Should Forums Be Dofollow or Nofollow Links?

[TeamPlayer]

If you run your own forum are your links all `nofollow` or `dofollow`?

If they are nofollow it should at least help to cut down on spam if members know their links will have little search engine value.

On the other hand, don`t members deserve some rewards by having any links/signatures, dofollow?

[temi]

I think quality post (over x number of characters) should be dofollow and poor post quality post should be nofollow.
The problem is determining what is quality and what is not in a busy forum.

[TeamPlayer]

I suppose a quality post could possibly be identified as such if it was a certain length. So many characters, or words, will change it from nofollow to dofollow.

That way it should become more obvious who is posting merely to get their signatures seen.

[odls]

I do think that if members spend time and genuinely want to contribute to discussions they should benefit from links they post.

A minimum post length should surely help in sorting out the post count builders from the genuine posters.

[Party Animal]

Post length should not be an issue. My posts are short and to the point. The goal is to simply to answer the other person's question. If I can do it in 10 words rather than 80 and then go and help someone else then why should I lose out.

I think forums should be do follow. Why not?

[stoneworth]

I will use dofollow forum if i'll run my forums.

[odls]

Post length should not be an issue. My posts are short and to the point. The goal is to simply to answer the other person's question. If I can do it in 10 words rather than 80 and then go and help someone else then why should I lose out.

I think forums should be do follow. Why not?

I understand what you`re saying. It doesn`t always take a thesis to make a good reply, in fact sometimes the more concise the better.

I just think that if some forum owners are reluctant to give everyone the benefit of having dofollows in links the post length idea could be a solution.

[temi]

Party Animal,
I know you have your own forums as well, experience will teach you why a forum owner needs a minimum word when you have loads of idiots who are just looking to run up their post count with post that contain one or two words that are completely irrelevant to the discussion.

Post length should not be an issue. My posts are short and to the point. The goal is to simply to answer the other person's question. If I can do it in 10 words rather than 80 and then go and help someone else then why should I lose out.

I think forums should be do follow. Why not?

[Party Animal]

I do appreciate the problem. The thing is I have been using the bigger webmasters forums for years and never really came across too many of these types of posts.

So I had a look at the guidance notes for one large webmasters forum and they don't allow them at all.

So I would guess that the mods delete them and warn the member not to do it again.

So could an alternative to the larger post thing be tighter moderation?

Just a thought.....................

[temi]

Close moderation is one issue, but in small forums like this, you do not have that many moderators so you use technology to deal with it.

In some forums, you are actually banned for such post.

My preferred solution is using technology, you just deny them what they are looking for by placing no follow on their post without penalising legitimate posters.

I do appreciate the problem. The thing is I have been using the bigger webmasters forums for years and never really came across too many of these types of posts.

So I had a look at the guidance notes for one large webmasters forum and they don't allow them at all.

So I would guess that the mods delete them and warn the member not to do it again.

So could an alternative to the larger post thing be tighter moderation?

Just a thought.....................