Do you think it's strange that someone links your website without your permission?

Question

I have a personal website that, when I checked the stats on, I found out that it is getting hits from another person's blog...the thing is that person and I are not really friends anymore and to be honest the only way someone could find my site is 1) if I told them personally about it or 2) they actually google my name. No way did I tell him about it. And I find it freaky that he is searching for me online.
My question is...is there any etiquette on linking to other people's websites just like that without even asking? Is it right of me to ask him to take off the link?

Answer 1

No, I've had my website for a long time and it's linked from dozens and dozens of places; only a handful have ever asked me. I thought that was kind of strange actually.... a website that doesn't require a password is there open for anyone who wants to look or link.

And about how he found it, Google keeps track of *every* word on your site, not just the title of the site or your name, even if you've never manually submitted it. He may've stumbled across it when searching for any word you've listed on your site; do you list your hobbies, the kind of pets you keep, the school you go to, or the town you live in? He could've Googled any of those things & ended up on your url, not just through your name!!

Answer 2

For a personal web site, that does seem rather strange. Perhaps it's something that the person is doing simply to annoy you, so it seems that if you contact him and ask him to take off the link, things might only get worse. I'd just calmly ignore it, unless you're getting harassed by those who are visiting your web site.

Answer 3

I don't see what the complaint is. If they search on your name and find it, they must be interested in keeping up with you. What's the harm? After all, if a bill collector can do it, why shouldn't a former friend? If you don't like it, don't make your site public.