I have a publication expressly devoted to highlighting other writers. People have expressed an interest, but few have contributed. I'm thinking of just shutting it down.

That other publication you mention encourages that sort of tagging. It works - in that "Made ya look!" sort of way. But unless it's relevant to the people tagged, it's just a blatant trick to get readers and deserves to be blocked. The publication, the writers, all of it. You can spot that (usually) by the large block of text that is nothing BUT tags. And I haven't been part of that group in two years, so I don't know why I'm still included in those big ol' blocks, but I'm not playing that game anymore. I WILL block them.

There are rare exceptions: a serialized fiction story that I have commented on and WANT to subscribe to, so I can read updates; writing "challenges" by people I've interacted with in the past or people who've read my work and assume I'd be specifically interested in the prompt/challenge.

But don't those big blocks tagging 40 other writers make you feel SUPER special? Yeah, me, too. </sarcasm>