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No Longer A "dofollow" Site

Discussion in 'Support & Feedback' started by digitalpoint, Jul 2, 2011.

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  1. #1
    The short version...
    All links on this site are now "nofollow" except premium member's signatures.

    The long version...
    There is just too much spam and people running up their post counts with pointless posts these days. Because of that, we have made the switch so all links to external sites are now "nofollow" (with a couple exceptions).

    The exception is that signatures of premium members are still dofollow as long as the link isn't seen by our system as "potentially spammy". If it is, then it's a nofollow as well.

    Additionally, we have always been against having obnoxious signatures (which is why we have never allowed images, large type or more than 3 lines). Signatures have become more and more annoying with colors and styling. So now signatures are only shown to logged in users (since they have the ability to disable viewing them in their UserCP). The only exception to this is premium member signatures can still be seen by guests.

    Don't forget, you can disable signatures/avatars/images for yourself under your options here (under "Thread Display Options"):

    http://forums.digitalpoint.com/profile.php?do=editoptions
     
    digitalpoint, Jul 2, 2011 IP
  2. subdivisions

    subdivisions Well-Known Member

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    #2
    *awaits broken english rage replies*
     
    subdivisions, Jul 2, 2011 IP
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  3. Rebecca

    Rebecca Prominent Member

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    #3
    I think it's a good idea. To get the word out, you may want to consider posting this in general chat as well.
     
    Rebecca, Jul 2, 2011 IP
  4. Alvin

    Alvin Notable Member

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    #4
    Another reason to "buy" premium membership.
     
    Alvin, Jul 2, 2011 IP
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  5. digitalpoint

    digitalpoint Overlord of no one Staff

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    #5
    Nah... links in premium member posts are nofollow too.
     
    digitalpoint, Jul 2, 2011 IP
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  6. tattoos

    tattoos Prominent Member

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    #6
    It was just a matter of time. I'm actually surprised that followed content and signature links lasted this long.
    Hopefully it clears a lot of the copy/paste spamy posts up. However I reckon it will take a while before people realize things have changed... A sticky may be needed for a while (or a newsletter)

    Whoa, didn't know you could do that :eek: Although I don't really mind signature links. Its the spam posts and "me too", "thanks dear" type posts I can't stand.

    Cheers
    James
     
    tattoos, Jul 2, 2011 IP
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  7. dcristo

    dcristo Illustrious Member

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    #7
    i'm assuming there is an automated process for deeming sig links as "potentially spammy" ?

    from briefly looking at things you consider web hosting sites to be spam i see the web hosting review site in my signature is now nofollow - care to explain that?

    its a perfectly legit review site, if you consider that to be spam then on that premise any affiliate site is spam. google doesn't have a problem with these sites, why do you?

    seriously man, this is crossing the line and becoming a joke. i didnt pay for premium membership to have my links nofollowed.
     
    dcristo, Jul 2, 2011 IP
  8. subdivisions

    subdivisions Well-Known Member

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    #8
    I'm not sure how DP's algorithm works but it looks like most of your content exists on other sites, and your links under the "Best Web Hosting Awards 2011" banner looks like an obvious shot at anchor text stuffing.
     
    subdivisions, Jul 2, 2011 IP
  9. digitalpoint

    digitalpoint Overlord of no one Staff

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    #9
    Things it picks up as possibly spammy is no different than it's always been (that is nothing new). As far as defining why it thinks something is spammy, it's been asked before and not something we are going to do (would just give people the ability to sneak around it).

    But again... nofollowing things that the system think might be spammy is nothing new. We will always err on the side of nofollowing something that *might* be spammy va. dofollowing it.

    Check Google cache if you want to confirm it's always been that way.
     
    digitalpoint, Jul 2, 2011 IP
  10. dcristo

    dcristo Illustrious Member

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    #10
    There is so much lol at this. You just made this announcement. How is not something which is new?

    Why can't you just answer my question? I am not looking to avoid any loopholes. I am a PAYING MEMBER and wanting to know why the benefit of dofollow sig links has been taken away from me for a perfectly legit site.

    Obviously you are using an automated process for tagging "potentially spammy" links. When did computers become so smart. If linking to a web hosting review site on an internet marketing forum is considered spam, then the whole freakin internet must be polluted with spam.

    WHAT A JOKE.
     
    dcristo, Jul 2, 2011 IP
  11. digitalpoint

    digitalpoint Overlord of no one Staff

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    #11
    Nofollowing links in posts is the new part... Selectively nofollowing some links in signatures is not new. So yes, the part you don't like is the part that is not new, and has always been that way.

    No "benefit" was taken away from anyone.
     
    digitalpoint, Jul 2, 2011 IP
  12. dcristo

    dcristo Illustrious Member

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    #12
    when was it introduced? and how is doing this for premium members tackling spam on the forum? last time i checked, premium members make up like 1% of the membership.
     
    dcristo, Jul 2, 2011 IP
  13. digitalpoint

    digitalpoint Overlord of no one Staff

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    #13
    It's been that way for at least 3 years (not sure the exact date)... but long before premium membership was even a thing. It has nothing to do with premium membership... it's been that way for years for all members.
     
    digitalpoint, Jul 2, 2011 IP
  14. Mightee

    Mightee Well-Known Member

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    #14
    lol awesome!
    i suggested this idea yesterday, and it got implemented:D
    this will surely decrease the number of spammers here on DP
     
    Mightee, Jul 2, 2011 IP
  15. dcristo

    dcristo Illustrious Member

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    #15
    ummm ok ignore the posts ITT from the potential spammer.

    still coming to terms with how a web hosting review site being advertised on a IM forum is spam though. an internet marketing forum of all forums i would expect to "get it" if you know what i mean.
     
    dcristo, Jul 2, 2011 IP
  16. digitalpoint

    digitalpoint Overlord of no one Staff

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    #16
    It's not necessarily spam... it's an automated process, we don't look at the links it flags. It just generates a probability score that it might be spam or something we wouldn't want to link to, if that probability is above a certain score, it will just nofollow the link since it errs on the side of not linking if it MIGHT be something spammish.

    Again, it's been that way for years... it's not anything new, nor was the algorithm changed anytime recently.

    Look at the Google cache for any page you posted on, and you will probably see it nofollowed even in old Google cache crawls.
     
    digitalpoint, Jul 2, 2011 IP
  17. dcristo

    dcristo Illustrious Member

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    #17
    and therein lies the problem. just because its been this way for years and i've just noticed it doesn't make the idea any less flawed.

    obv its based on keywords in link text/domain i am guessing... is it "web hosting" or "review" hmmmmm just thinking out loud :)

    IMO you should be dofollowing all premium membership links... and work on a case by case basis for identifying potential spam. you even said it yourself, its not necessarily spam, yet i am getting punished for it because you are automating the process.
     
    dcristo, Jul 2, 2011 IP
  18. addyj672

    addyj672 Peon

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    #18
    How to earn premium membership. We have to pay for that or earn good numbers of post to reach premium membership...... cheers...
     
    addyj672, Jul 2, 2011 IP
  19. digitalpoint

    digitalpoint Overlord of no one Staff

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    #19
    The site in question has tons of nofollow links itself. How is us utilizing nofollow links a flawed idea?

    We've used nofollow on all sorts of things for a long time... is nofollow on people's blog links or home page links flawed too? :)
     
    digitalpoint, Jul 2, 2011 IP
  20. Mightee

    Mightee Well-Known Member

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    #20
    go here http://forums.digitalpoint.com/payments.php
    and choose your plan
    there are monthly, quarterly, semi annually and annually packages available
     
    Mightee, Jul 2, 2011 IP
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