Really appreciate you taking the time to back me up and spell out your own case so clearly! There really are an enormous amount of reasons why these friend links are valuable, and why this trend is useful. It would truly be a shame if you hadn't been able to connect with that audience of readers just because the vast majority of people you wanted to share it with weren't about to spend $5 or more just to read it.

Thanks for reading and for the comments, David! It's great to say you getting involved in the discussion.