42244 13 3 econsultancy_xml <p>Surely every internet user is more than familiar with in-text links? The BBC seems to think not, judging by the way it introduces the initiative. It invites users to turn on the trial (and to <em>'read more about inline links' </em>as if they're somehow alien). Seems unnecessary. Why not just roll it out? It will skew the numbers, once the trial is over.</p> <p>Anyway, once you flip the switch, a few links appear within the text of the story. Publishers have been waiting years for this, but the execution of such a simple strategy has been ridiculously overcomplicated, for what appear to be slightly selfish reasons.</p> <p>Take the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7560833.stm">example</a> below. Here, clicking on the link doesn't take you to another website - as most link-aware users expect - but instead triggers a pop-up, used to preview the Wikipedia page related to the article. It shows the summary from the online encylopedia:</p> <p> <img alt="BBC external link preview" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3227/2774415426_6e34d91d72_o.jpg" /> </p> <p>This is vaguely handy if you want to quickly see some background on the article, but <strong>you can't actually visit Wikipedia by clicking on the link! </strong>Seems that the BBC doesn't want you to leave its website after all. This is not our idea of a link.</p> <p>Worse is to come. Clicking other links within the preview window (provided by Apture) just opens up more pop-ups, so <strong>eventually your screen will look like this:</strong></p> <p> <img alt="BBC external link popups" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3197/2774435332_50bef2858a_o.jpg" /> </p> <p>Horrendous, don't you think? Talk about over-engineering a problem. We're wondering how many man hours have been spent on this so far? </p> <p>That said, other (non-Wikipedia) links are more user-friendly. Further down the same article a link takes you directly to the British Museum website without the preview box. Was that really so hard?</p> <p>Meanwhile, the use of preview panes makes more sense with this link to YouTube: </p> <p> <img alt="BBC YouTube link" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3260/2773563291_a16ef9e06c_o.jpg" /> </p> <p>The above example at least gives users the option of either watching the video on the article page, or going to YouTube to view it; as clicking on the player will take you to the site.</p> <p>Most of the links I have seen so far are to well known sites like Flickr, YouTube and Wikipedia. It's early days I guess but it is essential that the BBC links to a broader range of sources, and not just the bigger sites. </p> <p>Inserting links has always been about spreading the love and providing credit to creditable websites. The BBC has been <strong>very late to the party</strong>, for reasons yet to be explained to me. Introducing links are a great idea, but why overcomplicate the matter? </p> <p>We hope that the BBC simplifies what is for most publishers an inherently simple task.</p> <p> <strong>Related articles:</strong> <br /> <a href="/blog/2319-bbc-website-revamp-continues">BBC website revamp continues</a> <br /> <a href="/blog/2627-mainstream-media-benefits-from-outbound-links-study">Mainstream media benefits from outbound links - study</a> </p> <FormattedContent xmlns="http://www.e-consultancy.com/schema/formattedContent/"> <Paragraph>Surely every internet user is more than familiar with in-text links? The BBC seems to think not, judging by the way it introduces the initiative. It invites users to turn on the trial (and to <Quote>'read more about inline links' </Quote>as if they're somehow alien). Seems unnecessary. Why not just roll it out? It will skew the numbers, once the trial is over.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>Anyway, once you flip the switch, a few links appear within the text of the story. Publishers have been waiting years for this, but the execution of such a simple strategy has been ridiculously overcomplicated, for what appear to be slightly selfish reasons.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>Take the <Link URL="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7560833.stm" Window="Self">example</Link> below. Here, clicking on the link doesn't take you to another website - as most link-aware users expect - but instead triggers a pop-up, used to preview the Wikipedia page related to the article. It shows the summary from the online encylopedia:</Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Image AlternateText="BBC external link preview" Source="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3227/2774415426_6e34d91d72_o.jpg"> </Image> </Paragraph> <Paragraph>This is vaguely handy if you want to quickly see some background on the article, but <Emphasis>you can't actually visit Wikipedia by clicking on the link! </Emphasis>Seems that the BBC doesn't want you to leave its website after all. This is not our idea of a link.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>Worse is to come. Clicking other links within the preview window (provided by Apture) just opens up more pop-ups, so <Emphasis>eventually your screen will look like this:</Emphasis></Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Image AlternateText="BBC external link popups" Source="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3197/2774435332_50bef2858a_o.jpg"> </Image> </Paragraph> <Paragraph>Horrendous, don't you think? Talk about over-engineering a problem. We're wondering how many man hours have been spent on this so far? </Paragraph> <Paragraph>That said, other (non-Wikipedia) links are more user-friendly. Further down the same article a link takes you directly to the British Museum website without the preview box. Was that really so hard?</Paragraph> <Paragraph>Meanwhile, the use of preview panes makes more sense with this link to YouTube: </Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Image AlternateText="BBC YouTube link" Source="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3260/2773563291_a16ef9e06c_o.jpg"> </Image> </Paragraph> <Paragraph>The above example at least gives users the option of either watching the video on the article page, or going to YouTube to view it; as clicking on the player will take you to the site.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>Most of the links I have seen so far are to well known sites like Flickr, YouTube and Wikipedia. It's early days I guess but it is essential that the BBC links to a broader range of sources, and not just the bigger sites. </Paragraph> <Paragraph>Inserting links has always been about spreading the love and providing credit to creditable websites. The BBC has been <Emphasis>very late to the party</Emphasis>, for reasons yet to be explained to me. Introducing links are a great idea, but why overcomplicate the matter? </Paragraph> <Paragraph>We hope that the BBC simplifies what is for most publishers an inherently simple task.</Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>Related articles:</Emphasis> <LineBreak /> <Link URL="/blog/2319-bbc-website-revamp-continues" Window="Self">BBC website revamp continues</Link> <LineBreak /> <Link URL="/blog/2627-mainstream-media-benefits-from-outbound-links-study" Window="Self">Mainstream media benefits from outbound links - study</Link> </Paragraph> </FormattedContent> 2008-08-18T11:40:00+01:00 8 1 econsultancy_xml <p> <strong>The BBC is experimenting with the idea of linking out to external sources from within the body text of its news articles, in a trial which will last for four weeks. </strong> </p> <p>Obviously this is a good idea, though why it has taken a decade for the BBC to roll out a 'trial' is anybody's guess (though it won't have done any harm to The Beeb's own Pagerank). </p> <p>However, the way it is going about this is, well, a little bit Noddy...</p> <FormattedContent xmlns="http://www.e-consultancy.com/schema/formattedContent/"> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>The BBC is experimenting with the idea of linking out to external sources from within the body text of its news articles, in a trial which will last for four weeks. </Emphasis> </Paragraph> <Paragraph>Obviously this is a good idea, though why it has taken a decade for the BBC to roll out a 'trial' is anybody's guess (though it won't have done any harm to The Beeb's own Pagerank). </Paragraph> <Paragraph>However, the way it is going about this is, well, a little bit Noddy...</Paragraph> </FormattedContent> false 2703 366180 BBC finally experiments with in-text 'links' false 2008-08-18T12:29:00+01:00 bbc-finally-experiments-with-in-text-links 2009-04-29T23:19:54+01:00 2009-04-29T23:19:54+01:00 1258