Skimlinks trial on MSE forums

poppy10_2

MSE_Ian wrote: »

Just to keep you all in the loop. We are working on adding an option to allow you to opt-out of Skimlinks as part of the trial

That's good enough for me. Thanks for listening to your users :beer:

robt_2

MSE_Ian wrote: »

Hi all,

Just to keep you all in the loop. We are working on adding an option to allow you to opt-out of Skimlinks as part of the trial

I just wanted to take a moment to explain how the opt-out will work – it will be a setting in the user CP (which we will point people to)

For those of you interested in the technical side of things (may be gobbledygook to some).

It’s important to understand the Skimlinks Javascript may be cached within a post, so the option for turning it off has to be making that javascript not work, rather than deleting it. So that when you click the link if you’re opted out, while some Javascript will be fired off, it won’t actually do anything, leaving you to follow the link naturally without being redirected! My apologies to anyone I lost with that paragraph. That’s all the jargon.

One last thing to mention. Your opted-out status only affects how you see links and not how others choose to see your links. I hope this helps give you some idea where we are going with our Skimlinks implementation in the near future.

Kind regards,
MSE Ian

Good to see there is an opt out. Opt in would be better of course.

Sounds to me like it is no longer a trial and will be kept in the future though.

PhiltheBear

MSE_Ian wrote: »

We are working on adding an option to allow you to opt-out of Skimlinks as part of the trial

I'd be much more impressed if you made the opt-in an option.

I've got no objection to the board making money. I do have an objection to you making money by converting a link that someone else has posted in the spirit of helpfulness. Perhaps all Skimlinks should be highlighted by being shown in a different colour?

I'm very unhappy about the way this trial has been conducted without a single mail out to people telling them what's happening. It's devious and underhand. And, frankly, it's the sort of thing that ML would normally be moaning about. Perhaps there's a case of double standard here?

Sandoval

Well presumably they know that the amount of people wishing to 'opt in' to the trial would be zero. Or a number very close to it...

oakhouse13

Opting users in to advertising networks as your default is what the Information Commissioner has expressly criticised.

This website already operates below the best practice guidance set out recently by the IC in the way it advertises free guides on other websites but click through and the screen goes dim and you are asked for your email address before you can access the guide.

I doubt the people who contributed the content that makes up the forum, which is not me, did so in order for a line of javascript to be added after the event turning all their shared links into links that pay not them but MSE.

Mobeer

Nice to see a choice being given, but the default should really be to not see adverts, and give the user an option to opt-in.

See for example the work of the All Party Parliamentary Communications Group. Whilst they only express an opinion, not make law, it does seem to be good guidance

Sandoval

Opting in would seem to be the way to go to keep everything 'above board'.

Totality

MSE_Ian wrote: »

We are working on adding an option to allow you to opt-out of Skimlinks as part of the trial

The option should be to opt IN though.

I'm sure if I had the time to Google I'd find some articles from Martin over the years picking up on companies who automatically opt people in for things.

jamesd

oakhouse13, would you be kind enough to provide more information about that? Links would be nice.

poppy10_2

Sandoval wrote: »

Well presumably they know that the amount of people wishing to 'opt in' to the trial would be zero. Or a number very close to it...

Exactly. No-one would ever voluntarily opt-in to this, but a significant number would either not know enough or not care enough to opt out. An opt-out option for those of us who do have a preference seems fair enough to me.