N.B. This is mainly for information, as only E2 staff can create a hard link.
A hard link is displayed at the top of a node. These links can be put in place by any member of the editorial staff and will serve to help people find what they're looking for on E2. The E2 search is somewhat primitive and will choke on searches with hyphens (a search for 'short stop' won't pick up on 'short-stop') or odd symbols (@$%) including many characters found in languages other than the Queen's English.
Examples of when to firm link:
The basic idea of a firm link is to offer alternatives to a search term. Unfortunately, a some editors go crazy and firm link stuff like "potato" to "potato skins." - and back. The reader ends up following firm links to nodeshells and back again, a web of links with no clear direction to follow - bad idea.
What we want to do with firm links is to guide the researcher to the right place - the node with the glut of the information on the subject. From the writeups in this node one would find, hopefully, an abundance of hard and soft links to follow ever onward.
Examples of when not to firm link:
Two well written nodes about fundamentally the same subjects, with plenty of obvious hard and soft links to inform the reader of the similarities. Firm links in cases like this are redundant and using the links to go back and forth somewhat defeats their purpose. Firm links should usually go one way only - they take the reader from the contentless to the content. From nodeshells of similar spellings to the (sometimes arbitrarily chosen) 'correct' node. In some cases, firm links may go both ways, with a note explaining the content of the target node.
Used properly, the firm link will clear up confusion and generally help the E2 search get the job done. If you feel there's a need for a firm link somewhere msg an editor and request one or simply add a writeup to Edit these E2 Titles. You may get a message back explaining why it's a bad idea - you may get a firm link.
See also: Linking on Everything2
If this is not clear, ask questions in the Chatterbox or approach the E2 Staff
Back to
Everything2 Help
Updated on October 4, 2012