your views on buying XF "branding-free" option?

Heh.

I was at a general meeting with our (now distant) top competitor. I took great joy to show them our newly converted xenforo powered site in person, it was great fun seeing their jaws on the floor... Having the link on the bottom was icing on the cake (a good thing).
 
Just a curious question here about the footer links leading back to XenForo. What's the stance if you don't pay for copyright removal and instead edit the footer adding: rel="nofollow". Or what ever you need to edit to achieve it. The copyright would still be there of course displayed, just from a search engine point of view you'd have better SEO with that tag added to the URL.

Is that allowed?
 
No.

To repeat my earlier post:

All copies of the Software must contain the same proprietary notices that appear on and in the Software, including all copyright notices embedded in the Software, which must remain unaltered from the original and visible at all times, unless by specific prior arrangement with XenForo Limited.
Click to expand...

Note the part where it states "must remain unaltered from the original".
 
OK, I missed your earlier post saying that. Why such a hard-line stance about doing something as simple as added a "nofollow" tag to it for better site SEO, it's not as though it's removing the copyright link and stopping your forum visitors from clicking it leading back here still? You'll still get the traffic leading back from it.

Also, I read that XenForo is supposed to be SEO optimized and is an important aspect of the software, it says so on the main-page. If that's the case that nofollow tag should really be default in the footer copyright to help stop any page ranking being passed on from your own forum back to here. Also, vBulletin never had any issues with you doing this type of thing, just as long as the copyright was still there seen (as is).
 
mrGTB said:
OK, I missed your earlier post saying that. Why such a hard-line stance about doing something as simple as added a "nofollow" tag to it for better site SEO, it's not as though it's removing the copyright link and stopping your forum visitors from clicking it leading back here still?

Also, I read that XenForo is supposed to be SEO optimized and is an important aspect of the software, it says so on the main-page. If that's the case that nofollow tag should really be default in the footer copyright to help stop any page ranking being passed on from your own forum back to here. Also, vBulletin never had any issues with you doing this, just as long as the copyright was still there seen.
Click to expand...
http://www.seo-theory.com/2007/09/05/how-to-screw-your-web-site-with-nofollow/

Almost everything people consider SEO is just more hype to add to the buzzword (I chose that link because it was 2nd on Google and quotes Matt Cutts, if you need an official quote, let me know).
 
I was pointing out the main purpose of the nofollow attribute. But anyway, while you mention spam links being posted on Blogs e.t.c. :rolleyes:

Ask yourself this question. At least a spam link posted might only get displayed once or twice in a thread or blog entry. The link in the footer gets displayed on "every single forum page", much more than some spammers little back-linking.
 
Don't get the point why some people want to eat their cakes and have them too? If you don't want the link, pay for brand free, if you don't want to pay, keep the link as it is. Simple.
 
My only comment on branding LINKS, is that they really must be allowed to be changed to open in a new browser window/tab. XF's currently is not and reading the statement earlier in this thread from the licence it suggests that you cannot change this. vBulletin's link CAN be changed.

I think it is fine to have the link, indeed I support the idea, however it's wrong to force it so that anyone clicking it is taken away from your own site. Many web users these days don't know how to get back to where they were and you have then potentially lost that visitor for good.
 
Mark.B said:
My only comment on branding LINKS, is that they really must be allowed to be changed to open in a new browser window/tab. XF's currently is not and reading the statement earlier in this thread from the licence it suggests that you cannot change this. vBulletin's link CAN be changed.

I think it is fine to have the link, indeed I support the idea, however it's wrong to force it so that anyone clicking it is taken away from your own site. Many web users these days don't know how to get back to where they were and you have then potentially lost that visitor for good.
Click to expand...
Oops by the time I posted this I see it has been confirmed that you CAN make it open in a new window/tab. That's cool then. Not fussed about the nofollow stuff.
 
Whilst I have done this with other software, I am actually really proud to be using this software, and promoting it to support this companies growth. I usually still get rid of all the little developer tags via payment, because they are what become messy... but xenforo itself... proud as punch to display and brand it, where with others I have not been so.
 
mrGTB said:
I was pointing out the main purpose of the nofollow attribute. But anyway, while you mention spam links being posted on Blogs e.t.c. :rolleyes:

Ask yourself this question. At least a spam link posted might only get displayed once or twice in a thread or blog entry. The link in the footer gets displayed on "every single forum page", much more than some spammers little back-linking.
Click to expand...
However, linking to XenForo wouldn't have any negative impact.

Links to scams or malicious sites will.

Huge difference in scope.
 
For me, it's not about 'being proud to be using a software', I just don't like having it...even in a footer. In fact, I think the copyright link/text offers little value with the exception of added income from customers who pay to have it removed ;). I'm a member of a network that uses vBulletin boards. I've been a member since 2003. They had copyright removal on all their sites and I had no interest or knowledge of forum software at the time. It didn't take long for the software to make a good impression on me and before long I knew what it was. Not because of some stupid copyright text/link, but because of the impression made on me by the software. All I had to do was search for 'forum software' and then check out the results. I could tell right away which one I was looking for. This will be XenForo's biggest asset, once more board owners convert or start new sites. People will be able to immediately recognize a XenForo site, due to the features and it's unique (to forums) way of doing things.

Anyway, this time around, I'm keeping the text/link because it doesn't take up that much space and doesn't really bother me. :)
 
A buddy of mine took a look at one of my conversions in progress and said they said they like it. Wondered what version of vBulletin it was. *lulz*

Thier reaction when they saw the copyright looked like this ---> :eek: ---> :coffee: -->:love:
 
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