Plug board (internet)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A plugboard is a script that allows visitors to "plug," or post, a specified-sized button along with a link to the website they want to promote. It is generally accepted that the original script was developed by Starlet of swaymyway.com in September of 2003, as a modified version of a tagboard, a similar script also for purposes of website promotion. The term plugboard is also used to refer to the actual page which runs the plugboard script.
Webmasters can download the plugboard script for free from plugboard.org, the official website of the plugboard, which is maintained by Starlet. Similar websites also offer their own versions of the plugboard script.
In order to install and run your own plugboard, you must have your own web host that runs PHP. Free hosts, such as Geocities, generally do not support PHP. Paid hosts such as Dreamhost, however, do.
Websites that are dedicated to running the plugboard script are referred to as plugsites. These websites sometimes offer their visitors multiple plugboards that allow you to plug various-sized buttons. The most common button size that is used for plugboards is 88x31, but you can also find plugboards that allow plugging of 80x15, 50x50, 468x60 and 150x110-sized buttons or banners. Some websites offer buttons or banners that you can use to plug your website if you do not have your own.
Most plugsites have rules that you must adhere to if you plug your website. The most common are: the website you plug must not include adult or illegal content; you may only plug your website once, and must wait for your button to be "pushed off" before plugging your website; you may not plug a business or company website; and you may not plug another plugsite. Many plugsites will log your IP address, and if they catch you breaking the rules, or spamming the plugboard, they may restrict or ban your IP address from being allowed to visit the plugsite again.
Some plugsites also offer paid advertising through banner ad rotation or through permanent buttons that sit above the plugboard. These buttons are referred to as "sticky buttons," but they have many different names depending on the plugsite you visit. Advertising on plugsites is generally very cheap, and can run anywhere from $.50 a week to $5 a month for a banner or button.
