While on the subject of articles vs. link building

[mikebrad]

First, a basic question.
If I write articles for open distribution on the web, should I also include those articles on my site? Or, would that be a bad idea, due to duplicate content penalties?

Second, which would be more important:
Trying to get backlinks through those articles or building my sites content?

I see the value in content but I also see the value in backlinks. Which do you think is more important?

[Rice]

I like the background on your website.

I didn't want to be the one to say it.......................but you might want to change the background unless you got permission from XXXXXXX.com to use it.

Nice site, but trust me, someone else was inevetibly going to bring this up as your background is identical to (well you know who) B)

[NeverBeg]

sorry did he take the background off, which one was it? If someone is allowed to say...

first, ya change it. not a battle you want to get in.

second your site looks great (except the very top, the buttons overlay)

to the question, you don't want to link because then its dup content correct? (PPP)

I think you might want to do like 70% your content 30% outside content for linkbacks. once you get a lot of content you scan skew it either way

[mikebrad]

background changed.......will create a better one asap.

As for the layout of the site, it's been fixed as well. I'm not quite ready to promote this site, full force, I still have lots of updates and content to add.

I was sort of asking a general question, not necessarily pertaining to my site, though.

Jeremy, you were absolutely right about the background though, I shouldn't have "borrowed" it. I was a bit naive when I first started designing this site and, honestly, I shouldn't have done it and I should have removed it once I realized it was wrong.