ownerrim - 6:17 pm on Apr 6, 2006 (gmt 0)

maybe but it also screams (imho) "I am using this tag for obvious SEO purposes"

Or maybe it doesn't. Maybe it just says that:

1. It's becoming more frequent that legitimate domains are being abandoned by their former owners and are getting bought up by adult web operators.

2. it's a little difficult to trust some sites that carry ypn ads or adsense. you never know when they'll slide down the slippery slope.

So, to reiterate, while a page may seem worthy of being linked to today, there's no way to know if it will be part of a good or bad neighborhood six months from now. Sad, but damned true.

I don't worry about using nofollow on links to CNN, BBC news, most .edu and .gov sites. The rest? I wouldn't bet either way.

"If YOU think its not safe to link it, or have doubts, why link to it in the first place?Again......DON'T BOTHER."

Because, the information may seem worthwhile and beneficial, but there's simply no way to forecast the future intentions of most webmasters. With solid sites like the ones I mentioned above, I don't mind casting a "democratic vote", as google puts it. But most others--- Hey, for all you know, the site you're linking to may be a stolen copycat clone that's being operated by some adsense crook. Looks are deceiving and intentions are impossible to know. Likewise the future.

And I think this gets to the heart of what Cutts has been saying: only cast the vote if you're sure. But...even if you don't feel comfortable casting the vote, you can still provide the link for the benefit of your users.