Webmentions vs. Links

Are webmentions links? When I was writing the blog post about the IndieWeb Camp I attended. I could change every link to the webmention, if I wanted. But then there would not really be a difference between links and webmentions - except that in the later case, the person gets notified. Though only the people that have both 1) webmentions implemented and 2) know they have them would notice this difference. So there must be a difference, and my instinct is most likely wrong.

So I started thinking about, what the difference between them. The difference that I have it going so far is, that the link are optional resources for more information, while the webmentions are the replies. Do the webmentions, in a way, are more like comments than links. Except, that comments exists on other people's websites. Oh, and apparently people use webmentions to like stuff. I never understood people obsession on social media with likes - even when I had a Facebook for a couple of years for university reasons, I don't think I ever liked anything.

But what about rants? Do rants count as the reply? Some, if I for example, I read something on the internet, and I have the strong opinion about, and I just want to went? Or maybe I want to think through writing, and I write something with this as the starting point. But these things are sort of replies, in a way, that they are a response to the specific thing. But they are not, usually, something, that we need or is some cases even want other people to see.

Since most people don't like spam (I hope), I guess in this stage, it is easier to just continue using links for everything but RSVPs and direct replies, that were written with conversation flow in mind. And the rest of them still stay links.

And I can always change by behaviour later, if I am ending up being too restrictive.