Could be, or that proxy-surfing issue you uncovered is the culprit. If Google and friends are seeing DP's pages on the proxy URLs it might for some odd reason favour them instead of DP's copy.
I think this search and this search pretty much confirms it. Any other authority domain would have site links below its result and be at number 1.
Subdomains are treated as different sites. Any penalty to www.digitalpoint.com could not transfer to forums.digitalpoint.com
LOL, sorry iv'e been away from DP for a few months, I missed y'all . The same questions are being asked over and over here. They are legit! Especially with the new bully on the block...BD. I think in very basic terms the OP and anyone else with similar views needs to ask one question: Q. Is DP a link scheme? A. _ _ _ _ _ (Fill in blanks) Depending on your answer, Google makes no bones about link schemes. Proceed accordingly . H
This is old news. Same with the link vault http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=link+vault IMO it is a hand job. It is not in the se's interest for these sites to be found. The idea is great and manipulates SE's link based algos so for the SE's to promote something that would harm their results would be foolish. The idea is to scare people off on forums like this one. What I would be worried about is a footprint in the footer script which I beleive there is from something I saw the other day. No real evidence apart from anacdotal threads here.
Your insiders should have informed you that the owner of this forum is part of a covert google project to keep on top of placement techniques. Why would they stop a project they started?
I have no idea about this, although it seems abit weird that Google will ban co-op, although nothing is impossible, things can end up weird.
I'm sure there are some Google employees that are members of this forum, and they probably would have expressed their disapproval already they usually do when they disagree with something
No, Google commits copyright infringement against major labels, networks and studios. They're not afraid of a suit from webmasters dependent on them for traffic. Interestingly, most of the searches previously listed above as proof that the Co-op is blacklisted currently show the co-op in the first few results. Even "co-op advertising" shows this forum at number 3, currently.
Ranks #1 for me. The bottom line is that if you feel like you're scamming someone/something, by using the coop, don't use it. Personally, I use it for what it was made to be, a free cooperative advertising network. I've used it for over a year, I've never been banned and my site is doing VERY well in Google AND continues to do better with each passing month. I've worked very hard to create a great website. Don't blame your failures on something like the coop.
I think these discussions are fairly pointless since the same people always come down on the same sides. I use it for some of my sites and not for others. I have read constant comments over the last two years about how the Coop will damage your site and probably even get it deindexed. I have continued using it through all of those comments and have continued making money. In fact enough that even if my sites using it were deindexed, it would be more then worth it. If you are at all worried about the points brought up in the thread, then don't use it. There are so many sites in it that a few opting out won't hurt those using it to its utmost in the least.
Exactly. I personally stopped using it a while ago but know many that are still doing very well with it. There's risk in anything involving SEO these days, me thinks. My feeling is, as long as DP sticks with its brand claim of an "advertising" tool it would be unlikely that Google would ban you. However, one must also consider each user's method of use will differ. That will account for varying outcomes. If you choose to play, use your weight wisely (naturally) Cheers, H