I just started my first directory and it has had a HUGE amount of submissions, as I was approving them I bumped into a porn one and have been trying to figure out if i should have adult/porn sites on the directory, or if its bad due to some affiliate programs like not liking it and not knowing how it would affect me as far as search engines as well. This may be a domb question, but just wanted to check with you guys on here. MintyFresh.biz is the site Submit for free no Reciprocal Link required currently, so submit your link! Or for more exposure feature it for only $2.97 moves up $.50 per 100 links added until $14.97.
My directory is fairly new also and as a general rule I do not accept porn sites. I don't know what bearing these site have one way or the other but for me it's a personal choice. I'm trying to keep it "Family Friendly" so I don't approve any porn or certain "Adult Themed" sites.
http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=206147 I guess it is mostly up to you and what you feel, as most big directories actually accept adult. (dmoz, yahoo, google, site-sift, sevenseek, botw and the list go on) If you decide to accept porn sites (many adult sites are not porn sites) you will also need to check them out for quality. A lot of them are spammy and offer no real content for the end users, but keep in mind that most spam these days are gambling and pharmacy.
It just depends what market you want to target, and what restrictions you want to accept. Accepting porn may limit you in such ways as where you can advertise your directory, and which advertisers you can have on your site. People who use adult-content filters may not be visiting, either.
The "bad neighbourhood" penalty in search engines has nothing whatsoever to do with any moral problems with the websites you link to. It's all about whether or not the sites you link to are excessively crosslinked in a closed network. That could happen with sites about knitting, or keeping fish, or anything at all, as well as with porn.
Do you really need to include any particular site if you already have a huge amount of submissions? Just the fact that you asked the question means you question the wisdom of listing the site. All of my sites would be considered family friendly and I try to never submit to a directory that has previously accepted porn or lotions/potions to enhance/decrease body parts. That list is unfortunately shrinking rapidly. I hate that on one site I'm listed among the top listed sites and am surrounded by sex toys, porn, and lotion/potion sites. If you want an adult site, then have one. If you want a general directory I would keep it limited to sites that won't shock or offend.
If i had a huge well known directory i would accept them, but I would also have a splash disclaimer, and any site within the directory would not be allowed to use a direct view into explicit material. It would have to lead to a disclaimer page before entering as well. It's just one of those things that you really shouldn't even have question about until you're a bigger known and reputable entity as a directory. It also depends on whether you are a family-safe directory as well. In some it would make it, with strict rules applied, in others not even a question, easy delete.
You might also want to take into consideration your web host - do they allow content that is adult in nature? Obviously the risk would be a lot higher if you were running a purely porn based directory, however if you start providing porn links/resources this may possibly give your host grounds to lock your account... very unlikely but potentially possible!
You bring up a good point Sabian, I guess this is true but Nowadays web hosts are a dime a dozen and are expendable consequences for the cause. My view of things as i havent had any type of problems, if they would then No big lose...... but another web hosts Gain. thx malcolm