If you actually look through the new posts, half of them seem to be link exchanges! I'm sure this is getting worse - the whole forum seems to be attracting spammers and link exchangers more than ever before! I'm afraid that it's going to turn into a Digital Point clone! What can be done to restrict the sheer quantity of link exchange posts and threads?

Yeah, I brought this up a few weeks ago and since then the problem with spammers, scammers and general scum seems to be getting worse.

Most of the posts in the link exchange community are members with less that 10 posts and I'm sure once they have got what they can get they will be out of here.

If its not link exchange its spam or scam ads....The number of decent posts in this forum are being swamped by the sheer number of crap. I believe a "new system" is being implemented but it is a few weeks away, other than restricting that forum to genuine members or deleting it altogether I can't see a reliable way of keeping out spam.

Jamie

Agreed The loyal true (and human) members of this forum need to make their voices heard over the drone of the junk from scammers and spammers

yeh i thinks the ink exchange forum is taking over. i have a new duofold fountain pen made by parker and no one wants to swap ink with me. i also said i would gives them pencils too if they wanted it to sweaten the deal

At least most of them aren't spilling over into other forums. The link exchange forum is like dumpster diving, but as long as you can avoid it, all you get is the foul odor of occasional PM spam.

With the new Google guidelines now published, it seems almost stupid to have the link exchange forum since the vast majority of people there are actually violating the terms:

Don't participate in link schemes designed to increase your site's ranking or PageRank. In particular, avoid links to web spammers or "bad neighborhoods" on the web, as your own ranking may be affected adversely by those links

I think most of the people in the link exchange forum do want to participate in link schemes to try and manipulate PageRank - I just hope that new system really sorts all of this out. I don't think I'd be bothered if the whole link exchange forum was deleted!

I wish there was some way of not viewing forums you don't want when clicking on "New Posts". All the link exchanges, SEO, domain, etc. selling, swapping, requesting makes it hard to view posts that a webmaster would want to see.

Some people brainstorm and code to make a site good and aren't looking for ways to make a few quick bucks by doing very little work.

Link exchanges are pretty good if the site gets good hits.

Originally Posted by romes

Link exchanges are pretty good if the site gets good hits.

If done for the right reasons (traffic) and the links are related and complimentary, and also not overdone, they can be useful.

However, the majority of people in the link exchange forum simply emphasize worthless PageRank

Would it be possible to make a minimum number of posts for members to actually post in the link exchange forum? (in the same way there is for the web hosting offers and requests forum)

Whym that is the best suggestion I have heard so far in this thread!

What if they made it so posts in the link exchange forum don't actually post or commit or whatever, unless the site in the message validates and passes a spell check?

That would cut down the volume a little bit. We'd have like 3 posts in there!

Originally Posted by Learning Newbie

What if they made it so posts in the link exchange forum don't actually post or commit or whatever, unless the site in the message validates and passes a spell check?

That would cut down the volume a little bit. We'd have like 3 posts in there!

I had a little giggle on that one!
English is not my native language and I do have my rare bad grammar moments, but even I hate seeing some of the hideous spelling and grammar mistakes. I know some people might be sincere in their attempt at writing English, but it still puts me off to see it poorly written. Personally, I don't like doing business with anyone that suggests even the slightest hint that there might be some break-down in understanding.

What's really sad is when English IS their native language.

Originally Posted by Moxxnixx

Personally, I don't like doing business with anyone that suggests even the slightest hint that there might be some break-down in understanding.

Um, that wasn't even my point, but it was probably a lot smarter than what I was going on about.

Yeah, that was pretty bang-on...and something I'm glad someone else had the balls to say besides me.

Nicely done, Moxxnixx. Altho I'm not sure wat ur talkin' 'bout. L33t S1D3!

I just took two empty posts with a laundry list of what they want in a travel site marriage and introduced them together.

Fo rilla, like 1/3 the posts in the link exchange forum are about travel sites. Can't these people read? Before making a new post about something that's being done to death before your very eyes, wouldn't it make sense to try someone who's already looking for what you've got instead of making a new post?

I don't think link exchange is about sharing at all.

It's like a disease that keeps spreading and spreading ... there's no escaping it! AHH ! Especially if you use the "new posts"...

Yeah, I'd say it's taking over!

I'd love to eradicate the link exchange forum completely - it would remove a lot of the spammers and improve the quality of Webmaster-Talk overall

We are discussing different options and will make some changes shortly.

I suggest a 301 redirect to http://www.gullibility.org/