Fantastic piece by Matt Gemmell:

I have a list of metrics that I automatically – even subconsciously – use when visiting a web site, to determine whether it’s worth my focus. Am I just a pair of eyeballs, or is this author really speaking to me? Have they given due thought to showing their work in the best light, or just thrown it up there? You can tell a lot about how a site’s author, or owning company, feels about you by how they balance the various tensions of design, content, monetisation, functionality, audience retention, and more.

I often look to Matt’s site for inspiration when I’m considering tweaks in the design for Analog Senses, because I very much share his commitment towards respecting the reader. This piece is an absolute must-read for anyone who writes for the Web.¹