Reno - 12:21 pm on Jul 22, 2007 (gmt 0)

The problem that I and so many other people have with Google's current thinking is this whole notion of "penalty" -- they remind me of an old nun running around with an 18 inch wooden ruler, smacking students who in their mind are misbehaving.

It is unbecoming of a world class company to behave in such a primitive fashion. If an individual behaved like that, therapy would be a reasonable recommendation.

Memo to Google: Just IGNORE any linking that you don't like. There is no need to pull out your stupid ruler.

Here's a scenario:

One guy makes handmade tables; another guy makes chairs -- they have a similar customer base so they arrange for a link trade. Should they be penalized by the nun for this? Of course not.

Another person weaves table coverings, so now all three link to each other. Makes perfect sense.

A fourth person creates ceramic tableware and a fifth person offers handblown wine goblets, so they get into this mutual cross-linking arrangement, as they should, since all the customers going to each individual site MAY have an interest in the products of the group as a whole.

So where does Google get off threatening these people with a penalty because they are doing what they should be doing -- trading links?

Again I say, when it comes to cross linking: Don't give any PageRank, don't remove any PageRank -- simply see the link exchanges as what they are -- NONE OF GOOGLE'S BUSINESS.

......................