Right Links Exchange
Monday, July 24, 2006
Reciprocal links policy.
Sooner than I thought, I've had to do some serious thinking on this issue; I thought it best to write some of it down, both to help me get my ideas together and as a guide for the future.
Blogs I read will simply be a list of blogs I read who may or may not have reciprocal links to me.
Reciprocal links will be people who have been kind enough to link to me; and after having had at least a cursory glance at their blog, and I'm happy to link to them. I do not intend to provide a full reciprocal service, at the end of the day, a blog is private property, and the links I choose to put up are ultimately my decision, I must take responsibility for the link and for the potential effect it could have with respect to my life. So if theConservative Party Blue Labour were to link to me they might get a reciprocal link, but not the Communists or the BNP. Some of these may well move into blogs I read.
Now I've joined the Witanagemot Club, I have to provide links to their members, as their members, link to me. I haven't found any I don't like yet, but I haven't seen them all and the list can change without me having any control over it. Obviously I've agreed to that, but in the process, I've lost a bit of sovreignty over my blog; of course unlike the EU, I'm free to withdraw from the Witanagemot Club at any time, or remove their blogroll from my blog, if I felt it necessary.
Blogs of Interest? These are blogs that I may be of interest, but do not fall into the other two categories.
Links of Interest, that is links of interest to me.
Product Endorsements will be merely links to products I wish to advertise.
Catholic Links, again links to Roman Catholic sites I wish to advertise.
The free speech debate, well to start with, as the blog is private property the free speech argument doesn't really apply. If I was to offer to pay for an advert in say the Guardian with a strong Pro-Life content, they might refuse to run it. That's their right they are a private company of some kind. If on the other hand I wish to hold a demonstration in a public place used for demonstrations, no one has the right to refuse me (in principle, obviously if it's previously booked etc then I must select another day); not without denying my rights of free speech.
If I had a fully reciprocal service, then it is in full compliance with any free speech arguments, and it takes the responsibility away from me as I can simply say, well I'm just going for a fully reciprocal policy. The only problem is I could then find myself having to put up some links I might find offensive and I wouldn't like that, here the private property argument comes into play. If someone in a public place is handing out a leaflet that I think I wouldn't like, then I don't have to take it. Similarly if the Communists are holding a demonstration and I think I'd be offended, I do not have to go, but if the Communists wanted to demonstrate on my property and I refuse, I'm not denying them the freedom of speech, I'm merely using the property I own legitimately for my "pursuit of happiness".
Anyway if you don't get a reciprocal link, it could be I don't know of your link, but if you email me I shall be glad to either link to you on the reciprocal links; or explain why I cannot do so, please be aware that no doubt for some there will be strong personal reasons why I will refuse a link. So lack of a reciprocal link isn't an indication that I don't like any site, or that I don't think much of its content.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.
Blogs I read will simply be a list of blogs I read who may or may not have reciprocal links to me.
Reciprocal links will be people who have been kind enough to link to me; and after having had at least a cursory glance at their blog, and I'm happy to link to them. I do not intend to provide a full reciprocal service, at the end of the day, a blog is private property, and the links I choose to put up are ultimately my decision, I must take responsibility for the link and for the potential effect it could have with respect to my life. So if the
Now I've joined the Witanagemot Club, I have to provide links to their members, as their members, link to me. I haven't found any I don't like yet, but I haven't seen them all and the list can change without me having any control over it. Obviously I've agreed to that, but in the process, I've lost a bit of sovreignty over my blog; of course unlike the EU, I'm free to withdraw from the Witanagemot Club at any time, or remove their blogroll from my blog, if I felt it necessary.
Blogs of Interest? These are blogs that I may be of interest, but do not fall into the other two categories.
Links of Interest, that is links of interest to me.
Product Endorsements will be merely links to products I wish to advertise.
Catholic Links, again links to Roman Catholic sites I wish to advertise.
The free speech debate, well to start with, as the blog is private property the free speech argument doesn't really apply. If I was to offer to pay for an advert in say the Guardian with a strong Pro-Life content, they might refuse to run it. That's their right they are a private company of some kind. If on the other hand I wish to hold a demonstration in a public place used for demonstrations, no one has the right to refuse me (in principle, obviously if it's previously booked etc then I must select another day); not without denying my rights of free speech.
If I had a fully reciprocal service, then it is in full compliance with any free speech arguments, and it takes the responsibility away from me as I can simply say, well I'm just going for a fully reciprocal policy. The only problem is I could then find myself having to put up some links I might find offensive and I wouldn't like that, here the private property argument comes into play. If someone in a public place is handing out a leaflet that I think I wouldn't like, then I don't have to take it. Similarly if the Communists are holding a demonstration and I think I'd be offended, I do not have to go, but if the Communists wanted to demonstrate on my property and I refuse, I'm not denying them the freedom of speech, I'm merely using the property I own legitimately for my "pursuit of happiness".
Anyway if you don't get a reciprocal link, it could be I don't know of your link, but if you email me I shall be glad to either link to you on the reciprocal links; or explain why I cannot do so, please be aware that no doubt for some there will be strong personal reasons why I will refuse a link. So lack of a reciprocal link isn't an indication that I don't like any site, or that I don't think much of its content.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.
# posted by Vote Franco (fdm) @ Monday, July 24, 2006 
