If it's compulsory giving a reciprocal link for a directory submission, I reckon it would be a good idea to make it compulsory to specify this requirement in the thread title. I for one, and I know a lot of other members are the same, dont bother submitting to these directories, so it just makes it easier knowing which threads to look at and submit to.
Better yet, just make it so if it required a reciprocal link, it can only be posted in Buy/Sell/Trade -> Link Exchange maybe?
If it's compulsory to give a recipricol link then the site is a dedicated link exchange and not a directory at all. Click the triangle to report the post and we'll move it. Shawn = you beat me to it
I was more thinking in the lines of splitting the sollicitation one, I doubt people will remember to put it in B/S/T.
Yeah that would work. Just anything to get them out of the directory section How much work would that make for you guys though?
To make something like that realistic, we probably would need a new mod that did nothing but actually check each submission in the directory section. Not sure how practical it would be... then again, even without that user's could always use the "Report Post" thing to report misplaced ones I suppose...
Have to agree with TOPS30 - it would be better to have a Reciprocal/Paid subcategory under Solicitations & Announcements than having it under Buy/Sell/Trade. Most of the members looking to submit to directories (reciprocal, paid or otherwise) aren't likely to check BST for directory launches/announcements. Where do the guidelines exclude "reciprocal" or "paid" directories from Solicitations and Announcements? If you are a directory owner announcing a new directory (or compiling a list of directories), looking for submissions or a user looking for directories to submit to, this is where the request should go. Do we (or should I say you) really need someone to police this sub-forum? I doubt it's very problematic. If someone's unhappy about having to provide a reciprocated link, don't submit. It takes less effort to close your browser and move on to the next announcement than it does to post your complaint. Would you also consider this announcement a link sale? Moving it to Link Sales would probably do the members looking for this type of offer a dis-service as I really doubt they'd look there. Moving threads such as these would put directory announcements in 3 separate categories...
It would also take less effort not having to determine if it's truely a free or reciprocal directory without having to wade through each directory thread
I spend a good portion of my time in there and don't notice any inconvenience - two clicks in a new window and you can see the submission page. I close the browser and move on if it's not what I'm looking for.
The main benefit from the split is that it doesn't really matter if they get it wrong - so we don't really have to start moving threads from the non-recip to recip etc. And if they do put it in the correct one, it's a big bonus to members like dcristo. So you get the best of both. No extra mod work, easier browsing. Making it a requirement for them to go in B/S/T is splitting them too far apart IMO and scatters the effort of finding suitable directories.
Having to post them in B/S/T would be an inconvenience to many and probably make a bigger mess for the mods, but a split would probaly be a bonus to all.
I like that idea a lot. Unfortunately some of us actually look at the directory and browse categories and look for an appropriate spot before going to a submission page. The original suggestion was to simply require recip requiring directories to state so. That should be at a minimum, but seperating them out might even be better. I don't particularly like wasting my time because someone is either a) too lazy b) being deceptive.
That was my intent. At the moment, recip directories are getting a free ride by getting extra clicks they usually wouldn't get as the visitor didn't know about them being reciprocal. I personally would even go one step further and disallow recip directories being posted at all. I view them as nothing but link farms and the first in Google's firing line.
It might be that people offering free listings with reciprocal don’t know that they must offer this in the Link Exchange section. Since in the Directory section there is a section for : people might think that this section is for all announcements regarding Directories. I thought that all directory offerings had to be posted in the Directory section regardless of conditions required for the listings.