You may have read about the 2000 Bloggers Project a few days ago on this blog. I was thrilled to be a part of something so inventive, and it was with great sadness that I learned of its demise yesterday.

It seems that Technorati hated the whole thing. They viewed the project as a massive “chain letter” and were contemplating banning any blogs that were involved in the collage. I still don’t know how I feel about their stance…I can see both sides of the coin.

On one hand, the project had become a massive “link dump” which was really generating backlinks to other 2000 Bloggers image maps. It was becoming a “cycle” with no real value behind the links, other than the exposure and backlinks.

However, on the other hand, I’m inclined to think - “WHO CARES?!?” The nature of the internet is such that things are constantly changing. I understand the value of backlinks…I really do. They should really be earned….not simply “given”. That is what creates QUALITY. But for most bloggers, it’s not about the pagerank…it’s more about the traffic. It’s more about “being part of something new, big, and different”.

The problem was that Tino (the guy who started the whole thing) never intended the code to be spread onto other sites…but it happened. People (myself included) wanted to contribute to the viral success of the photo collage, and reap the benefits of any backlinks and Technorati links.

I really do see both sides of the coin….and I’m really not sure where I fall on the opinion side of the issue.

But, out of respect for those who agree with Technorati’s position on the matter, I am removing the 2000 Bloggers page that I posted on Money2BMade a few days ago. I have chosen NOT to opt out of the project, but I do respect those who have. Therefore, I will not be another “branch” of this project, displaying the face collage on my website.

I’m extremely interested to see what implications this whole situation has on Technorati rankings, backlinks, and traffic in general to this website. I’ll keep everyone posted!