Skier - 6:34 pm on Dec 16, 2002 (gmt 0)

"There is a benefit to you, and the web in general, when linking out. It establishes you as an authority hub."

It just makes intuitive sense that authority hubs are needed by the entire structure, are more valuable, and thus should better survive changes in the SE's. Whether or not you get google brownie points, it makes your site more useful to all.

As freejung noted; "you can probably expect it to matter at some point".

The have been several threads worrying about having all their eggs in one google basket. It's a valid concern. All the more reason to ensure that their sites offer basic value to the web so that they would be included in whatever comes along next.