[Meaty Ogre]

Hi, I couldn't find a tread about this so I think it's safe to ask. What are the pros and cons of putting a big list of links on your site. Let me be more specific, this is purely a business question. I'm trying to make it as an illustrator, is it to my advantage to have links to other artists or not? Or does it matter? I understand that google will place you higher the more links there are going to you. So having recipricle links would be to my advantage then, but techniclly they are my competitors, an art director could find some one else by looking on my very on site. You see? Is it better to be well conected or solo?

Most "pros" dont have links to other artist but some like Jon Foster do. And a lot of the asian guys do as well.

[Impaler]

Well, as far as I know, employers usually only screen applicants, not google results. So, if you're applying for a job, the client isn't going to be all 11th-grade girlfriend on you and give the position to one of your artist buddies who didn't even apply.

As far as the professionalism of links is concerned, it depends on how selective you are with your links and on the employer's preference. If you link to everyone who asks, your employer will have no grounds by which to discern your artistic standards. However, if you're more selective, and thereby only link to great artists, you'll look better by association.

Or you could just skip the entire thing and leave a links section off your page. The most important skill of an artist is his ability to.. you know. do.. art, not his knowledge of netiquette.
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QED, sort of.

[spooge demon]

I had a page of links at one time till I got too many requests. You can either

1) add every request

I think someone coming to your page would like to see an edited page of links that you think are relevant to your own. Having a page with a few hundred links defeats the purpose of the link page and does not serve either the visitor or the link-ee. And the problem gets worse over time, so that leads you to,

2) select a few that you think fit.

How do you decide who to include and who not to? Who do you crop? You will hear about it if you do.

I feel kinda bad about it because I see a lot of links to my page around and I think it has helped with promotion. Ah, I probably should go back to #2 and just leave it at that.

[Meaty Ogre]

Thanks for the thoughts guys. I'm working on a new site and kinda like the simplicity of no links, but there are a few brave souls out there with links to me so I'd feel bad too.

I know, I just make my whole site just links only and charge them according to the size of thier banner. That would save me from having to learn to draw.

[ultrahsu]

I just put up a site... its not all complete yet but its got enough stuff in it... I was just gonna try to get people I like to cross link. But I guess it should just be the people you really like that's in your link.
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purE