There is an ongoing spat between two entries on my blogroll: Robert Scoble (aka Fu*kwit) and Russell Beatie (aka Nitwit). This is how the blogwar went:
- Fu*kwit flame-linked to Nitwit:
Microsoft-hater Ru$$ell Beattie says "M$ SmartPhones Catching Up."
- Upset by anti-anti-Microsoft-hater comments directed at him, Nitwit redirected all links referred from Fu*kwit's blog to US vs. Microsoft: Court's Findings of Fact document.
- "Dave" noticed the referrer-based-redirection and commented:
Can you believe it — there are weblogs that turn away traffic based on referrer. This is bad practice. These people seriously need to take a refresher course in what the Web is about and how important links are and stop screwing around with them. I won't read sites that do this, and I certainly won't point to them. You should let the authors of the sites know that you won't either. If they don't want to be linked to, just take the site off the Web.
- Nitwit fired back with Weblog War #4553.
- I suggested a more moderate solution in a comment to Nitwit's post.
- Everybody ignores my suggestion and the war continues.
As Dave pointed out, refusing or redirecting access to free content based on referring site is an extremely distasteful act. This is the sort of childish technical tricks that geeks often prefer doing instead of communicating like an adult. All Nitwit really had to do was send Fu*kwit an e-mail.
Words are much more powerful than codes.
If anyone wants me to not link to your blog, just let me know. Requests like that don't upset me. I'll do likewise for distasteful links to my blog. If I don't say anything, consider it acceptable practice until I say otherwise. If I am too lazy to even express my disapproval, I deserve whatever I get.
PS: Fu*kwit and Nitwit are terms used within this spat to refer to Robert and Russell. They are not my terms. If I had to call them names, I would pick Childish and Irritable.
Don Park's Weekly Habit 