There is a fun WebmasterWorld thread where a publisher of "design elements" said many publishers and web sites use their design elements they post for free and often link back to them after using it but that link contains a nofollow attribute. He wants to tell them that they should remove the post completely if they do not remove the nofollow attribute on the link. He said it is "unfair" and "not right."
Here is his complaint:
I notice people using design elements we offer on our site which are free and posting about it. But they using a Nofollow. Its not a paid link and there is nothing bartered to get it. I think it is unfair and not right. I will be emailing all these webmasters and demanding they change the link to follow or remove the post.
Interesting strategy. Don't tell people to link to you, they are already doing that. Threaten them to remove the nofollow when linking to you. I wonder how well that would work. Personally, I'd rather have a nofollowed link than no link at all.
A WebmasterWorld moderator said:
I can see several people changing their nice posts about your site to something like "I am no longer saying anything nice about this site/product because the owner tried to dictate how *I* link to other sites."
Indeed.
Be careful about telling people how you want them to link to you, especially after they already linked to you.
Oh, if you link to this blog post, please nofollow the link. ;-P
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.
