73:
93:
284:
53:
83:
103:
63:
113:
217:
The change has prompted considerable debate, much of which revisits points raised when nofollow was first implemented. Critics pointed out that this deprives many presumably useful sites of the benefits in search engine rankings from having a link on
Knowledge (XXG). Supporters argued that using the
383:(Google's link spam expert) welcomes the decision ("for the present, I think it’s the right call: the incentive to create spammy links on Knowledge (XXG) has been massively reduced"), while cautiously prodding for Knowledge (XXG) to "find ways to remove nofollow from links that are more trusted":
177:. Since its introduction, it has been enabled for nearly all Knowledge (XXG) languages, but for a long time remained disabled for encyclopedia articles on the English Knowledge (XXG). At the outset, there was a lot of discussion about how and where to apply the tag, including
232:
in search engines, so that it now "takes from the communities but doesn’t give back". Lenssen argued in favor of more sophisticated applications of the tag, such as time-sensitive removal for links that remain long enough to have been reviewed for usefulness. Google's
153:
as it browses the links on a webpage. Its effect is that the link is not considered when the search engine algorithm ranks sites in order to produce its results. The tag was announced two years ago by the three largest search portals,
184:
on the subject. The developers made clear that it would remain at least on "unattended" wikis that were vulnerable to spam, but Wales expressed the opinion that it should be turned off for the
English Knowledge (XXG).
229:
328:
266:
333:
270:
188:
As a result of this discussion, the use of the nofollow tag was suspended on the
English Knowledge (XXG). After a patch was added to MediaWiki in 2006, allowing the tag to be enabled selectively by
318:
258:
39:
359:
214:", it prompted the creation of a Knowledge (XXG) article for the term. When an edit war about the contest ensued, the article was ultimately protected for the duration of the competition.
135:
323:
262:
313:
254:
295:
480:
21:
203:
explained that Wales had requested the switch. He also mentioned reports of edits that were adding external links in hopes of boosting sites competing in a
456:
210:
A similar contest held in 2004 already spilled over into
Knowledge (XXG). Offering a prize for the top position in a Google search on the made-up phrase "
451:
446:
301:
56:
240:
that
Knowledge (XXG) could develop better methods of handling the issue in the future, but said that in his view this action was "the right call".
441:
228:
with the move, arguing that it was actually poor etiquette for
Knowledge (XXG) because outside links are part of why Knowledge (XXG)
436:
283:
166:. Originally implemented as a measure to deter spam on blogs, it was also supported by a number of leading blog software producers.
17:
149:
The nofollow tag (the attribute rel="nofollow" added to a hyperlink) serves as an instruction for the search engine's
174:
204:
462:
407:
391:
192:, nofollow was then applied to the English Knowledge (XXG) except for actual articles in the encyclopedia.
173:
software, the tag was added soon after the initial announcement and is part of the default code applied to
189:
181:
388:
66:
355:
200:
146:
reversed his previous position that the feature should be disabled on
Knowledge (XXG) itself.
126:
86:
143:
384:
237:
196:
96:
225:
116:
404:
400:
218:
tag is part of good citizenship in the general effort to combat spam on the internet.
474:
222:
139:
106:
211:
150:
76:
380:
234:
170:
178:
424:
159:
155:
428:
420:
199:
the latest change to full use of nofollow, Chief
Technical Officer
163:
282:
385:
http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/what-did-i-miss-last-week/
371:
364:
344:
379:
Too late to mention here, but it is noteworthy that
401:
http://slashdot.org/articles/07/01/22/1840214.shtml
369:If your comment has not appeared here, you can try
34:
Knowledge (XXG) modifies handling of "nofollow" tag
142:implemented throughout the site. This came after
138:to discourage spam, Knowledge (XXG) now has the
8:
481:Knowledge (XXG) Signpost archives 2007-01
18:Knowledge (XXG):Knowledge (XXG) Signpost
372:
348:
33:
7:
221:In a different take on the issue,
28:
354:These comments are automatically
111:
101:
91:
81:
71:
61:
51:
365:add the page to your watchlist
1:
408:14:07, 23 January 2007 (UTC)
392:12:55, 23 January 2007 (UTC)
497:
205:search engine optimization
226:expressed disappointment
134:As an extension of its
362:. To follow comments,
287:
286:
212:nigritude ultramarine
358:from this article's
238:expressed confidence
329:Features and admins
267:Features and admins
249:Also this week: —
349:Discuss this story
334:Arbitration report
288:
373:purging the cache
274:
488:
465:
396:Also on Slashdot
376:
374:
368:
347:
306:
298:
291:
247:
136:previous efforts
129:
115:
114:
105:
104:
95:
94:
85:
84:
75:
74:
65:
64:
55:
54:
496:
495:
491:
490:
489:
487:
486:
485:
471:
470:
469:
468:
467:
466:
461:
459:
454:
449:
444:
439:
432:
412:
411:
398:
378:
370:
363:
352:
351:
345:+ Add a comment
343:
339:
338:
337:
299:
296:22 January 2007
294:
292:
289:
277:
276:
275:
223:Philipp Lenssen
131:
130:
124:
123:
122:
121:
112:
102:
92:
82:
72:
62:
52:
46:
43:
32:
26:
25:
24:
12:
11:
5:
494:
492:
484:
483:
473:
472:
460:
455:
450:
445:
440:
435:
434:
433:
414:
413:
410:
397:
394:
389:High on a tree
353:
350:
342:
341:
340:
336:
331:
326:
321:
319:News and notes
316:
311:
305:
293:
281:
280:
279:
278:
263:Press coverage
259:News and notes
246:
245:
243:
175:external links
132:
120:
119:
109:
99:
89:
79:
69:
59:
48:
47:
44:
38:
37:
36:
35:
30:
29:
27:
15:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
493:
482:
479:
478:
476:
464:
458:
453:
448:
443:
438:
430:
426:
422:
418:
415:Keep up with
409:
406:
403:
402:
395:
393:
390:
386:
382:
375:
366:
361:
357:
346:
335:
332:
330:
327:
325:
322:
320:
317:
315:
312:
310:
307:
303:
297:
290:In this issue
285:
273:
272:
268:
264:
260:
256:
252:
244:
241:
239:
236:
231:
230:ranks so well
227:
224:
219:
215:
213:
208:
206:
202:
198:
193:
191:
186:
183:
180:
176:
172:
167:
165:
161:
157:
152:
147:
145:
141:
137:
128:
118:
110:
108:
100:
98:
90:
88:
80:
78:
70:
68:
60:
58:
50:
49:
41:
23:
19:
417:The Signpost
416:
399:
308:
302:all comments
250:
248:
242:
220:
216:
209:
201:Brion Vibber
194:
187:
168:
148:
140:nofollow tag
133:
127:Michael Snow
57:PDF download
463:Suggestions
356:transcluded
324:In the news
271:Arbitration
144:Jimbo Wales
107:X (Twitter)
381:Matt Cutts
235:Matt Cutts
197:confirming
45:Share this
40:Contribute
22:2007-01-22
457:Subscribe
405:Alan2here
387:Regards,
360:talk page
314:WikiWorld
255:WikiWorld
207:contest.
190:namespace
171:MediaWiki
475:Category
452:Newsroom
447:Archives
429:Mastodon
425:Facebook
309:Nofollow
251:Nofollow
97:Facebook
87:LinkedIn
77:Mastodon
31:Nofollow
20: |
421:Twitter
169:In the
162:, and
160:Yahoo!
156:Google
151:spider
117:Reddit
67:E-mail
442:About
182:polls
16:<
437:Home
427:or
419:on
195:In
179:two
164:MSN
125:By
42:—
477::
423:,
269:—
265:—
261:—
257:—
253:—
158:,
431:.
377:.
367:.
304:)
300:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.