Free-For-All Link Lists
Free-for-all link lists are pages in which links to website can
be entered together with a short comment. Owners of websites thereby
enter the registration themselves, and there is no editing board
to review the entries. Free-for-all sites have (unfortunately) become
the favorite playground of shabby businesses that are out to catch
the unwary. What started off as a good idea is today an area where
sharks and tricksters play their unpleasant games. Free-for-all
link list (FAAs) are also known for offers such as "How to
become rich - without having to work!" and "450 MHz Pentium
PC with 21" monitor for US$ 100.00!". The reason why such
dubious offers are found on FFA sites is obvious: entries are free,
never checked by any editing authority and become immediately effective.
No such offer would stand a chance when scrutinized by the editors
of a directory service. The only way to promote such sites are thus
free-for-all link lists.
They are also used by various dubious operators as a free source
for email addresses. Their unsolicited messages will soon jam your
mailbox. However, you have the option to take legal action against
unsolicited email, provided you can identify the (original) sender.
Legitimate companies never send unsolicited email shots and you
should therefore NEVER reply to such advertising (even less so,
if the offer is at first sight rather tempting)! When replying to
such email messages, you play into the hand of the sender by confirming
that your email box is actually used and that its details are correct.
This will normally result in even more junk mail!
We recommend to generally refrain from entering your website in
FFA lists. Just imagine that you end up in one such list full of
disreputable offers ("Rich over night - no work, no capital
required", "We get you into the top 10 in Yahoo - FREE!"
or "Your favorite TV personality - NAKED") - and next
in the list is your company! What would this do for your corporate
image? You would probably feel rather embarrassed.
An interesting article on the topic of FFA links and program that
submit your site to such pages can be found under URL
Submissions and the SCAM!.
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