Banner-page linking-to-us security problem

for a non-prof dedicated to disabled children

[vkaryl]

.... and it really IS a potential problem. We'd like to have banners, buttons etc. in various colorways for people to use to link to us. This is for Personal Ponies Ltd., a 503-C registered non-profit organization devoted to providing UK Shetland ponies to special-needs children for their lifetimes. We would very much like to link to and have linked to us sites with similar "agendas" - or at least sites that aren't diametrically opposed to what we do.

HOW do I set up a banners page so that it's a REQUIREMENT to provide a viable sitelink for me to vet BEFORE allowing said site to have a banner and put up a link?

*sigh* If some of the net-world was less ugly, I wouldn't have this problem....

[D_Blackwell]

Presumably, you own the 'banner/graphic' that they would use, so you should be able to clearly set the terms for its use. Outside of that I wouldn't think that you could do anything about their linking to you. (Hope not anyway.)

Why such a rigid setup?

[vkaryl]

Well, I guess if one doesn't have any idea about the "feeling" behind PPL, one wouldn't see the need for that "rigidity".

Or perhaps, if one hasn't had the "experience" of link-banners used on sites which ARE diametrically opposed in both flavor and background to the site which provides those links, one might not quite get the need for that rigidity.

I guess you could equate our situation to say, if a local Democrat-for-Governor site was linked to by the opposing local Republican-for-Governor site, etc.

If YOU were f'rinstance a very fundamentalist christian church site with banners for linkbacks, would YOU want the local wiccan group using them? (Not that that's particularly likely or apt, but still....)

Needless to say, PPL is NOT looking for linkbacks just for "traffic" - we want to provide a quality link to organizations with similar, non-conflicting aims.

[Krapulator]

So what is the diametric opposite of Personal Ponies Ltd?

A dog food factory specializing in Basted Ponies?

[iamlost]

Your concern has two parts:

1. You only want banner/button links to sites you deem appropriate. You can simply take the time to check each prospective link site prior to adding the code on your pages. You then must do routine link maintenance checks on a regular basis to confirm the links still point where you expect.
   
2. You only want your banner/button links from to also be only from such sites. There is no "total" control in this direction. The code and images (forget copyright for now) are a simple cut and paste exercise to add to any site that wants to do so.
   
   • On a practical basis I do not see a special reason for an "inappropriate" site to want to link to yours.
     
   • A link is a one way street - a visitor on your site can not follow an inbound link away, they can only follow the outbound links you provide.
     
   • Some semblance of control can be had by requiring a site request a link, giving you the opportunity to vet them, prior to emailing the code and images. This may not provide as many links as an open help-yourself banner page. Choices.
     
   • You could also actively go looking for sites to reciprocal link with and forget a banners page. Might be combined with option above.
     
   • The only other control I can think of is back tracking your server log to see where banner click visitors are coming from. The time and trouble is probably extreme in this instance.
     
   
   

I take it that you are concerned with being equated with any site that links to you. Totally out of your control.

On the bright side if such "inappropriate" traffic did show up they will either immediately turn tail and run or they might stay long enough to learn something.

[vkaryl]

Thank you, iamlost, for some valuable input. I appreciate your help.