Penalized by links to your site?

I'd like to write articles and put them at free content places like ArticleCity but I notice that they are generally posted by scraper type sites. Many do indeed maintain the required bio with my links but i'm concerned that I may be penalized by a site that is considered a bad neighborhood linking to mine. Anyone know if this is a legitimate concern?

Thanks
John

 

I've heard that you can be penalized by having links from a bad neighborhood. What's a bad neighborhood? I would think that if a website can be easily found in a Google search than it's probably not in a "bad neighborhood." In other words, I would think that google would penalize the bad sites before it penalized the sites they linked to.

 

bad sites are link farms..those pr0 sites that look like crap and have millions of scattered links

 

You can't get banned because of some FFA site links to you.
Then I can bann whole my competition.

Only that can get you banned are your outbound links, and if you use some spammy technics (black hat seo).

 

But I've heard you can be penalized. I'm guessing that google is looking for clear cases where site owners have paid to be in link farms. But how does google really know if your useing black hat seo or if someone wanted to get your competion's site banned / penalized.

 

I doubt that you can get penalized.
You only don't have any value of that backlink.