Links Run Amok

Whatever computer program the NYTimes uses to automatically insert links into its articles has a history of producing eye-rolling results. Interview someone with the unfortunate name of Michael Jackson, and readers are led to stories about the late singer’s leaked autopsy and his sister La Toya’s stint on Celebrity Apprentice. Metaphors and figurative speech are frequent victims of automatic linking; don’t use the phrase “fever pitch” unless you want to be directed to the Times Health Guide on “fever, chills and shakes.” Today’s egregious example, from a story on the Apollo space program:

Most of all, Dr. Logsdon said, hindsight had made him aware of his blindness to Apollo’s implications for the long run.

Hover over the link and you’re invited to explore “in-depth reference and news articles about blindness,” including this informative defintion: “Blindness is a lack of vision.” Is it any surprise that this comes from the same people who brought you About.com? Ironically, the definition works on both a literal and metaphorical level, though the next sentence, “It may also refer to a loss of vision that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses,” is slightly less profound.