2.5 Links
Blog commentary might be further categorized as macro- versus micro-content. Macro-content is original material, written by the blogger for the blog. For the sake of classification, we might define macro-content as having a minimum length of, say, 300 words.
Some of the most heavily-trafficked blogs (Instapundit, for example) are built mostly from micro-content—that is, short posts that direct readers to other sites. On any given day, Instapundit might post fifteen times before lunch. Micro-content blogs, then, act as clearinghouses of information, as opposed to macro-content blogs, which might feature only two or three new posts of 2,000+ words each week. Obviously, many blogs offer both macro- and micro-content, and there are advantages to each.
The distinction between macro- and micro-content is worth noting because it points to another almost-essential quality of blogs: they are link-driven. Along with the satisfaction that comes from knowing that every blog post is instantly available to anyone in the world with a computer and Internet access, the other defining trope of blogging is its engagement, via hyperlinking, with the larger Internet conversation.
At its best, blogging uses links to support critical, well-considered arguments with supporting facts. Links, in those cases, serve as a kind of Works Cited page, directing readers to additional sources of relevant material.
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A Little Tip
It is standard blogging practice to link to any quoted online source.
