Magic Bean Dip

This overview of what people are saying about Google AutoLinks compiled by kuro5hin.org (via Phil) presents many different points of view.

From what I see, it’s not so much about modifying the content as fiddling with traffic. I have a right to direct the traffic that comes to my website as I see fit.

I’ve seen some people compare AutoLinks to having a butler that anticipates your needs and finds information for you just in case you might want to use it. I think a better analogy is comparing a website to a store and your website traffic to people in your store.