SeiclonatorZ (the blog about nothing)

I don't remember this, but maybe some other members and staff from around that time do? Removing links to sites with forums is something I recall doing since I first became staff in 2004, and I don't remember ever being allowed to link to sites with forums and comment systems. The news sometimes does, as it always has. But the administrators at the time thought it was best to disallow links to sites with forums and commenting systems.

 

Since then, the internet has changed greatly and most sites have a place for comments and sometimes, forums. BZP has become outdated, but I can tell you that the current administration is actually in the middle of working on this issue.

I do remember the links page, but I do believe it was older than 2005. The advertising policy was definitely in place before that. A good chunk of it did have to do with the desire to maintain a family-safe atmosphere, but part of it was also to suffocate out the other big BIONICLE site after their administration and the then-current-BZP administration had a big falling out.

Actually, Deevee, the links page did survive into the first three months of 2005. According to the wayback machine's archives, the page disappeared between March 27 and March 29 of that year. And while it was true that the advertising policy was in place back then, it doesn't appear that it was so strict as to disallow sites with forums being added to the links page. In fact, it seems that all the major lego fansites at the time had links on that page - which I if I can recall correctly was actually where I was introduced to another prominent lego message board.