Quite a few posts recently have consisted solely of a link to an external site. Such posts are no longer acceptable: they are difficult to distinguish from clickbait.
This is a discussion forum; in case anyone is in any doubt about what that means, the forum exists for members to hold discussions to which those who choose to post can make their own contributions.
That does not preclude including links to external web pages if they are relevant to the topic under discussion. However, any post which includes such a link must also include text which
- summarises the information contained in the linked page;
- indicates, if it is not obvious, why that information is of interest;
- if the linked page is long, indicates where in that page the relevant information is to be found.
Before you post a link, consider if the linked page
- lies behind a paywall;
- lies behind a requirement to register, by disclosing personal information;
- might not be visible from other countries;
If any of the above applies, direct inline quotation of
limited extracts from the page, if permitted by copyright, would be preferable to the link alone.
Posts which do not conform to these criteria are liable to be deleted.
Jeremy
