Sure, google pagerank does not mean anything for serps, BUT I have a new site with no PR yet, and I am finding it way more difficult to find sites to link to me. I have found a few awesome directories that only allow your PR to be at 4 or higher to submit to, and many link exchange emails are ignored or responded back with "leave me alone" if you don't have PR. I always see posts in DP about pagerank, and 20 people have to chime in and whine saying PR does not matter. Maybe not to serps, but in the whole SEO equation, having higher PR opens more doors for you. I can't wait until the day sites are contacting me for exchange links, etc. instead of the other way around. Just my 2 cents.
Don't have to stress that much. PR it's important just for link pirates, those who actually killed the whole industry by selling, trading, and flashing their PR everywhere. Too often brainless people who are not able to earn a cent from a decent online business choose to go the easy way by trading PR which is actually a measurement tool, not a business instrument. I'm glad Google decided to put an end to all these practices and from what it seems the things will only get better. Coming back to SEO, don't worry to much if someone does not accept your site because of no/low PR. There are many other ways to build links not only reciprocal linking. In fact, it seems that Google would disagree with reciprocals. Here is a nice Link Building song for you... smile http://seomegamix.com/link-building-song/
Man who "Asks" for links these days? I post that I need links if people want them I get them if they don't they can well jump off a bridge lol. "Asking" for links is at the bottom of my SEO trick back.
Asking for links can be very very good for the right niche and with a good email it definitely make things easier!
I don't agree with to you And those owners of dirs that have this rule i found and belive they are simply morons (all sites starts from 0) Having a Pr doesn't mean quality....
Pagerank is used for trading links because its a measurement tool. This way people dont have to go check your backlinks, where you site in SERPs, etc. They can look at your PR and decide if they want to link exchange or not. So yes, it is valuable for link exchanges, but who link exchanges anyways?
Let me ask this... Do you REALLY have anything worth linking too? SO so so often, I see people wondering why they fail in this webmaster game, and yet they are just following the herds. Give them 300% TOP NOTCH content, and you will have more links then google. Spend about 30 - 100 hours on each piece of content you publish, AND I personally guarantee you will get a pr7 on the next update.. WHY ? Because WHEN you "craft" a page its loved by many and everyone links to it..... Take my advice and you will go far. Publish 10o's of crappy pages and youll be in the forums all day long posting "help" Hope this helps