Linking to This Site

Linking Information

Why Link?

I've tried to make Ian's Shoelace Site the most comprehensive free resource of shoe lacing information on the Internet. I therefore encourage anyone who wants to help spread the word to create links to this website. Despite the fact that people can do their own searching on the Internet, there's nothing like the recommendation of someone you trust – or from a website with related information – to steer you in the right direction.

Creating Links

You can link to Ian's Shoelace Site with a text-based hyperlink or with any one of my small icon images (such as the one at right). See the bottom of this page for typical HTML code for creating links to some of the popular sections on this website.

My only proviso is that websites avoid linking via my large images (ie. anything bigger than the 80x80 pixel image shown here). The reason I've created the icon images is to reduce bandwidth and hence keep my costs down. Although this is not a commercial website, it is commercially hosted – which costs money. So far, I've been happy to wear the hosting charges provided the cost is minimal, and I'd prefer to keep the website both free of charge and with minimal advertising as long as I can afford to do so.

My large images are now stored in a folder called “Dont_Link”, which may change without notice. If you do find it necessary to link via a large image (such as to suit your website's look and feel), please create a copy of just that one image and store it on your own website.

Unwelcome Links

I've discovered some websites – particularly in China and Korea – that have created a single page containing all of my large shoelace knot or lacing images. Any visitor viewing just that one page would download every single one of those images, regardless of which method(s) they were interested in. Multiply this by several thousand daily visitors and my bandwidth costs skyrocket!

I'm also never thrilled to see someone linking with a one-liner like:

“This guy has way too much time on his hands”.

Besides being the most un-original and un-imaginative way of trying to get a laugh, talk about a case of the pot calling the kettle black! These people have nothing better to do with their time than mindlessly visiting websites, writing ill-informed comment about them on other websites, and in doing so, sending other like-minded time-wasting freeloaders my way.

Please, think first, be considerate, and try to either link responsibly or not at all.

Link Addresses

You are welcome to link to any page on Ian's Shoelace Site, or in fact to any page on the fieggen.com domain. You may also find it easier to remember one of the following domain names, all of which default to this same website:

• shoe-lacing.com
• shoelace-knot.com
• shoelace-knots.com
• professor-shoelace.com
• shoelace.guru

These are also the easiest ways to pass on a “Verbal Link”, such as when talking face to face or on the phone or radio. Unless you are one of the few “Fieggens” in this world, any of these should be easier to remember (and spell) than my Dutch surname!

Don't forget, if you're ever stuck and can't remember any of the addresses of this website, just search for “shoelace” in your favourite search engine; you're bound to find Ian's Shoelace Site at or near the top of the list.

Reciprocal Links

This usually refers to a technique whereby businesses attempt to artificially boost each others' search rankings by linking to each other. As Ian's Shoelace Site is not a commercial venture, and as I also like to remain un-biased, I don't accept “link exchange requests” from other businesses.

Those websites that have found their way into my own Shoelace Links page are ones that – like mine – simply offer good shoelace related information. If you feel that your website also offers something worthwhile, please feel free to Contact Me about swapping links.

Note that there are many occasions when it makes no sense to have reciprocal links. For example, links to shoelace knot info may well be important on a rock-climbing website, but links to rock-climbing info would be completely out of place on this shoelace website.

That said, I'd love to hear from anyone linking to this website, as it's interesting to see where it's being discussed and what's being said, as well as enabling me to tailor my website with more suitable content.