Skimlinks trial on MSE forums

Amilucky?

furndire wrote: »

You've been a busy Amilucky according to you id number - now we know big brother is watching us.

posted the above and more this morning in the inn however it was moved to GAME OVER so I am reposting in the Competition Discussion thread along with information on how to block Skimlinks and Google Analytics
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/35698805#Comment_35698805

oakhouse13

For the people on this thread who understand code (which is not me I am an amateur), this discussion is about Skimlinks' software for vBulletin which is what MSE is trialling as I understand it:

http://www.vbseo.com/f160/skimlinks-com-33013/

Skimlinks risks the wrong sort of links added to the forum in my view, links added to Gala Bingo for example, as discussed in the vseo thread, which are added because they generate a big commission payment.

Also, Skimlinks has an affiliate program. You can sign up to earn 12% so you could sign up as an affiliate for Skimlinks then spam trusted forums all day with high paying links. This is Skimlinks' business model in my view, it wants more links in places that people trust like forums and so called editorial, and more high paying links.

This business model depends on stronger and stronger and more and more misleading calls to action to spur someone into spending money they may not have otherwise done so.

The opposite of money saving surely?

In defence of MSE, it has hosted this discussion of software that most of its competitors seem to be already using. See this page in the Telegraph.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7940153/New-affordable-elixir-of-youth-face-cream-to-go-on-sale-for-less-than-10.html

The source code for this page cites Skimlinks and clicking the link loads an Affiliate Window cookie. Affiliate Window manages Superdrug's affiliate program. If the story had quoted the likes of Professor Liam Dolan, the Sheradian Professor of Botany at Oxford University, who specialises in studying plant cells, who told the Daily Mail last year

"I don't see how plant stem cells could interact with human stem cells in this way,'

would Superdrug have agreed to buy a paid link in the story?

If the business model is sales, what is the point of writing 'editorial' that does anything other than sell?

What happens when it is a dangerous drug, or an Icelandic bank?

jamesd

edgex wrote: »

however, MSE is allowing/facilitating the downloading of a javascript file from a server they have no control over.
they then have no control over the file itself.

that is a security risk.

the virus/trojan/scammers already target adverts & advertising networks
this system, by having the js file hosted on servers elsewhere, is another target for them.

Yes, it's a security risk. Not the main one. The main one is the network of commission-paying sites that people are directed through but which are never seen or disclosed. Any of the sites in the chain could be compromised. That's part of why Skimlinks and all related sites will soon be back in my hosts file and resolving to 127.0.0.1, as well as blocked in a range of other ways. But not while the test is going on, at least, not for a little while. I'm simply not prepared to accept that ongoing security threat to my system and those of my employer and its customers.

Amilucky? wrote: »

do you think the above also applies to Google Analytics which has in my opinion vast privacy concerns

It's one of the largest commercial harvesters of personally identifiable information on the internet, so of course it's a privacy risk. I've systematically blocked it for a long time now in a range of different ways.

Amilucky? wrote: »

was then amazed to find this site which tracks every MSE's users activity
... the informaton on the sites above is being relayed via MSE to Google Analytics who then make the information openly available to numerous sites like the above!

Please provide a source for the information that this is using Google Analytics. It may instead be getting a feed of every post direct from the MSE site via a search engine interface, then processing that feed. This or just grabbing pages and posts seems more likely than using Google Analytics.

Amilucky?

jamesd wrote: »

Please provide a source for the information that this is using Google Analytics. It may instead be getting a feed of every post direct from the MSE site via a search engine interface, then processing that feed. This or just grabbing pages and posts seems more likely than using Google Analytics.

I'm sorry I cannot provide a source as my assumptions where incorrect the two
links quoted do not source there information from Google Analytics

I have altered my post accordingly

poppy10_2

jamesd wrote: »

Please provide a source for the information that this is using Google Analytics. It may instead be getting a feed of every post direct from the MSE site via a search engine interface, then processing that feed. This or just grabbing pages and posts seems more likely than using Google Analytics.

It could well be using google analytics. I've had GA blocked for a few months, and Boardtracker doesn't seem to hold that much information about me compared to Amilucky above. Although it could just be that I'm doing it wrong:

http://www.boardtracker.com/profile/3706/G::poppy10

EDIT: BBCode is borking the link, try this:

http://www.boardtracker.com/profile/3706/G::poppy10

crin

You'll probaly poo poo this but I know it's right!!

Since skimlinks was introduced I have had 9 infected files on my pc. I have only used this site in the last 2 weeks and only infrequently so it has to be something to do with the skimlinks program.

I scanned my pc just before I decided to take a bit of a break around 2 weeks ago. I hope this isn't going to continue as I really wont be happy at all if this is the result.

JDPower

crin wrote: »

You'll probaly poo poo this but I know it's right!!

Since skimlinks was introduced I have had 9 infected files on my pc. I have only used this site in the last 2 weeks and only infrequently so it has to be something to do with the skimlinks program.

I scanned my pc just before I decided to take a bit of a break around 2 weeks ago. I hope this isn't going to continue as I really wont be happy at all if this is the result.

What infected files? I would guess you're talking tracking cookies, in which case they're not 'infected files', not dangerous and are easily dealt with.

Amilucky?

crin wrote: »

You'll probaly poo poo this but I know it's right!!

Since skimlinks was introduced I have had 9 infected files on my pc. I have only used this site in the last 2 weeks and only infrequently so it has to be something to do with the skimlinks program.

I scanned my pc just before I decided to take a bit of a break around 2 weeks ago. I hope this isn't going to continue as I really wont be happy at all if this is the result.

JDPower wrote: »

What infected files? I would guess you're talking tracking cookies, in which case they're not 'infected files', not dangerous and are easily dealt with.

If since Skimlinks has been introduced peoples anti-virus and other security software are picking up security alerts and they have never had them before then it is a concern as not everyone is computer savvy and they will turn away from MSE

there was another report here of someone being alerted to Spy-ware cookies every time they logged on to there computer http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=35703879&postcount=10

let's be honest now the cookies that are being set by Skimlinks and Google Analytics are Adware and Spyware cookies

anyone who is computer savvy know,s that they are nothing to worry about as they won''t actually harm there computer but by the same rule they also know that the cookies are major privacy concerns and as has been said previously by edgex

MSE is allowing/facilitating the downloading of a javascript file from a server they have no control over.
they then have no control over the file itself.

that is a security risk.

the virus/trojan/scammers already target adverts & advertising networks
this system, by having the js file hosted on servers elsewhere, is another target for them

so there is a danger that sometime in the future that the cookies that are being set on MSE could one day actually harm there computers

robt_2

Can we leave Google Analytics out of this? It is something totally separate and used by around 70% of large websites. It is just clouding the issue for people who are not so techie.

Amilucky?

robt wrote: »

Can we leave Google Analytics out of this? It is something totally separate and used by around 70% if large websites. It is just clouding the issue for people who are not so techie.

Ok! will do I realise that this is a discussion about Skimlinks,

last word then about Google Analyltics why is there no mention of it in MSE's privacy policy when it is such a major privacy concern and why is it covert and hidden

please do not answer my question as I already know the answer