And whisperd in the sounds of silence.

[frazzled]

10. Heh, you must just love ...

reading atrios's blog. It's why I stopped reading it years ago: links with no commentary (or commentary of the deeply analytic sort like "Fuck this.") The ultimate turnoff.

[hlthe2b]

17. heh, heh.... I never could understand the love of atrios' blog

Eschaton.... a web page dedicated to links to other websites...

I even "de-bookmarked" it for that very reason. Actually TPM (Josh Marshall) is walking the line with so many embedded videos in lieu of written commentary, now for me as well. Pretty soon communication will be nothing more than a series of gestures, links, and grunts...:eyes:

[Laelth]

12. Agreed. I don't have many pet peeves, but I share the OP's dislike of a bare link. n/t

:dem:

-Laelth

[DainBramaged]

13. Link this

Some threads do not need additional commentary, and maybe we're looking for independent review.

[ddeclue]

16. OK in some cases but NOT with a video link...

I STILL don't generally click through without some context and I will NOT click an unexplained video link where I am expected to surrender 15 minutes of my life for a questionable pay off when no explanation is provided.

I've seen a lot of these lately.

[DainBramaged]

22. I post a lot of stories from a lot of sources

and usually don't comment. But I post a good chunk of the story hoping people will link through and read it.

Sadly, may don't bother, they shotgun some bizarre comment or just spew for attention.

[chimpymustgo]

15. K&R!!

[GinaMaria]

18. You must really hate this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5273111

and I do it every week. I could not begin to write commentary on a week's worth of Obama LBN. It's meant as a review or reference or whatever.

[petersjo02]

19. I agree with you

Also my pet peeve. I'm retired and still using the laptop I bought in 2003 because I no longer need lots of horsepower for work-related projects. I've given up trying to watch videos and am also reluctant to click on links unless I have some idea of the topic/context. If a poster thinks something is important enough to post a link (text or video), then it should be worth 30 seconds to tell people why it's worth a click.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

20. I agree

Frankly, I would have said "If you want me to pay any attention to you post, then don't just post a link. I immediately click BACK and go to another post." I learned the hard way that clicking on just a link can lead you to images and videos you do not want to see.

[madinmaryland]

21. Why do I get the feeling this thread is devolving into the Lounge??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0

:shrug:

[Zywiec]

24. You beat me to it!

:hi:

[kiva]

23. Agree about posts that just contain links.

I don't mind OPs that just contain snips from an article and the link, though--sometimes the article is enough without any commentary from the poster.