Power Dynamics Suck

So many of these backlink deals feel like power plays. Rockstar domains flex their metrics like it’s 2013 and Ahrefs invented morality. PageRank is dead, but attitude’s still alive, and if your DR isn’t 70+, don’t even try, peasant. Ridiculous. But when the playing field evens out—maybe you're both mid-tier, or both scrappy—the tone changes. Less snobbery, more curiosity. Sharing favors, stories, broken links even. Not always, but enough to matter. Seen a bunch of weird examples on andrewlinksmith.com where it flips—owners of monster sites being open, chill, even generous. Go figure.