Not all links are equally strong, useful or durable.
Two entities may be connected very closely or only loosely. Their relationship may be immediately obvious or require several steps of explanation. It may exist permanently, appear only at certain times, or depend upon a service, season or schedule.
Near, Clear and All Year provides a simple way of thinking about these qualities.
The three questions are:
Near — How close are the two things?
Clear — How obvious is the connection?
All Year — How persistent is the connection?
These qualities are independent.
A link can be near but unclear.
It can be clear but temporary.
It can be permanent but distant.
Together, the three measures help us describe what sort of link we are dealing with.