Comments on: Link FUD and Logical Fallacies http://www.techsoapbox.com/link-fud-and-logical-fallacies/ Soapboxing every damn day Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:14:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: ervin http://www.techsoapbox.com/link-fud-and-logical-fallacies/#comment-16959 ervin Thu, 01 Nov 2007 15:52:53 +0000 http://www.techsoapbox.com/link-fud-and-logical-fallacies/#comment-16959 case in point. I noticed my site's page rank drop to 3, from 6 a couple of days ago. the traffic to the site however has remained the same. I've never bought or sold links - and there are no sponsored themes on my site. very strange googlespiel. case in point.
I noticed my site’s page rank drop to 3, from 6 a couple of days ago. the traffic to the site however has remained the same.
I’ve never bought or sold links - and there are no sponsored themes on my site.

very strange googlespiel.

]]> By: that girl again http://www.techsoapbox.com/link-fud-and-logical-fallacies/#comment-16726 that girl again Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:55:33 +0000 http://www.techsoapbox.com/link-fud-and-logical-fallacies/#comment-16726 I asked on my blog the other day whether anyone had come across an example of a blog losing PR because it was using a sponsored theme. I still haven't heard anything. And I'm pretty sure that if Matt could provide us with examples of this actually happening, we'd have heard all about it by now. I asked on my blog the other day whether anyone had come across an example of a blog losing PR because it was using a sponsored theme. I still haven’t heard anything. And I’m pretty sure that if Matt could provide us with examples of this actually happening, we’d have heard all about it by now.

]]> By: Ahmed http://www.techsoapbox.com/link-fud-and-logical-fallacies/#comment-16709 Ahmed Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:41:24 +0000 http://www.techsoapbox.com/link-fud-and-logical-fallacies/#comment-16709 Sort of innocent until proven guilty. Matt has no proof it harms. But he states they do. I say we have no idea what is going on. Big difference :) Sort of innocent until proven guilty.

Matt has no proof it harms. But he states they do. I say we have no idea what is going on. Big difference :)

]]> By: Small Potato http://www.techsoapbox.com/link-fud-and-logical-fallacies/#comment-16706 Small Potato Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:21:57 +0000 http://www.techsoapbox.com/link-fud-and-logical-fallacies/#comment-16706 Thanks for the heads up Ahmed. Although there's no proof to Matt's comment, you can't use the recent Google update to judge it simply because Google messed up. I have no problem with sponsored themes when the author does not require that sponsored link to stay. Thanks for the heads up Ahmed. Although there’s no proof to Matt’s comment, you can’t use the recent Google update to judge it simply because Google messed up.

I have no problem with sponsored themes when the author does not require that sponsored link to stay.

]]> By: Ahmed http://www.techsoapbox.com/link-fud-and-logical-fallacies/#comment-16704 Ahmed Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:56:12 +0000 http://www.techsoapbox.com/link-fud-and-logical-fallacies/#comment-16704 1. FUD is FUD. I can understand people not liking sponsored themes. If that was the argument, I still wouldn't agree, but I would understand. Instead he is fearmongering. 2. Correct not paid - but in appearance they are the equivalent of a paid link. They are an extra link that isn't for the designer. 3. Glad to hear :) And yes - oof discrete math was a pain :) 1. FUD is FUD. I can understand people not liking sponsored themes. If that was the argument, I still wouldn’t agree, but I would understand. Instead he is fearmongering.

2. Correct not paid - but in appearance they are the equivalent of a paid link. They are an extra link that isn’t for the designer.

3. Glad to hear :)

And yes - oof discrete math was a pain :)

]]> By: LEMONed http://www.techsoapbox.com/link-fud-and-logical-fallacies/#comment-16683 LEMONed Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:28:03 +0000 http://www.techsoapbox.com/link-fud-and-logical-fallacies/#comment-16683 A good topic to discuss, Ahmed. =) 1). Yea, as Dennison said, Matt may be jumping to conclusions too quickly. But personally, I totally agree that theme authors should not include paid links which will gain them money in their themes. 2). I don't think it's good to take DD themes as the example. Links in DD themes are not "paid". BloggingPro and SmashingMag, etc. might have paid DD for the themes but the links are not gonna bring DD one more penny. Or I was wrong? 3). I create themes myself too. Though they are not as popular as the DD ones, I also got plenty of backlinks. And my pagerank didn't drop. btw, Fuck Discrete Math. lol A good topic to discuss, Ahmed. =)

1). Yea, as Dennison said, Matt may be jumping to conclusions too quickly. But personally, I totally agree that theme authors should not include paid links which will gain them money in their themes.

2). I don’t think it’s good to take DD themes as the example. Links in DD themes are not “paid”. BloggingPro and SmashingMag, etc. might have paid DD for the themes but the links are not gonna bring DD one more penny. Or I was wrong?

3). I create themes myself too. Though they are not as popular as the DD ones, I also got plenty of backlinks. And my pagerank didn’t drop.

btw, Fuck Discrete Math. lol

]]> By: Dennison Uy - Graphic Designer http://www.techsoapbox.com/link-fud-and-logical-fallacies/#comment-16630 Dennison Uy - Graphic Designer Tue, 30 Oct 2007 23:24:11 +0000 http://www.techsoapbox.com/link-fud-and-logical-fallacies/#comment-16630 I do agree that Matt may be jumping to conclusions too quickly. The word on the street is that Google is penalizing sites with paid links, but is there any proof of this at all? Many sites that DO NOT have paid links still got a lower PR though this could have been the "butterfly effect" of other sites being penalized as well. I do agree that Matt may be jumping to conclusions too quickly. The word on the street is that Google is penalizing sites with paid links, but is there any proof of this at all? Many sites that DO NOT have paid links still got a lower PR though this could have been the “butterfly effect” of other sites being penalized as well.

]]> By: Ahmed http://www.techsoapbox.com/link-fud-and-logical-fallacies/#comment-16627 Ahmed Tue, 30 Oct 2007 23:15:51 +0000 http://www.techsoapbox.com/link-fud-and-logical-fallacies/#comment-16627 Good points Dennison. Yes it *could* go up - but the way Matt phrased it was pretty much 'it would have happened, you should thank me that I stopped it from happening'. That isn't discussion ignition. Its a blatant mis-representation. There is zero proof that a sponsored theme would get your PR decreased (when the real argument should be if it gets your SE-traffic killed). Its smugness that he somehow saved a lot of newbies. Furthermore, the only thing his earlier decision stopped was 'sponsored' links - a link back to the designer is still legitimate. And considering sites like Space.com and DaringFireball got their PR nuked - its obviously a lot more complicated than just 'paid' links. I believe DD was PR7 before, and it appears to be a PR7 now. Good points Dennison.

Yes it *could* go up - but the way Matt phrased it was pretty much ‘it would have happened, you should thank me that I stopped it from happening’.

That isn’t discussion ignition. Its a blatant mis-representation. There is zero proof that a sponsored theme would get your PR decreased (when the real argument should be if it gets your SE-traffic killed). Its smugness that he somehow saved a lot of newbies.

Furthermore, the only thing his earlier decision stopped was ’sponsored’ links - a link back to the designer is still legitimate. And considering sites like Space.com and DaringFireball got their PR nuked - its obviously a lot more complicated than just ‘paid’ links.

I believe DD was PR7 before, and it appears to be a PR7 now.

]]> By: Dennison Uy - Graphic Designer http://www.techsoapbox.com/link-fud-and-logical-fallacies/#comment-16626 Dennison Uy - Graphic Designer Tue, 30 Oct 2007 23:12:25 +0000 http://www.techsoapbox.com/link-fud-and-logical-fallacies/#comment-16626 I agree that Matt's article is nothing but a load of speculation meant to ignite discussion. But still I cannot just ignore that possibility. After all, most WP themes DO have links to the theme creator's website. I doubt it is worthwhile for a search engine to identify themes from non-themes so in theory it works just like any other regular link thus anything affecting a site's link should affect it as well, though if there's any site that gets affected more it should be the theme creator's site because of all the inbound links. I personally Illacrimo, use one of the free Design Disease themes, over at my site (http://blog.codesignstudios.com) and while I did get affected by the adjustment lats week, my PR went back up just a few days ago so I'm not too worried anymore. Ahmed, it may be worthwhile to mention how Design Disease's website got affected by the PR adjustment, if it did get affected at all. I agree that Matt’s article is nothing but a load of speculation meant to ignite discussion. But still I cannot just ignore that possibility. After all, most WP themes DO have links to the theme creator’s website.

I doubt it is worthwhile for a search engine to identify themes from non-themes so in theory it works just like any other regular link thus anything affecting a site’s link should affect it as well, though if there’s any site that gets affected more it should be the theme creator’s site because of all the inbound links.

I personally Illacrimo, use one of the free Design Disease themes, over at my site (http://blog.codesignstudios.com) and while I did get affected by the adjustment lats week, my PR went back up just a few days ago so I’m not too worried anymore.

Ahmed, it may be worthwhile to mention how Design Disease’s website got affected by the PR adjustment, if it did get affected at all.

]]> By: SEO Consutling http://www.techsoapbox.com/link-fud-and-logical-fallacies/#comment-16621 SEO Consutling Tue, 30 Oct 2007 21:31:25 +0000 http://www.techsoapbox.com/link-fud-and-logical-fallacies/#comment-16621 Fear is best left off the playing field. I could point out a few themers who's sites pagerank went up. Let's not get carried away here. There was no evidence Google dinged sponsored themes in fact just the opposite I think this update made them more legitimate. Fear is best left off the playing field. I could point out a few themers who’s sites pagerank went up. Let’s not get carried away here. There was no evidence Google dinged sponsored themes in fact just the opposite I think this update made them more legitimate.

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