I just came across this blog post, and I thought I would take the opportunity to add some background. Thanks for your feedback.

You make some valid comments – The current clippings service is the most minimal version of the product – and you will see improvements and additions over time.

We, like many others, think it is valuable to release software as soon as possible and get feedback, rather than wait until it is packed with features. People are already using the service as it is – (it’s been on the site for a while – we just blogged about it in March). More features are in the pipeline for clippings, and we hope you’ll approve when they go live.

Thanks
Stephen (who works at guardian.co.uk)

Of course, most readers won’t even notice it. As you suggest it may be part of some bigger plan, but it’s pretty inconsequential as it stands.

I can see how perhaps a few non-web savvy users who read the Guardian a lot might possibly find a use, but when you can add the same article just as easily to del.icio.us with all the varied and intelligent benefits of that social bookmarking system I don’t see the point of this one. Do I really want to have a clippings file on the separate websites of every newspaper I read? No, not really.

As for your Emily Bell clippings follow features idea – not interesting enough. However, her deliicous feed might have value as then I could see what she reads elsewhere. But quite frankly I’m not interested in what she or any other Grdn journalist clips from their own newspaper in order to drive a trickle of traffic towards… or what? Do you seriously believe any Guardian journalist will have any practical use for this beyond some self promotion or similar? Any journalist worth his or her salt would be on delicious anyway and not wasting their time with this.