Originally Posted by iandoc

- Are inbound links still important?
Yes - and the more closely related the better.
- Do I still link out to quality sites that don't link back or should I delete their links?
Keep your links - think about your users rather than the engines.
- Do I use any "no follow" rules on outbound links?
I never use them.
- Will having target = _blank on outbound links be regarded as bad by google?
Why not? Unsure of the significance of this one.
- Are directory links worth having?
Yes, definitely.