Posted by Mike on September 15, 1997 at 11:18:54:
As a person who has managed dozens of
commercial websites, I have nerver found
a reason to deny permission to link to
one of my sites. There are two reasons
for this. First, if you have a commercial
site, then you want the maximum possible
exposure possible. Second, a denial is
saying, "I don't want the type
of person who would look at YOUR site to
come to MY website". That is insulting.
It also makes no sense to an intelligent
person who understands humans have many varied
and often (seemingly) "hypocritical"interests
and needs, etc.
Let's take this to an extreme. Suppose
that Playboy made a link (with no permission)
from their site to the Christian Coalition's website. Is
damage caused to either party? Is there even any
implied cooperative association between the 2
websites? No.
(However, that No could turn to yes
if people start believing that permission does
need to be obtained. Then you start getting
people thinking, "Whoa! The Christian Coalition
is allowing Playboy to link to their site.")
Now suppose that there was a footnote in an article
written in the publication that is attributed to
the CC. Did the publication need permission for that?
What about a book in a list of suggested reading that
appears in the publication? With the web, links are
merely those things: footnotes and suggested viewing/reading.
The web is about efficiency. If you can direct the
visitors from your website to other sites they may
be interested in, then a link SHOULD be made. And,
a person should not be bothered with the INEFFICIENCY
of needing to ask/obtain permission to use the web as it
was designed to be used.
The best reason I have heard for needing to ask
permission to be able to link is in the case
of linking to a "private" site; one belonging
to an individual who might not have the capacity
to handle the traffic. Other then that, I am against
having to ask and/or obtain permission to link.
Name:
E-Mail:
Subject:
Comments: