NO KEY TERMS IN LINKS ON THIS FORUM

[admin]

For clarification I mean no text or key terms in a link. Just the web address.

Really we have Google to blame for this problem. Google many years ago decided that the links combined with the key term words contained in the link pointing from one website to another would indicate how popular a site was on the internet for such terms (or at least as a major component of their algo). Which it use to in some ways really indicate that, and still does to some extent. Then the search engine optimization crowd started pumping out link spam all over the internet to manipulate search results. Now, most of the time, the only reason anyone would put a text word in a link is to indicate to the search engines that it is the key terms they want associated with a particular site. Thus, they can no longer be trusted to really help people decide what they want to read. They are mostly for machines now.

Users on the internet have also become more savvy in recent years in reading and deciphering urls to determine if the link really does point to the information they want, what is the site about, what is their reputation, and so on.

The more we crack down on links with key terms in them to outbound sites, the less problems we have with spam and general troublemakers that end up wasting our time.

[Ripsigg]

Hate me admin, but please don't ban me. For people who just don't get it yet, here's an example.

Real Information On Living In Chile

If you click on the link above, you'll know everything there is to know about successful living in Chile.

[Another Joe]

At admin,

I didn't know that. I'd always used them just to make reading easier, like linking a post in "here" or in the name of the site rather than the whole code. Helpful info. Thanks.

FYI - If you're in Chrome or IE you can hover over a link and the address will show in the bottom left corner of the browser. I use that to check before clicking.

Ripsigg, it didn't protect me from that.

[Tombi]

Hate me admin, but please don't ban me. For people who just don't get it yet, here's an example.

Real Information On Living In Chile

If you click on the link above, you'll know everything there is to know about successful living in Chile.

I hate you

[Dosedmonkey]

I have always refused to press a link a less it is written in URL terms, so your actually decreasing the amount of frequent web users who will press your link too. I know I can view the link address in the corner of the browser, but its the principle, I want to see the link, and if its a buisiness I want them to put the effort into buying a short domain name.