Jason Calacanis, the serial entrepreneur who helped invent the Internet, then published a magazine, then dabbled in blogging, then established a new formal dress code at AOL (jeans + jacket), and whose new Project X is rumored to be interactive Pez dispensers, has issued a blog post full of rollicking cynicism about how to bait him into linking to your blog. (Here is the post.) It's a fun and lighthearted piece of silliness. (Again, here is the link.) I recommend it. (Did you miss the link? Here it is.)

For the record, I will not link bait. I read blogs and link out to them in a genuine attempt to edify myself and share great content with others. For example, here is a tremendous post that everyone should be aware of.

Integrity of the blogosphere is key. Let us not devolve into incestuous traffic whores. Jason Calacanis writes an extraordinary dissertation on this very issue.

My God, Jason Calacanis is a handsome man. This post does not carry a picture of him, sadly. Neither does this one.

To summarize:

* Do not link bait.
* Link baiting is bad.
* Integrity is good.
* Handsome.

For more information, the Calacanis blog is a great resource on this troubling matter.