Finding value in a sea of comment.

With every man and his dog able to set up a blog, or add their comment to Comment is Free (or to any other site), one of the new challenges for web users is sifting though the junk and finding valuable, interesting and reliable content.

In the past this job was done for us by the editors in newsrooms, equipped with the power to make judgements about what will and will not go into the very limited space of a newspaper or TV news slot.

In contrast the internet opens up a seemingly infinite space to get lost in. How do we avoid wasting our time on pointless content, or being sucked in to false stories? How do we get by in a new media world without the gatekeepers of old?

The BBC has recognised this problem, and are currently trying to market themselves as a 'trusted guide to the internet', but in some ways, I believe, the answer has been under our noses all along, and used already people by many (the 'web savvy') to navigate the endless pathways of the internet.

This (partial) answer is simple intelligent linking.

Blogs, as far as I know, were originally set up (as web logs) to allow friends to guide guide each other to good content through careful linking. In that way the rubbish is sifted out and the quality made accessible (or so the theory goes).

With a good network of friends and sources, all with a discriminating eye for content, web users can hope to be their own gatekeepers.

Easier said than done, but my advice is: keep linking and be selective!