Does this link improve ranking?

I noticed these hidden links in a main page.

[angiolo]

Surfing the net I noticed these hidden links in the bottom of the main page (hidden because the text was about the same color as the background):

</map> <br>
<a href="http://www.altavista.com"><font color="#99FFFF">www.altavista.com</font></a>
<a href="www.altavista.it"><font color="#99FFFF">w</font></a> <font color="#00FFFF"><a href="www.jumpy.it"><font color="#99FFFF">j</font></a></font>

What do you think? Why having links to altavista and other search engine?

Angiolo

[seth_wilde]

"What do you think?"

I would say no, it's not doing a thing for there listings. Outgoing links don't seem to carry much weight in AV's algo.