DISQUS

Andy Beard BC doesn't require links, they just need a way to confirm ownership, which can be done with a meta tag, or using a widget.

Sure there are other options, but those are similar to almost every blog directory, and there is no rule stating you can't stick a nofollow on the link, just like with most blog directories.

I have had close to 3000 visits now from my profile page alone, compared to maybe 50 from Dmoz.

I should really work to improve my profile page as it has had many more views, 12500, than visits

I am only included in a couple of other directories, e.g. Blog Top Sites - I assure you I get more visits from my BC directory page than from Blogflux (who merged with BTS)

Then there are other traffic opportunities, the dashboard etc.

Plus I am not a highly active user, this is all passive traffic. I know it is a 2 way street, but friendly interaction with other bloggers brings subscribers, regular readers, commenters and additional 3rd party traffic from social media.
It also brings links from other bloggers, and I link to them, either in posts or in comments.

Don't forget on your blog to include a notice that you nofollow comment links... how dishonest.

Andy Beard As far as I know they are doing some testing.

Google isn't very forthcoming regarding followed links from user generated content, and at the end of the day BC isn't VC or internet mega corporation funded.
Any dip in traffic for search that might be caused not due to juice leaks, but based upon where they link to has to be explored.

It is not something I am happy about but I am still a realist.

I should also add as Tony will also say, BC isn't about leaching them for links, but the community

Andy Beard Hi Rose

So delightful to see you here again

I found out about the MBL timeline around the same time as everyone else, in an email the MBL staff (I think it was signed by Ian) to ALL MyBlogLog members.

Facebook has been doing a lot of this stuff for ages, and the ReadWriteWeb article linked contains 35 similar services.

One of the things I effectively gave up when accepting some kind of financial compensation from the BC guys for the help I give them as a sounding block for new features was any kind of inside line with my friends at MyBlogLog, who also I might add invited a few bloggers to look closer at new features some time ago, though I wasn't among those because of my BC connection.

As it happens I also don't hear about everything from BC a long time in advance - I give feedback when it is asked, and whenever I spot something useful to them.

Some aspects of the timeline are relatively simple to implement, but that certainly isn't true of all the enhanced privacy and information overload controls that BC have built, which I even missed when I first wrote about the timeline. That doesn't necessarily mean I want to use them on BC, because currently not enough people have imported their connections.

If you read carefully, you would note I made it very clear it is in my commercial interest to promote MBL just as much as BC - Facebook wouldn't be worth as much if it wasn't for the success of Myspace.

Developing scalable web applications isn't like installing Wordpress. I am sure Yahoo have done a lot of work on that side of things.

Andy Beard Rose

In my article there is a whole section extensively quoting from that page on SEW, and also from other references.

There is a good chance that if I have extensively quoted from it, then I also read it.

But then I am also showing proof that as far as is possible with the tools Google is providing currently, that links with onclick can be counted by Google.

I didn't make up that SERP, it shows a link coming from a blog profile page on Blogcatalog.

I don't know why Google decide to show that link, any more than I don't know why Google choose not to show me links from so many other sites.

The Washinton Post situation was totally different, they were selling off-topic links which was obvious with a human inspection.

The links from Blogcatalog are provided free, and lead from a blog profile that is within a category, and point to the related blog.

Blog Strokes The problem here isn't that Andy didn't see this thread, but that you read into it what you hoped to find there. Neither Brian nor Matt come out and say what you claim they do, and interestingly, when Danny questions the point directly, neither choses to respond.

And that develops as a pattern. Every time any one asks a question that could only be answered by resting this issue, Google's representatives remain silent.

The simple fact is that this does not close your case as you hope, and even the least rational reflection will bring you to that understanding. Does it prove you are wrong? No. It doesn't do that either, but a lot of other information leads to the invertible conclusion that either your view is incorrect to some extent or that Google is becoming fractured and schizoid.