They’re crazy. Don’t do it. That’s the point of the internet. I do, however, think that questions need to be asked as to why they want the link removed. If it’s a feasible excuse, then its at your discrepancy. What are the reasons? Hmmm… media outlet… doesn’t know how to….communicate.

I agree. It’s a ridiculous request. There is no copyright or legal basis to their demands so I wouldn’t worry about it. I would write them and demand that they stop using your email address, that would solve the problem!

Any link you post is publicly registered, has no privacy, and, barring false or slanderous descriptors with the URL, has no presumtive right to restrict public display of that link.

The reply:

When I recently checked in my Google toolbar for Backward Links for [REDACTED] I was inundated with almost page after page of links to your San Diego Blog and not the many other links that [REDACTED] enjoys being listed in. The San Diego Blog was essentially clogging the [REDACTED] ranking artery…..this is happening not because you are giving me coverage but because you have me listed/linked on your pages….which plays with my search engine rankings in Google. If this wouldn’t screw up my rankings I’d be agreeable to keeping the link up. I’d be crazy not too. However, this is different.

I like what you are doing…just don’t want to be listed so that I can build my site on my own and not have a negative effect on my efforts as it currently does. If you can straighten this out with Google then let’s
keep it up.

Joe, this is not me being a “bad guy” requesting this…just trying to protect what I’ve been building for the past [X] years. If you like what I am doing you’ll honor my request.

Sounds like flawed logic to me — but if he/she want’s to be removed, seems like it is their loss. One other idea, move the links to a seperate page thus avoiding the problem.

I’m surprised a media site would want a link removed. But in my opinion, remove the link. Some sites are written for a very specific audience. These sites probably should have password protection but for whatever reason haven’t gone this route. Links are primarily a benefit for website publishers. The value of publicizing a link for readers’ benefit is secondary. My 2 cents.

his reasoning makes no sense.

yeah, i’m not sure how the fact that he gets a lot of referrals from you messes with his google rank. i mean, if anything, it’d increase his rank, right? i say you remove his link, but only because he asked you to. hopefully, you’ll be able to find a suitable replacement media thingie for whatever you want him for.

Links are nothing more than citations–with the added convenience of being able to click and go rather than having to copy-paste the URL into the browser. This person’s demand is tantamount to demanding the removal of footnotes from a book which cites his work.