"don't have your email When I get an email from phpLD informing me that there are new submissions and I delete them" - They are still stored in the database and easily available. I guess the bigger question is what was he offering when folks listed for free, was it a free 1-year link, a free permanent link or a free short-term link or one that was unspecified? If he didn't break a promise then he really did nothing seriously wrong. I do agree with everyone that states it is his to do with as he pleases. My opinion is that I think it is a poor business decision but only time will tell.
The most important content a directory has are the listings. Removing them for silly reasons like greed is kinda like shooting yourself in the foot. As the content is reduced, the chances of losing listings in other web directories such as dmoz will increase. I hope he's able to keep his content up.
I could relate with most of your comment, but I don't completely agree with your quote above. You claim that directory owners get nothing in return for giving out free links, but it's not true. Free directory owners get content in exchange for links. Content helps directories receive traffic and PR. With traffic and PR, you can make money through sponsored listings or Adsense. If no one submitted to free directories, there would be thousands of empty and pointless directories. So, my point is, we all help each other by submitting to free directories. On a final note, I think all listing prices should be grandfathered. This is how most of the big directories operate.
It looks like I have opened a serious can of worms on this one - its definitely created a somewhat heated and in some cases negative thread. The primary reason behind this change (as mentioned by a number of posters) is the fact that the directory listing pages (specifically) were literally overflowing with listings - to the point where there were up to 5 or 6 pages of listings. In recent weeks I have received a number of emails regarding paid submitters asking if they could have their listing placed in the top level category due to the pure quantity of listings in each of the deeper pages – hence why would anyone want to pay to have their website listed on page 6 of 6 which had PR0? I can quite honestly say that I wouldn’t pay for that, would you? In regards to the original submitters who submitted when the directory was free, I appreciate your discontent with the removal of the directory related links, however this directory has grown considerable since its launch in 2004. For something that was completely free I have provided a quality niche web directory that has continuously grown in PR, SERPs and traffic – factors that have been passed on for free for more than a year. Essentially this is purely about providing value for money to those who have a paid listing in the directory section of the website.
I used to submit new sites to directories, get them included, but it amazed me how many links were removed after a year or so. Sucks even more when you do a recip. deal and the other guy does'nt hold up his end of the bargain. A directory that notifies people when they are removing a listing is a cut above IMO, but the exception. I don't bother much with directories anymore, one nice paid link seems to do better for me than 100 or 500 free directory submissions.
i got no issues with them deleting free links. It is good way for paid members. Also the free links have been enjoying the free links too. it's fair enough.
Let me shoot you guys straight on the thinking of; 1) It's duplicate content anyways and spam Answer 1) Then don't accept the sites to begin with. 2) Well it's more fair to the paid submissions Answer 2) A good directory would expand into larger and deeper categories keeping the webs best content, while with a good business acumen promote featured content. Aviva now has initial categories where they are only FEATURED for an example look here 3) Well it's their directory Answer 3) No S***. Yeah well... it's my link. If they thought either #1 or #2 was valid they never would have offered the free links. They wanted the links, content, and traffic KNOWING that if they were honest nobody would have wasted time on them. Summary: It's unprofessional and makes it look like a 'fly by night' operation that has NO REGARD for content and for actually having a directory of the internet. The directory wants money and will (has) walk over fellow DPers to get there and could care less about content, or could have started filtering out spammy sites and submissions ( if that were the problem) . Not here however they just want to get rid of free content, to make room for better content?....Nope the letter clearly states for paid content. Equals Crap. It just does. Are you kidding me?!!! It says they are removing your link...but for $10 hey... no problemo. A cut above? NO. He's aiming for your wallet, in the most crass and unprofessional manner I've seen ever on DP. And that's saying quite a bit.
One option a reputable owner would consider is at least moving all the free links down one category deeper, thus leaving the higher more 'valuable' categories open for paid links. I know even the free versions of phpld offer the option of moving the content of entire categories, so that would have been the right thing to do in my opinion.
Well, as far as i am concerned.... A directory that allows you to submit for FREE for a certain term and then asking for payment to renew listing is not a bad idea at all, this is business and offcourse they had to earn something as well However they should have stated this earlier that renewal is paid
I am not agaist removing free links from directory...I didn't do that because I am lazy. but once the directory got PR6, you might think of that. Anyway, informing the submitters is decent but also causes heated debate.
A lot of links expire, in the sense that after a couple of years a certain percentage of the sites die off, change content or get moved. So taking the time to look for obsolete sites amongst the free listings is an ethical way to deal with this issue. Moving the free sites into deeper categories is another. Dumping the entire free list creates bad feeling, there's no doubt about that. It's about the worst way to deal with the problem of giving paid listings more prominence.
ummm Personally I will not be deleting any listing that I have added for free. But I do see the reason you have done and I respect your decision... I think to counter the above issue, you can give your existing submitters a decent discount (let’s say 50%) and can ask them to get a Paid listing. As you have got a decent PR, I am sure many will go for it. Or You can move all of them to a new category and keep them separate. That will give advantage to your new submitters. (May be a big category "Free submitters" or something)
I do not think that removing the links is the answer. If it was me I would just place the new paid listings on top of the free ones, I don't think anyone can complain about that, at least the link is still there. I think that would be a much better route to take instead of removing the current listings.
I agree with this even though I also agree with that ultimate right is on the owner. If the owner has provided a statement in TOS page, and let free link submitters to know what would happen, then there should be no problem. In a way, it is wrong for submitters to feel negatively about this issue since free links are given generously, but the tendency of their response to the issue is obvious. Most of them will not like it.
As i have stated I feel its not right. There are submitters too that don't even care to submit to paid directories and just stay watching daily at S and A thread catching every turn for FREE rides. Now while we gratiously spend some on Paid Links these folks aren't even returning some FAVORS. Then if their directories gets the Juice they sell them to us. Its like frying us in our own cooking oil. I've watched some of them. If the links have stayed already for a year it has enjoyed the juice benefits. Maybe Sabian you could offer them a Paid Listing Discount as someone has stated. That's a reasonable alternative. Thanks
Well for me, I understand why he did it. And I guess there is nothing wrong with him doing it, it's his directory and he did include them for free. And it's been like 2 years already. I am sure it has at least provided some sort of benefit in terms of backlinks or traffic too. But what I think he should do is to remove all the low quality sites in his directory and let the better ones remain. This way, there is no need for him to resetup his directory.
Do you know how hard and how much time it is to remove and sort low quality sites? With that much time you can make another 100$ easy and start another new shiny directory. Well mate , u do realize sites change? What if your site now changed into a spammy site or duplicated content, you think anyone would keep either of ur #1 link or #2 link ? I dont think so. 3)Well it is their directory, even if its your link does not matter, do you ever bother reading the fine prints or terms before even bothering to submit ? Neither the directory owner or anyone else is responsible for any damage caused by their site, failure of script or any reason and the owners have every right to change edit remove sites for whatever reason suitable. You submit it and leave it at that, i have not even cared onces to visit the sites i submit my directory or site for free to check if link even exists or not cause i know a "Forever Link" does not exists, cause no one or nothing lives for ever. Plus since i got poor memory i dunno which site i submitted my sites to either . So, as a directory owner i feel that there is no obligation to free listed sites at all, but all directory owners try to do best to keep the links submitted intact, trust me i have spents nights and nights doing that, but do the submitters realize that ? No, they just one day come to a site they submitted ages ago and says" wtf my listing is gone, you bad mofos i am gonaa ruin you cause u removed my free listing". For paid listing situation becomes somewhat different, users submit and pay for either yearly listing or lifetime listing(one should always consider lifetime as the longest possible time , not till they die thats not feasible). But as a directory owner one has obligation to save and bring those paid links back online, cause someone spent their hard earned money on their directory, sorry does not cut it. Its like you work for a company and on payday they say sorry ur fired so we wont pay you for this month as ur fired anyways. So, paid submitters should get some benefits even for short term though, not saying that they should come to ur site daily just to verify everyday cause they paid yaa. For Reci. links same story as free listing, they put efforts in putting link to your site, so do you in putting their link on your site, cause you do verify the links and check if nofollow tags and page on which link is , is not spammy etc. etc. So, submit it and leave it at that.