As the title says - Who used to own directory-owners.com - a directory owners forum? I have been tracing that the site has long been DEAD and is now parked. But I reckon it was part of PhpLynx or helped them -- bcoz - I find them as sponsors of the first version of that directory script! As I am not very much of a jumper - I never changed the script or version and kept it as it is. The said domain has Google links only from my directory and a forum membership ! Now - I want to know if I'm still obligated to a link that is as much as dead. Please vote and help me decide. PS: If the owner is still around - pls drop me a PM - I'll be relieved as I am in a real dilemma now - To keep my obligation to a site which has no more relevance for a long time Or - to delete it and not mislead the visitors to it!
Just like you remove any other dead link from your directory, goahead and remove that link. Who cares what the link was? In my eyes as a editor its just a 'dead' link and I will use the 'delete' button, I suggest you do the same*. (*If the link has been dead for a period of more than 6 months or use the inactive function)
yes removing dead link is not crime in directory business a quality directory deserves live & quality websites..
If the site is dead - delete the listing without thinking twice. Cant have dead listings in a directory. Your terms of service should cover that.
Thanks guys for your response. The problem is -- It is not a directory listing - but a..... Sponsor of the first default template of that script ( I was one of the few who started before it was being released for the public bcoz one of the developer of the script happened to be my friend and I volunteered to test it. So, should I delete the Template Sponsor bcoz its now dead for quite long time?
Remove the hyperlink and leave just the text for the sponsor. I doubt the site will be back anytime soon.
Yes of course, you don't want dead links on your site, it's bad for you and doing no good for the sponsor. Leave the ball in their court to contact you if they revive the site.
I dealt with this same dilemma on one of my other sites recently. I do not think that you should be obligated to keep a sitewide sponsor/designer link that is dead. I agree that you could still leave the text.
Your assumption would be incorrect. phpLynx was banned from there. But how ironic it is that they are showing up on the ads for the parked page. Your directory guidelines should cover the basics, including a policy on parked domains or listings that change in theme and/or redirect users to other sites. If it's a parked domain its gone. Plain and simple.
Thanks guys for your valued opinions. I have removed the link and kept just the text of the sponsor as first suggested by CReed. When they revive the site again and contact me - I'll definitely be happy to add it again. Cheers
no use linking to a dead site, it'll be counted as linking to a 404, and will show up as an error in google webmaster central, so if i were you i would delete,.... (the link & the text) ... and drop a one liner to the paypal email address of the guy who purchased it,.... link removed due to policy violation, .. i doubt they'll have anything to say if they've already dropped the idea of the site, ... but jut in case scenarios.... else .... end of the chapt. keeping the extra text on the page will tamper with keyword density of the keywords your marketing for.,.... but if they are similar... your calculations! M.
Yes kill the link, treat it as any normal dead link. The owner is a member here, maybe send a courtesy email, use anything@theirdomain, there catch-all will get the email. Yes that forum was partial to the phplynx script, I was a mod there.
Hello... Yes i remember the forum that used to site on that domain (did a few banner ads on it) was live for 1 year i believe then the owner "freaked out" and shut it down do to the PR chasers or something (cant remember why exactly) but he left 1 page with his complaint and dislike towards directories and its directory owners to google and someone made a thread in this section showing his last words for directory world... Anyway that site will never be back and redirects to a handbag site so... (delete the link) thx Malcolm