Sunday, June 22, 2008

Pulling the Plug on Relusi - Looks Like Brausch Did

James D. Brausch had (has?) a PHP script product called Relusi which sets up a resource directory on your site. It was (is?) for the purpose of building reciprocal links. Links out and links back (backlinks).

I no longer recommend Relusi, for reasons detailed below. Bottom line, if you want to participate in a likely much better link exchange method, I suggest you look up "Easy Google Ranking".

Anyway, I wasted a lot of time setting up Relusi on several of my sites. I wasted a lot of time modifying the "look and feel" - the skin. I wasted a lot of time learning about the script so I could make a couple of minor user aids. I wasted a lot of time making an add-on to clean up the article files.

Then, I and some others discovered that somehow - cause unknown - massive corruption would occur, eliminating many links. So I disabled new submissions to my Relusi directories.

One philosophical problem with Relusi is that there is no enforcement of reciprocity. Someone puts a link in your directory. They are are supposed to link back to you. That is a pain in the "a" for the person putting a link on your site, so most don't do it. So they get back links but you don't. Now, Relusi does request a URL you can check to see if they really did backlink, but that is a pain in the "a" for you to verify. Relusi does not offer any automated verification, other than testing for a valid e-mail address at time of submission. And there is no ongoing verification of even your links out to the requesters' sites. I addressed that in a previous post.

Another philosophical problem is: Are reciprocal links all that valuable in the first place? I don't know. Some gurus say yes, others no. One way links, but enforced by a third party service, look to be a more sound method of getting back links.

Brausch himself obviously does not think much of Relusi

Back when Brausch had Relusi on his main blog, his Relusi directory was a mess, full of spam links. One would think that he would have at least maintained it to be a "shining example" of the product. Now, the Relusi directory on that now inactive blog redirects to another of his new blogs (home page). And I can't find Relusi on that new blog or a couple more of his blogs. 'Nuff said?

Friday, June 13, 2008

Relusi and Other Resource Directories Full of Broken Links?

It is reputed that Google will penalize you if you have too many broken links on your sites. As with all things Google, who outside of Google really knows? But, it can't hurt to play it safe and clean up your sites, including resource directories.

I have found that a huge source of dead links on my sites is the Brausch Relusi Resource Directories (a link exchange program). This post is directed mainly at those using Relusi, but everyone can benefit from finding and deleting all kinds of dead links.

For the complete article, visit my site
Relusi and Other Resource Directories Full of Broken Links?

Some snippets follow, but for the complete article, in context, go the link above.

Because of too many problems with Relusi, some time ago I disabled new linking. See why and how at:
Brausch Relusi Resource Directory New Link Request Disabling

However, I have kept existing links in the Relusi subdirectories, FWIW. Since they are static, over time many links have gone obsolete, cluttering up the directories.

So I decided that it was finally time to clean up the broken links.

There are many link validators out there. If you search on Google, you will find 1,830,000 results for "link validation" (without the quotes). I figured I may as well use an authority, the W3 Consortium W3C Link Checker version 4.3 (c) 1999-2006 W3C to find them...

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Bye Bye Brausch?

Looks like James Brausch is going to "retire".

He's been flipping a bunch of domains for $500, based on his remaining cachet. Obviously beefing up his expat fund (expatriation fund).
If you don't know what an expat is, see:
PT Philosophy and Five Flags Theory
Actually, can't blame him for seeing the necessity of that. He has posted several times recently about the Texas FLDS being raided by the Texas so-called Child Protective Services. Religious wacko that he is, he is right about the U.S. A lot of us non-lefty-loony "unbelievers" see the same problems. Of course, nothing much better anywhere else now. A race to the bottom by all governments.

I guess Brausch figures Costa Rica will maybe last a little longer.

Gary Scott likes Ecuador. He also is a successful internet entrepreneur. Check him out if you are looking for a "guru fix" who actually offers courses and information of value.