Some of the most popular reading material on the internet, at least among the meta-humor-loving tech-industry types, is now being provided by URLs. You know, the name of the website you are perusing, plus the string of words, numbers and dashes that follow.
Dean Praetorius, a 26-year-old media consultant in Manhattan, keeps an eye out for URL jokes when he is checking out articles and blog posts that have been shared with him on social networks.
"I especially look for the URL when the article itself has a ridiculous tint to it," he said. Take, for instance, an article posted on Engadget, a website that reports on and reviews tech products, about a wearable device that monitors sexual activity. In the URL, the writer issued something of a mea culpa: engadget.com/2014/08/07/bondara -sexfit-i-used-to-be-a-serious -journalist/. "I'm not laughing at the article, I'm laughing at the URL," Praetorius commented in posting the link to Reddit."This is journalism in 2015," he said.
The internet is at peak saturation, and news sites and popular blogs are toiling to leverage every possible piece of web real estate to capture readers' attention. The URL, also sometimes referred to by techies as the "slug" or the "permalink," is the latest spot for exploitation. Quite literally, the clickable link is the new clickbait.
"The slug can often be fodder for in-jokes and fun," said Kwame Opam, an editor at The Verge. After the trailer for the new "Star Wars" film directed by J J Abrams was released, The Verge published an article about light sabers. The headline: "I designed a better lightsaber than J J Abrams while I was in line for coffee this morning." The URL: theverge.com/tldr/2014/11/28/7303233/please-hire-me-jj.
"Especially in the realm of editorials and the kind of voice-y blogging that so many outlets trade in," Opam added, "the URL is branding."
As with many internet micro trends, it is tough to pinpoint the genesis of the jokey URL. But the practice has certainly taken on steam, since BuzzFeed began to ramp up its integration of what Jack Shepherd, the site's editorial director, calls the "social URL." Shepherd's hope is that the humor in these URLs will compel readers to share the link. An example of this would be the URL buzzfeed.com/kaelintully/ditch-that-turkey-skin-real-good-son, which in fact directs to a listicle with the far more servicey headline, "16 Tips to Keep Your Pets Safe and Happy This Thanksgiving."
Traditionally, URLs have always closely mirrored the headline. The so-called social URL is written not with Google analytics or search engine optimization in mind. The hope is that a story will get shared by those who appreciate a cleverly placed joke.
Jane Pratt, the editor of the website xoJane, said she began trading in this type of meta-commentary back when she was the founding editor of the now-defunct young women's magazines Sassy and Jane. "We always put little notes on the spines of magazines to get readers sharing/talking," she said in an email. At xoJane, Pratt has morphed that practice into URL writing.
Lindsey Weber, an editor at Vulture, said she had assumed that URL robots were somehow generating links that to human beings seemed slyly worded. Upon learning that people were actually committing time and brain space to URLs in an effort to grab reader attention, she was disheartened. "Oh that's a bummer, it ruins it to know they're in on the joke."
Dean Praetorius, a 26-year-old media consultant in Manhattan, keeps an eye out for URL jokes when he is checking out articles and blog posts that have been shared with him on social networks.
"I especially look for the URL when the article itself has a ridiculous tint to it," he said. Take, for instance, an article posted on Engadget, a website that reports on and reviews tech products, about a wearable device that monitors sexual activity. In the URL, the writer issued something of a mea culpa: engadget.com/2014/08/07/bondara -sexfit-i-used-to-be-a-serious -journalist/. "I'm not laughing at the article, I'm laughing at the URL," Praetorius commented in posting the link to Reddit."This is journalism in 2015," he said.
The internet is at peak saturation, and news sites and popular blogs are toiling to leverage every possible piece of web real estate to capture readers' attention. The URL, also sometimes referred to by techies as the "slug" or the "permalink," is the latest spot for exploitation. Quite literally, the clickable link is the new clickbait.
"The slug can often be fodder for in-jokes and fun," said Kwame Opam, an editor at The Verge. After the trailer for the new "Star Wars" film directed by J J Abrams was released, The Verge published an article about light sabers. The headline: "I designed a better lightsaber than J J Abrams while I was in line for coffee this morning." The URL: theverge.com/tldr/2014/11/28/7303233/please-hire-me-jj.
"Especially in the realm of editorials and the kind of voice-y blogging that so many outlets trade in," Opam added, "the URL is branding."
As with many internet micro trends, it is tough to pinpoint the genesis of the jokey URL. But the practice has certainly taken on steam, since BuzzFeed began to ramp up its integration of what Jack Shepherd, the site's editorial director, calls the "social URL." Shepherd's hope is that the humor in these URLs will compel readers to share the link. An example of this would be the URL buzzfeed.com/kaelintully/ditch-that-turkey-skin-real-good-son, which in fact directs to a listicle with the far more servicey headline, "16 Tips to Keep Your Pets Safe and Happy This Thanksgiving."
Traditionally, URLs have always closely mirrored the headline. The so-called social URL is written not with Google analytics or search engine optimization in mind. The hope is that a story will get shared by those who appreciate a cleverly placed joke.
Jane Pratt, the editor of the website xoJane, said she began trading in this type of meta-commentary back when she was the founding editor of the now-defunct young women's magazines Sassy and Jane. "We always put little notes on the spines of magazines to get readers sharing/talking," she said in an email. At xoJane, Pratt has morphed that practice into URL writing.
Lindsey Weber, an editor at Vulture, said she had assumed that URL robots were somehow generating links that to human beings seemed slyly worded. Upon learning that people were actually committing time and brain space to URLs in an effort to grab reader attention, she was disheartened. "Oh that's a bummer, it ruins it to know they're in on the joke."
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