[SteveGerencser]

If those links point to pages that do not exist because they were part of the previous owner's website, why should he have to hunt down each instance of an old link and ask to have it removed? Never mind the fact that we are seeing as much as 80% ignore rate on removal requests these days.

We are seeing more an more of this. I've seen messages from 'Google' with sample links that need to be removed that are from domains that no longer exist. How can you remove a link the Google claims is causing you harm when that domain no longer exists?

The best solution has always been for Google to simply ignore links that it does not approve of and move on. Instead they have chosen the path of penalizing many websites in an effort to 'clean up' a problem that they were instrumental in creating (PR Toolbar anyone?). The collateral damage tends to be irrelevant to many at Google because search tends to be considered a zero sum game. When one site moves down another moves up.