info [ AT ] redcardinal [ DOT ] ie
Links Form The Fabric Of The Internet
Hyperlinks are the glue that holds the Internet together. Users traverse links to get from one resource to another. Search engine bots crawl links to discover new resources. Algorithms use links as a primary signal of quality and relevance in order to display search engine results. So links benefit everyone.
So if links benefit everyone why would you want to curtail peoples’ ability to link to your site by publishing something like this:
Whoever drafted that form does not understand the Internet. Period.
Oh, and just to make a point purple monkey dishwasher.
Well done Donncha for discovering this. (Was that link OK for you Donncha?)
Or was it Frank? Well I know that Paul has been discussing it. Please send all linking complaints to the linking manager. By Fax.
[Update] Lar has rewritten this into a user-friendly linking policy that ICS could adopt. Free advice from Ireland’s leading accessibility and usability experts is surely hard to turn down.
Frank commented on this recently as well.
Comment by Green Ink — March 30, 2007 @ 6:02 pm
Well, you might as well link directly to my post at http://ocaoimh.ie/2007/03/23/a-free-daffodil-for-your-blog-today/ and get a pingback out of it!
Comment by Donncha O Caoimh — March 30, 2007 @ 6:14 pm
Done. And while I was there I checked your linking policy and see I’m in the clear
Comment by Richard Hearne — March 30, 2007 @ 6:19 pm
Sorry Richard, I have to review that link. You need to fax me at 555-9876 to get my linking policy. I don’t put it online because of nasty hackers with open sores who might infect my website. As it is, that link breaks rules 5 subsection a, 9 subsection c, 7 subsection h.
Oh, thanks for the link
Comment by Donncha O Caoimh — March 30, 2007 @ 6:24 pm
Being mischevious, my first inclinatination is to link to their sitwith a malformed logo!
Comment by Justin — March 30, 2007 @ 6:36 pm
Richard
I’m glad to see that you haven’t linked back to me where we talked about this (I expect the fax is in the post).
I don’t want any trailer-trash-seo-traffic-from your site. Only people that I have personally interviewed should read my blog.
Paul
Comment by Paul Browne - Technology in Plain English — March 30, 2007 @ 8:09 pm
I wasn’t sure of your linking policies, so I decided to play it safe. But given your desire to keep the riff-raff out a link has now been added
Comment by Richard Hearne — March 31, 2007 @ 7:15 am
Nah, I spotted it on Donncha’s blog too – was spreading the word about Daffodl day, but couldn’t resist spreading the word about the bizarre linking policy too.
Comment by frankp — March 31, 2007 @ 12:54 pm
This post has been picked up on a few other SEO blogs now, so it might get back to ICS at some stage or other.
I might drop them an email on Monday and see if they would like some free advice on the issue.
Comment by Richard Hearne — March 31, 2007 @ 1:22 pm
omg!
They should really have a set of conditions on talking about them as well. I mean imagine what people could say about them. The things they would likely imply. It’s kinda frightening….
Comment by Thomas Holmes — March 31, 2007 @ 2:35 pm
I like the bit about spacing in milimeters! Who is whipping out the ruler on their 17″ screen, are they checking it on the 27″ too?
Comment by David Doran — April 2, 2007 @ 8:14 pm
[...] said it before – links form the fabric on the Internet. On that occasion I was making a point about how silly it was to impose arbitrary rules on how [...]
Pingback by Can Excessive Outbound Linking Hurt Your Rankings? | Search Engine Optimisation & Online Marketing Ireland .:. Red Cardinal — August 10, 2007 @ 10:55 am
Hi Richard,
thanks for your remarks and suggestions.
Now we have a more user-friendly linking policy…
Nicola
Comment by Nicola Callegaro — January 30, 2008 @ 2:54 pm