lenking

Lenking is an informal term used in some online communities to describe a practice that involves arranging and linking pieces of content in a deliberate sequence to produce a cohesive narrative or to guide reader engagement. Because it is an informal neologism, there is no single, widely accepted definition, and usage varies between communities.

Origin and usage: The exact origin of the term is unclear; it has appeared in niche discussions on blogs and social platforms since at least the mid-2010s. It has been used to refer to different techniques, from creating linked threads that reference one another to curating a chain of related media across platforms.

Common meanings include: constructing a deliberate sequence of posts, comments, or media that reference each other to guide a reader through a theme; and embedding a chain of related links within captions or body text to encourage exploration of connected topics. In other contexts, lenking can be seen as a playful or experimental form of content curation.

Variations and scope: Because lenking is informal, there is no standardized practice. Some contributors emphasize narrative coherence and discoverability, while others focus on experiments with format or the social dynamics of engagement. The technique can be applied in educational, entertainment, or memetic contexts, depending on the community.

Reception and critique: Reactions range from appreciation for organized information and enhanced cross-media exploration to concern that lenking can feel contrived, lead to overlinking, or privilege readers already familiar with a thread. As a niche term, it remains underrepresented in formal reference works.

See also: content curation, hyperlinking, threaded discussions, link aggregation.