Forum Moderators: martinibuster
WBF
We DO KNOW that .edu links are weighted very heavily with the engines.
BUT, in order to receive this benefit do the .edu links need good (or any PR)? Most student sites don't have any IBL's so how much could they really be worth?
WBF
Howabout this...I have a good number of PR5 sites (all diff. c-class ips) and I will link to my personal school site (which is related in topic) and THEN link to desired sites from my school page. Still, I would like to know if anyone thinks links from my .edu will just transfer the normal PR or will they give some sort of additional boost? Obviously empirical evidence is all we can go on...anyone have any?
a) just a part of college culture that perpetuates itself, or...
b) whether someone once upon a time recruited a whole bunch of students to throw up these pages.
Here and there, some of the pages I see are extraordinarily good, but many are simply collections of links to the usual suspects. What's frustrating is that a lot of these pages are inactive... have been so perhaps for years... and that they seem to be helping the competition.
What's frustrating is that a lot of these pages are inactive... have been so perhaps for years... and that they seem to be helping the competition.
Unless you are the competition, in which case you would write, "What's great is that even those these pages have been inactive for years, and are therefore inaccessible to my competitors, they still contribute to MY rankings.";)
WBF
What are you referencing? THESE are PERSONAL pages. I am allowed to put anything I want on this page.
To be commercial, they would have to be making money or selling something. If they just happen to have an interest in x topic and they have a page on it and link to your site because your site has good information on that topic (commercial or not) that certainly is *not* commercial use of their webspace.
To be commercial, they would have to be making money or selling something. If they just happen to have an interest in x topic and they have a page on it and link to your site because your site has good information on that topic (commercial or not) that certainly is *not* commercial use of their webspace.
I've seen so many of these pages that just happen to look pretty much the same that I'm wondering whether money did change hands.
violate the policy of the university?What are you referencing? THESE are PERSONAL pages. I am allowed to put anything I want on this page.
No siree...
A while back, I admit that buying and selling links on student pages might be a supplementary source of income for me. After some research, I've abandoned the idea. Here's why:
Whether it's web space or dorm space, you CANNOT conduct any commercial activities on any university owned property - without the consent of the university. This policy is "almost" universal amongst higher education institutions in the US. "Many" university stated policies will revoke the student's right to use the university webspace in the event of a violation.
And I agree with you completely: they are "personal" pages. But not "commercial" pages. Buying and selling links on a university's web space constitutes a commercial activity.
Yes, if you can proof that!
Any student can write about his/her preferred hobbies or motorways or car or anything else in a natuaral way... You can not try an "intention"; you should proof that the link is a result of a bargain...
There are several student pages that link to commercial sites and the link are genuine links!
if you can prove that
No, it would be a violation regardless of proof, since the act is the violation, not the discovery of it.
Don't they teach logic in University these days?
WBF
Google doesn't pay college kids to link to them - and they are a "commercial" site. A kid who loves to widget is likely to link to the places that make his favorite widget case - only his bank account can prove if he took money for that link - and last I checked, colleges didn't have access to a student's bank statements.
The "white page, black text" is very much a "style" by those who are uber geeky and those who don't have much skill - it seems to be a "norm" college design. My sister's page was like that. I myself have personal sites like that. Many college personal pages also feature animated gifs and ugly backgrounds - I highly doubt it is a conspiracy.
Regardless, this assumes you are *buying* the link. I've landed links on many of these style pages and I've never paid for a single one. Believe it or not, there are some commercial sites out there who are linked to from these pages because they contain good information and not for money. ;)
