A certain Asian Bastard has given me the following advice: "Get your head out of your ass!"

Naturally, I was charmed.

He sez, “If I want to talk about ‘coffee’ on my site, I for fuck’s sake do not want that word linking to some coupon page on the Starbucks website.”

And, well, that’s cool. Because the word "coffee" wouldn’t link to the Starbucks website. Unless the user chose to download a tool that performed that specific function. I have no argument with people who feel the user agent already performs too many functions, or that Smart Tags are a poor implementation of extended hyperlinking.

And I certainly won’t argue with the notion that this whole discussion should have begun with a standards body, preventing any individual interest, particularly a corporate interest, from entering into the discussion at all. It’s a point I’ve glossed over due to my fatigue with the unceasing battle against the corporatocracy.

But, take it from me, friend. It’s best to have your facts out first before you begin ranting about Smart Tags. And, to return to the CD player analogy, I can understand distaste with a CD player that superimposes advertisements on top of a song. But no, it’s not the artist’s prerogative to say that a consumer can’t buy that CD player.

Yes, I’m sick of this subject, too. Back to fun stuff, soon.