What is the definition of "it"?

[Elite Skills]

Could anyone give me a definition for a link farm? When I think of it, I think, well, a place where a bunch of links are located like free for all links. Then I think, well, what's the difference between that and a portal/directory of links. Maybe interlinking? That's affiliates.

I'm confused as to how search engines scan for redflags as linkfarms. Do they just know the common ones or something? It has to be a huge scale interlinking? I really can't get a 'standardized' definition of Link Farm. I thought I knew, -but I don't.

Thanks for any follow ups.

[fathom]

Well a link farm is primarily a FFA (free for all) and in general terms it is easily detectible by the duplication pattern of links... much like how duplicated content is detected - unfortunately the link side is far easier to detect as content duplicated from site to site to site tends not to be linked to each other (all at the same time) - where the link farm model is based on duplication plus linking directly to all carbon copies.

So a link farm is a growing group of web sites that all agree to host an identical page of links to all other sites in the group... the more it grows the easier it gets detected.

[Elite Skills]

That still is like a directory though. Many use php includes of ODP on their site. I doubt the site would link back to the category they're in. If it scans for ODP then that brings to question if link farms can add text generally found in the ODP inclusions to evade being accused of internet witch craft. I'm sure there's probably many other portals that could offer the service and what about webrings(too small scale I guess)?