It's funny to look back at the history of the website. Seeing what they started out as, and following the series of events that has led us to what we have now. Needless to say it's like comparing T-Fords to Prius's (for you car lovers).

I remember when Flash was first introduced as a tool for web design. You literally couldn't visit a site without having to view a Flash intro. Now, Flash is mostly seen as a hindrance -- a loading screen, perish the thought. These days it's all about accessibility and amount of information. Design still matters, but it's not the alpha concern anymore.

We mostly have Google to thank for this new mindset, or Yahoo if you want to debate history. Now that information, links, and page rank rule the day (with social media entering the ring), the rules are constantly changing. At a pace that can be sometimes difficult to keep up with.

Mike McDonald of WebProNews has written an article about an impending change that Google will be coming forward with. In essence, changing the rules. It concerns no-follow links and how they're shaping the world of search. To paraphrase, Google doesn't like it too much.

If you're an expert of no-follow links then you know they can be a powerful tool. Especially if you're trying to put one specific portion of a website front-and-center. This is particularly useful to brands who are selling a product, or trying to funnel the site's traffic to one specific location. Again, Google doesn't like that too much. Which means we could be seeing stiff penalties coming towards no-follow links in the future.

I don't want to get into the debate of whether Google is in the right or not. I just wanted to perhaps extend my sympathies to all you SEO, and design experts. The changes seem to be more frequent, and coming at speeds not seen in any professional area before.

Are you a user of no-follow links? If so, what is your reaction to this news? Is Google too frequent with their algorithm, and system changes?

The ideas presented in the WebProWorld newsletter editor's note do not reflect the thoughts, and ideas of the WebProWorld community.

| JohnnyV |