Now personally, I have never had a problem with leaving links on the templates I use, free or paid, to the template creator or template sponsor. Nor the links to phpld as it is their script. This is to support these creators. So I rarely look at footers of other directories to see what links are there, or not there. As in this case: http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?p=1615811#post1615811 Maybe it would be a good idea to keep a list of some sort of those directories who do remove those links? That way, people will NOT support those directories and will LET the directory owner know to put those links back in.
I support this thread and this idea 150% I'm actually happy to see this thread, believe it or not. I know my fellow designers/friends put much effort into their templates and they should be rewarded and people should be proud of their free design. Also note, that some of these designers actually *support* their templates. So paying respects to them with their respective requests would be a wise thing to do. If I ever release a template and I start seeing people not keeping the links back, bet your ass I'll stop supporting it. It's a diservice to the designer when they do that. my .02 Rob
These people using these free templates and not having the ethics to keep the footer link to the designer, sponsor, or script creator just piss me off. These retards really should ask this simple question: WWJD?
Yes it's annoying, I have released in the past a number of free templates for various platforms. Because when people first install a template are curious about the provider of the template they usually click on the footer links, so if you check your stats you it is quite easy to spot these people. In some cases I don't contact them, especially if it is a non profit site however in the case of directories that have paid listings it is totally unacceptable.
Yes, I routinely check for those @$$h0le$ who take off my sponsor links and give them a bashing...yes, they deserve it. Some friends at DP even criticize me for being too rough and serious with these issues...but it really freaks me out.
And I've even received infractions for being aggressive in these issues... The best way that I've found to deal with these lamers is after finding the sites, just drop them a mail through their contact form ( or domain whois ) and say that you give them 2 days to reinstate the links. If they fail to do so, the issue would be taken up to public forums.
I guess I don't have to worry about that. I always make my own templates. I hate having people's links on my site and not being able to remove them.
@ablaye: most directory owners dont have the expertise or resources to get a custom made template. but your case is justified, as you can do that.
Does anyone know what kind of percentage of template users will try to stiff the designer on the links like this? I am also all in favour of outing those directory owners who can't bear to give credit where it's due.
Bit of work, but if someone went through each new directory being posted in this forum, might find a few more that conveniently leave out the links. Am sure the percentage has got to be very low. Most directory owners are very honest and up-front in their business. And as a directory is found to have this problem and is outed here, it will slowly send a message out to others to make darn sure their directory keep the links. See the directory owner of the thread I mentioned put the links back in and gave a decent explanation of why they were left out. It will work to keep others honest. Another thing to be on the look out for, even though it is up to the script seller to do this, are those many directories that are showing up using the paid version of phpld. Are they using a legal version? Not up to me or you, but if in doubt, let dduval know of the directory and it is his call to verify. I say this as once I got an email from someone who purchased one copy and wanted to know if I thought it would be okay to use it on more than one directory.
I'm gonna have trouble with those stuffs in the future, i hope people will keep backlinks as its a way to pay back the work and time of programmers/designers. Its a lack of respect to remove the footer's links and adding nofollow's stuffs. Anyway even a guy that have a directory with 2 pages indexed in google should let the footer's creators/designers/developpers/modders links no matter what.
I use a special took on firefox that shows where are located nofollows links (SEO Chat layout looks ugly with that add-on). And you can clearly see that the footer's links of (www). internetindex .(biz) have nofollow attributes. What can we do? Should we burn him with his site?
Better than that, why not making a DP Sticky thread about it? Who wants to be the starter of that thread We have to draw straws??