Yeah, but that would mean you don't do business with the 1) people who use the coop 2) people who trade unrelated links 3) people who buy links for PR 4) affilate datafeed sites I'm pretty sure you find numerous people who will tell you these are all black hat practices
If you have time for that, have at it. My mods need the experience. What am I saying!? Of course you have time.
I mean the more severe stuff like cloaking, if I click on the link and description and then end up on a page that is different and usually I can tell right away and hit the back button. The stuff you listed I would say are not black hat. Co-op seems to be grey and has some risks involved, that is why I haven't used it for our main sites.
Then who would I banter with when the kids are home and I can't code? Some of the real comments I'm reading in this thread concern me. I consider my sites like vending machines. They are out there to provide information for free and I gamble for a click. The whole premise of adsense is black hat IMO.
There is nothing wrong with the co-op because it is a barter exchange of live advertising links with factors of return based on the quality that your pages contribute to the network. You get back what you put out, what is "BH" about that Debunked? If everything in life did that we would all be happy with each other. The only thing wrong with the co-op is the propaganda and hype that folks create about it.
I think what we're saying is that black hat (which is bs) or not, so long as you aren't doing something morally wrong or seriously annoying, then anything goes...
What I am saying about the co-op is the risk is too high for my main sites. I may take the weight and point it at a new site designed for adsense or such, but when having many new links seem to cause some people problems, it isn't worth the risk for a high ranking site IMO. BTW, your sentences don't make much sense. Maybe you should stop typing until you are sober.
The ultimate judges are the search engines. We can argue about the coop all we want but what matters is how the engines view it now and in the future. Some people are comfortable with it, others are not. Everyone needs to decide what is best for his/her own sites
Well put. I think it is a great idea, but just not worth the risk for ME at this point. I don't feel it is necessarily black hat or wrong, but it appears the SE's may have some problems with it. At the same time I won't be one to join and then complain if something does go wrong like some of the threads I read. People comlaining and cussing people out, yet they were never forced to join?!?!?
I think for the sake of digitalpoint it would be best not to have in-depth black hat discussions. People interested in that stuff already know where to talk about it. Its not like there is a lack of topics on this forum! Just took me 20 minutes to read this one thread! I am knackered. So I agree with anthony's position My 2 cents....
For the sake of Digital Point? This is a valid SEO concern and to just ignore it in an SEO forum is not the right course of attack. Every SEO should now these techniques inside and out...Not to use them but to know what to be looking out for and how to compete. Anthony unfortunately ruined this thread with a bit of bullying with a new member that probably has more knowledge on this subject than most, but it is a good topic for discussion. The majority of people here don't use these techniques, including myself, but it is important to understand them. Just my opinion of course.
Hi yf, I take your point of course. What I was trying to say is that digitalpoint should not be seen to be condoning black hat otherwise it may fall out of favour with a large slice of its audience. Being able to understand black hat certainly has some value but there is the risk that one oversteps the mark from "just learning about it" to then being seen to be "encouraging it". It is not an easy path to walk....but I guess it can be done with a lot of care and close observation by moderators.
yfs1, can I say again that you are full of shit, anyone can see that your ego and that of SE with your keep Anthony out of the thread because we are the serious SEO's and he is not is what ruined the thread, in fact a hell of a lot more would have got done if neither of you joined in with your stupid smart assed comments.
A bit cranky today? Anyone is entitled to their opinion on what's being discussed in this thread. 'Full of shit', 'ruining the thread' and 'stupid smart assed comments' aren't the sort of comments I'd expect in a grown-up conversation...
Go look at their idiotic comments in this thread then give me the words I should have used TOPS......
I was the one that got Mick here in the first place as there are few that know more about this subject matter. I tried in vein to keep it to the topic on hand. Your Contribution in the middle of the discussion If you don't want to be a part of the discussion, don't...Mick said early on the reason he started that forum was because people can't just talk about it...So I tried to steer the conversation that way. I believe its a valid SEO discussion that would benefit the community here. If you think that means I'm full of it, fine
Last time I checked, the DP Forum Homepage says this is a 'Webmaster Marketing Forum' or similar. There are no restrictions I'm aware of as to whether we can discuss grey area stuff. So knowing this is a webmaster forum, anything that's of a webmaster's concern may be discussed freely.