How do you choose which links to recommend?

Rob has drawn my attention to this post at plasticbag.org about responsible linklogging. Quote:

What interests me is that most people don't really seem to provide much context to their linking. Have they read and approved of the things they link to, or is it really just a linkdump full of 'toread's? How seriously can I take someone's linklog? Is it a personal guide to quality stuff that they find interesting or wish they could comment on, or do people treat it like oneupmanship - wanting to be first on the next meme?

Interesting point. How do you regard the status of links provided by others? How do you make your own decisions about which links you send or show to other people?