[thelist] RE: link spam a new spam

ANDREA STREIGHT astreight at msn.com
Fri Nov 19 02:37:14 CST 2004


This IntelliTXT garbage is really a big problem for users, editors, and 
webmasters.

I'm thinking that a better term for it would maybe be: "content link spam"

It is Spam hidden in Content  and disguised as a hypertext Link.

I Googled "IntelliTXT" and came up with a lot of very negative reactions to 
this "product".

Here's why this crap is indeed "Spam":

IntelliTXT is:

1. unsolicited advertising
2. commercial in nature
3. disruptive of content path
4. irrelevant to topic
5. deceptive (pretends to be what it really is not) [it's not relevant 
content]
6. harmful to editorial integrity of online resource (web site)
7. damaging to credibility of online resources in general
8. intrusive (interrupts user scan flow, info foraging)
9. violates user expectations of link destinations and how links work
10. blurs distinction between ads and editorial content
11. voluntarily incorporated by webmaster into site, thus a known gimmick 
that is not user friendly
12. users are not notified about what is going on, thus it's a "clandestine 
marketing tactic"
13. the link spam could infect more words than the webmaster anticipated, 
making him or her an object of ridicule

I strongly urge all web developers to avoid IntelliTXT, TopText, SpediaSurf, 
and all other similar virus-like ad gimmicks, including spyware tool bars.

Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.


Steven Streight
Web Usability Analyst/Web Artist
astreight at msn.com
vaspersthegrate at yahoo.com
www.vaspersthegrate.blogspot.com
www.streightsite.blogspot.com
www.arttestexplosion.blogspot.com 


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