mr_dredd2 - 2:58 pm on May 5, 2002 (gmt 0)

well, if it wasn't them i suppose it would be someone else. but anyway..

I've been spending a bit of time recently surfing around, updating my list of vortals and directories with link building in mind.

I've been quite amazed how many are now protecting their links to an extent that i don't think i saw before (i don't think, anyway..)

e.g. one uk directory site with good pr, actually its a set of directories all linked together. they want £25 for a link, or will give it free for a reciprocal link. Upon further investigation, I find that all the outgoing links in the directories have been javascripted so that they won't be counted by any spider. This has been disguised by a jscript "status" so that its not obvious that the link is in fact a javascript and thus, in link pop terms, useless.

It seems to me that this is just one example of an increase in link commodification - i.e. pr, or link flows to and from your site are like capital - you want it all flowing to you, but you don't necessarily want to let it leak out.

Google PR IS basically, their one crucial asset. Although it isn't the only component, without it, there's no basis for google. The link strategy/pr0 penalty thing they have been undertaking recently, in order to safeguard the usefulness of their core asset, has started to have the effect of making webmasters very precious over link flows - i think more and more, webmasters treat links like commodities.

Obviously this is a far cry from the basic structure and rationalle of the web.

This is just an impression i have, but has anyone else seen this - not just difficulty in getting personal reciprocal links, but in finding directories and other sites that will include a plain, simple, link? I know a certain percentage of this kind of stuff has always been around, but how more difficult do people feel its got since the beginning of the year?