Google can't "permit" links, its just a question of how much it values each link. If Google thinks a link is "unnatural" (for example reciprocal links), it will not value that link as much. How much Google would value a paid link depends on how natural it appears.
i dont know about the PR value but i think the Google Adsense alternate ads spots would be good for clickthroughs as well
thewebhostingdir - I don't really understand what you are hoping to accomplish with your "perfect bid". What's the point of asking here? You are always free to submit your bid to phpbb.com, and I'm sure that you'll get an authoritative answer to your question, with no speculation from anyone. Doesn't that just feel like the right thing to do?
Maybe I'm just a naive fool - but it's generally my experience in closed bidding situations, that most people don't tend to disclose their bids. (my experience being isolated to ME, doing my OWN bidding) It's kind of like owning a business, and having some "greenie" try to come in and ride the coat tails of your success by asking you how much to charge, and trying to set his prices based on your own, without doing any of the "leg work". So maybe there's some understanding individual that will help you, but I wouldn't cross my fingers. As for budget links, I can tell you better than anyone, that we all want something for nothing. I have a feeling that this is not going to be a "budget" link for you. My suggestion is that if you really have a legitimate case for buying a link, submit an offer that's worth their time, or find something in your price range. You would want anyone to do the same thing if you were selling links.
There is absolutely nothing uncommon about PR9 links costing 4 digits monthly. Does this seem out of place to you?
Not true. I have a permanent link to one of my sites from one of phpBB's PR8 pages. I can tell you that it made a measurable difference in my site's PR. Having said that, I'm not so concerned about PR. I am more grateful for the actual traffic that the link generates for me. Vito
The button seems like a better buy, if you have the money go for it, i wish i had the money COuld make the perfect button to generate traffic to my phpbb site... oh my!
riiiiiiiight.. let them keep their pr and their links. I don't care if i was making 2-300,000 a year from online. I still wouldn't pay that much for a link. hell nooo!