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Lists of external links

Before the advent of the search engine, creating lists of "popular" or "helpful" external links was a common practice for most web sites. These web directories allowed users to easily find similar resources. Older sections of the pcc.edu website still contain these lists (which are commonly outdated).

Problems:

www.pcc.edu is not a web directory - no page should be dominated by or consist solely of a collection of external links. They are difficult to maintain, offer little value to our users (since the prevalence of search engines), and can give the appearance that the college is endorsing the listed sites or services.

Solution(s):

1. It is always preferred to use internal links over external links. However, adding a small number of relevant external links can be a valuable service to our readers. Consider offering external links to only the most important resources.

2. Often there is already a similar list being maintained somewhere. Offer a single link to a more comprehensive list of sources on the web

3. Suggest keywords for students to conduct Internet searches. This is especially a good idea when pointing students to commercial resources. This way no single business is being endorsed.

Examples: