4 replies to this topic

[PoopButler]

2 parter.

1. The term "spam" and sending reciprocal link requests. If I am asking others via email for a link exchange, is this considered spam? I'm not talking Zeus robot automated stuff here. I personally visit a genre-related website to my own (heck, or unrelated if I so choose) and ask that we trade links for mutual benefit from the other website owner. Is this "spam"? I'm not talking "good net ettiquette", I want to know if it is in fact considered spam...is illegal.....and if a web host is so inclined to take action?

Shesh, I'm just finding related websites and and emailing for a swap and I have had a couple people mention they "don't receive "spam." Seems like they are using that term way liberally. Hard to tell as I believe I've heard different US states consider "Spam" differently. I suspect I will over time send out over 5000 requests to other pet related websites in hopes of creating a better pet directory.

2. May I post other peoples website links on my own website WITHOUT asking them? Sure, its done all the time and in keeping with the nature of the web itself. So is it legal to do it, and well....if someone asks that you remove it, is it necessary? Again, not talking net etiquette stuff....more along the legal lines. I'd naturally remove ANY linked requested.

Lost In Cyberspace

[Jill]

Welcome PB!

I don't believe that under the "CAN spam" act (the only legal thing regarding spam email that I know of) that sending a personal email to a website that lists their email contact address could be considered spam in the legal sense.

And for the second part, I don't believe there are any current laws that can prevent one site from linking to another.

[Scottie]

Welcome Poopbutler!

My take on link requests is this:

If the site actively requests links, then it's a solicited email. No problem whatsover.

However emailing a site that does not link out to other sites, offer a links or resources page, or have any other apparent interest in linking to other sites in the industry is, in my book, spam. And a waste of time.

If you have a site that is so unique, so valuable, and so useful that you honestly believe the site owner will thank you for bringing their attention to your site, then go for it. But sending a request to link your catalog-style sales site to another related catalog sales site that doesn't link to any other sites is probably just going to annoy them, not inspire them to add a links page.

You can link to whatever page you want- as far as I know. Unless you are claiming some sort of relationship to that page or misrepresenting the link in some way, there are no laws against linking to another page on the web.

(Although I have seen some very funny legalese pages where companies require you to jump through hoops before linking to their site. Amazingly, there weren't any links...>

[tempy]

Now, I am *sure* that a year or two ago, there was a major company that made some legal case against linking to them, I'm even sure that they successfully sued someone. Probably US based. At the time there was a lot of talk that this would change the whole structure of the WWW etc (which it clearly hasn't). I'll try and find some more info.

[tempy]

Here's some relevant links (hope I'm allowed to post these ).

I thinkt the first two are similar to the one I was thinking of...

http://www.wired.com...3,54083,00.html

http://www.zdnet.com...20209709,00.htm

http://www.bitlaw.co...et/linking.html

http://www.linksandlaw.com/news.htm