[th3g4me]

This may already be taking place for all I know I have spent a few years away. Maybe I am just talking crazy but I was wondering if there was a change in the link list/free site model due to the changes in Google over the last few years and the devaluation of directories, link exchanges and reciprocal links. If there has not been a change maybe there should be?

Free sites are submitted to link lists to get listed so they can get traffic. The traffic in some cases is dropping off partly due to the link lists losing their value in Google’s eyes. If link lists started posting free sites as nofollow links then wouldn't the link lists rise in Google rankings thus sending more traffic to the free sites?

Search engines will still crawl the free sites, they will still get indexed in the search engines and they will still receive search engine traffic. They will just stop dragging down the link lists.