This post introduces the site’s new friend-links feature and online application system, including how links are presented, what applicants should prepare, and which channel to use.
The Links page now includes a Web Neighbors section for independent websites and personal blogs that I read, revisit, and would happily recommend to other readers.
A Dedicated Home for Friend Links
Friend links are no longer presented as a plain list of names and URLs. Each site has its own card with a name, avatar, short description, and domain. Selecting a card takes readers directly to that website.
I have also added a dedicated Friend Link Rules page covering eligibility, required information, review, and ongoing maintenance. The application system is embedded directly in the Links page, so applicants no longer need to post a long set of details in the comments.
Why Use an Online Application System?
Applications previously arrived through comments or email, where formatting varied and important details such as an avatar, description, or reciprocal-link page could easily be omitted. Comments are public and are not a suitable place for contact details, while email mixed routine questions with complete applications.
The new system brings the process into one form with separate English and Chinese paths. It confirms the applicant’s preferred language and whether this site has already been added, then collects the website details needed for review. A consistent form reduces follow-up questions and makes it easier to assess every request against the same rules.
What to Prepare Before Applying
Friend links on this site are reciprocal. Before submitting the form, add this site to your own friend-links page and make sure that page is publicly accessible without signing in.
Please prepare:
- Your website name;
- Your website URL;
- A one-line description;
- An avatar or site-icon URL;
- The public friend-links page where this site has been added;
- An English name and description, if available.
If no English name or description is supplied, the English friend-links page will preserve the original wording rather than inventing a translation.
Which Websites Are a Good Fit?
The friend-links section is intended primarily for maintained personal websites and independent blogs. A site should be accessible over HTTPS, have a clear identity, and contain original content.
Your subject, technology stack, audience size, and publishing schedule do not need to resemble mine. Technology writing, personal notes, photography, reading, independent projects, and other genuinely maintained spaces are all welcome. Sites built mainly for advertising, copied content, malicious redirects, or anything that could put visitors at risk will not be accepted.
See the complete Friend Link Rules before applying. Meeting the rules does not guarantee acceptance, and there is no fixed review time.
Comments and Email Are Still Available
Comments remain open for discussion about posts and the site, but they are no longer an application channel. New friend-link requests and updates to existing entries should go through the online application system.
If you have trouble completing or submitting the form, email mr.jingyuan.zheng@gmail.com. Email is available for help with the process, not as the normal application route.
Welcoming New Web Neighbors
Links between independent websites may look simple, but they are one of the most meaningful relationships on the open web. They do not depend on a recommendation algorithm or a follower count. One person reads another person’s work and leaves a path for curious readers to discover it too.
If you maintain your own website, you are welcome to read the rules, add this site, and submit your details through the application system.