[Gocamino] backpack45.com/camino2 link banned from AmericanPilgrims.com links

[Ralph Alcorn]

When reviewing the greatly improved americanpilgrims.com website, I noticed
they had dropped the link to our camino pages at
http://www.backpack45.com/camino2.html . Thinking this was an oversight, I
contacted the webmaster, who told me it was policy.

>From the new american pilgrims internet resources page:

"Please be aware however that our Board of Directors has established a
policy against listing purely commercial sites, this while fully recognizing
that there some such are sites and services that our visitors will find to
be of great use."

The webmaster agreed that our link did not appear to be commercial, and
passed the link up to the board for review.

Their reply, which I received yesterday:

"Though your site has a great deal of information of interest to the
long-distance hiker/backpacker, including the Camino de Santiago, it's
commercial orientation as the home page of a publishing venture is not
consistent with our policies.  Therefore, we will not re-establish the link
with backpack45. "

It is hard for me to believe that the membership would agree that this link
and its two additional Camino pages do not provide useful Camino information
and  should be banned. We have been providing what we thought was a service
since 2003. I believe that for several years it was the only U.S. based side
with current Camino information.

I think the board is out of touch with the membership, but don't have any
easy way to poll the membership, so am putting this out on gocamino. If you
know someone on the board, and think that they did the right thing, let them
know, so they can be a little more comfortable with their decision. If you
disagree, also let them know.

If you think it is inappropriate for me to bring this up on the forum,
please let me know, off list preferably.

Thanks,
-- 
Ralph Alcorn
http://www.backpack45.com/camino2.html