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!.