>Perhaps the Links Page should have cross-indexing?
Some day, in the ideal BEA future, each linked site will be a database record, with searchable fields that will allow the kind of in-depth referencing and, ultimately, retrieving that make sites like the BEA, with voluminous content, easy to negotiate. In the ideal future...
The chief problem with multiple listings for the same site, in the current HTML-table format, is that it's easy to overlook updating all of the listings for the site. Some of the links for the site will become stale. Alas, updating hundreds of links on a regular basis is already a time-consuming chore without duplications.
Short of the ideal, and perhaps better than the current one-table setup: the links pages are being redone to resemble the old multiple-table-by-subject format, but with each link listed in only one table. The smaller tables should be easier to scan visually simply because they're not so overwhelmingly long. The additional change that is relevant to TheHerald's suggestion is that the new tables will each have a column for "annotations and comments" so that a piece of information not contained in the site name -- such as the artist's name, or any other information users desire (and can supply) -- can be permanently displayed. Not the best way to "cross-index" but at least it would help associate site names and other key info.
If all goes as planned, the new tables will be up in January 2003.
