Like several of my blogging pals, I recently got an email from somebody who claimed to Love RANTWICK so much that it had been selected for a Top 50 bike blogs list.
I did not link to their website as their snazzy image links urged me to, because frankly the whole thing seemed a little fishy to me. I got an email from somebody else warning me of their unethical practices and how linking to them would damage my google page ranking a couple days later. I had no idea if that was true, but I had one other reason not to link or promote that list, because here's what it said about my blog:
"A bit of humorous ranting does take center stage in this blog. Most of it is bike-oriented: How sad to see the bikes covered in snow! How annoying to share the road with vehicles!"
Holy crap! When I pasted that text snippet from their site a "source:" link got added to my editing window automatically! That site must have some pretty funky scripts running on it to do that! If I had let it stay, I could have suffered honest to goodness Google-anger! Oh, that site is scummy for sure.
Anyway, back to my other reason for not linking to them: If you want a one night stand, you at least have to buy me a few drinks, miss Cate Newton (if that is even your real name)! Put another, less cryptic way, if you are gonna use me and my blog to forward your own webby interests, at least read the blog enough to get somewhat close to what it is about.
"How sad to see the bikes covered in snow!"? What the hell? Any bike with snow pic found on my blog is likely accompanied by much celebration.
"How annoying to share the road with vehicles!"? Are you insane? I very rarely, if ever, complain about other vehicles. I understand very well that the roadways are for everybody, not just bicycles. I don't rant about motorists, in fact I actively invite discussion with them on my blog, discussions in which I have displayed a great deal of diplomacy, I think.
In summary, these idiots are being sneaky with their website and using unethical linking practices, but on top of that, they are making my blog look like it is written by some whiny moron. About that, I will rant, because I am not whiny.
Yer Pal,
R A N T W I C K 
7 comments:
I agree, you are definitely NOT whiny. And good for you for ratting - er rather, rant(wick)ing them out.
I wasn't going to mention anything, but I agree with you. I was humbled that my blog ranked #32 though!
I figured it was some type of scam, and I didn't want to take any chances. Besides, I wasn't smart enough to figure out how to copy their logo to "proudly display on my blog". Hell, I can barely post comments!
I agree also with PA, you are not whining.
I get these sticky sweet comments and when I check them out they link to a website selling stuff. I'm OK with them selling stuff but what a sleazy way to spread their name around. It's a little lame on their part to think that someone who reads my stuff would click on their so very evidently shallow comment.
It seems that when I am chosen for something they want me to send money. I didn't think I come off that stupid but what do I know.
What ELSE would bikes be covered with this time of year in Canada?
Good call. I've thought about anti-spam posts, but you called the scum out!
I got ranked too. It seems to be some kind of linking scam. Even stranger, I received a related, sort of follow up email from "Todd" warning me off linking to the site, which made me wonder if they were all in some sort of internet social engineering super-scam. One more reason to use Firefox with Noscript: it's a javascript jungle out there!
More humorous ranting taking center stage.....
Thanks all for the comments. How come nobody is telling me I'm not a moron? Hmmm?
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