# question about posting links to other sites **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 8, 2001, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-posting-links-to-other-sites/75507 "2001-08-08T22:27:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NothingMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b77776/32.png) [@NothingMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NothingMan)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2001, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-posting-links-to-other-sites/75507/1 "2001-08-08T22:27:30Z")
Forgive me as I am not the most computer literate of the TM, but I was curious if it was kosher to include a link in a post to another website. Say “[ESPN.com](http://ESPN.com)” for example. Is there some rule about certain websites ? Sorry if this is a silly question, I just have a good idea for a thread but I didn’t want to get myself or the SDMB in hot water. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2001, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-posting-links-to-other-sites/75507/2 "2001-08-08T22:39:57Z")
The only links we’re concerned about are porn and spam. There’s nothing wrong with linking to a commercial enterprise as long as you, yourself are not connected to it financially. ESPN would be fine, assuming you don’t own the American Broadcasting Company. ---
**Author:** ![NothingMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b77776/32.png) [@NothingMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NothingMan)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2001, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-posting-links-to-other-sites/75507/3 "2001-08-08T22:44:01Z")
Thank you Uncle Beer. I am your most humble and drunken servant. - **NM** ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2001, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-posting-links-to-other-sites/75507/4 "2001-08-08T22:48:52Z")
Just as long as you leave a couple cold ones for me. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2001, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-posting-links-to-other-sites/75507/5 "2001-08-08T22:50:19Z")
Could you clarify a bit? Say a Microsoft employee were to post a link to a relevant technical page at Microsoft’s site in the course of answering a General Question. Would that be OK? **Note: I am not in any way affiliated with Microsoft; it was the first hypothetical I could come up with.** ---
**Author:** ![andygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@andygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andygirl)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2001, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-posting-links-to-other-sites/75507/6 "2001-08-08T23:46:01Z")
I think that it’s kosher as long as you do not personally and directly financially benefit from said link. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2001, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-posting-links-to-other-sites/75507/7 "2001-08-08T23:55:19Z")
That’s my impression, but it never hurts to ask the mods. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2001, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-posting-links-to-other-sites/75507/8 "2001-08-09T01:21:07Z")
andygirl’s got it right. It’s OK to link to your employers webpage if it answers a question asked. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2001, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-posting-links-to-other-sites/75507/9 "2001-08-09T03:35:29Z")
Thanks for the clarification.