[thelist] Linking from client site

[Chris Brody]

Dear evolters,

I'm currently in disagreement with a client about whether I should be
allowed to link to my own site from the pages I designed for them. The
client's webmaster has found that I added a link to my own site from a
Credits page, after I was told to remove a link which had earlier appeared
on every page of the site. I realise that no-one is owed a link, but a
couple things make this different from the usual client-supplier
relationship. For one, before I did any web development for them I was a
volunteer, doing such things as stuffing envelopes and ushering for a
conference, as I believed in their work as a non-profit research institute.
Since then I have done many months of work for them for pay well below the
normal commercial rate.

As it happens, I was paid (almost) a decent fee for the site in dispute, but
I think it is right and proper that I should benefit from having a link to
my own site from the pages I designed. I am relatively new to this, and
every link helps! The project was to convert a printed publication to the
web: as the print publication already contained a "credits" section, I
simply added my name and link to the appropriate section.

Has anyone else had problems getting clients' agreement to link to their own
site? Is it worth the potential loss of mutual goodwill to argue my case?
Personally I can't see what their problem is; for them it's a matter of
setting a precedent as regards external contractors, it seems.

Any thoughts?

--Chris.
www.cbrody.com