Skimlinks trial on MSE forums

TurkishDelight

I think it would have been a nice idea to let people know with a banner or something for a few days at least.

I earn hundreds a year in cashback, mostly from ebay.
Now if I was using the same browser for MSE and TCB I could have missed out on quite a bit due to cookies that I had no idea were there.

Fortunately I use different ones, but I still think it is a little sneaky to not put a note at the top of each affected board.

Old_Wrinkly

Found this on a review site :

Once your site is accepted and you get set up as a publisher, Skimlinks then gives you some code to install on your website or blog. From a list that the program provides, you choose the participating merchants that you want to work with, and then you provide content around their products. It doesn't necessarily have to be all about the products, you can just mention them as a natural part of your content. The program sets up the affiliate links for you, integrating them into your content to make everything look smooth and simple. They take 25% as their fee for managing your affiliate links.

Please can someone at MSE confirm or refute the accuracy of this - as it implies the affiliates are chosen by the publisher (i.e. MSE) rather than by Skimlinks themselves - which was implied by earlier MSE statements.

If it really is true that MSE has no active control over the affiliates, then presumably MSE could not exercise any control over a link in a non 'Pure Money' board to a financial product.

Jenna_Appleseed

little_monkey wrote: »

Found this when i was looking for stuff on skimlinks thingy


http://www.insiders-view.co.uk/moneysavingexpert-increases-userbase-and-earnings-potential/001026

so people clicking skimlink altered links to a site to use a voucher code posted here could end up getting the voucher cancelled (+ mse's commision) and the company wanting extra money after the event?:eek:

KingL

MSE_Dan wrote: »

...once you have clicked a link, if you carry on watching that line at the bottom of browser, you will see the link quickly move through a redirect.moneysavingexpert.com address.

I notice that any navigation within the forum (opening a thread, going back to the forum root, opening a few forum etc, etc) goes via google analytics. Is that skimlinks related or just part of the existing MSE infrastructure?

Of course, opening new threads is already going through api.ak.facebook and static.ak.fbcdn.net ....

so, is skimlinks just skimming user posted links as described or site navigation links, too ?

fermi

KingL wrote: »

I notice that any navigation within the forum (opening a thread, going back to the forum root, opening a few forum etc, etc) goes via google analytics. Is that skimlinks related or just part of the existing MSE infrastructure?

Google analytics has been used for a long time now. From way way before any of the more recent 'technologies' have been introduced.

Wee_Bargain_Hunter

When I click on a link in the 2nd post on this thread to a Betterware product, it opens up a blank page with tradedoubler etc in the address line & in the blue bar it says "click (GIF Image, 1x1 pixels)". Is this something to do with this trial or is it a referral link that should not have been posted? When I hovered over the link it just looked like it should lead to a Betterware page.
Will it be hard to know the difference between genuine links and referral links in future?

bat-out-of-hell

Wee_Bargain_Hunter wrote: »

When I click on a link in the 2nd post on this thread to a Betterware product, it opens up a blank page with tradedoubler etc in the address line & in the blue bar it says "click (GIF Image, 1x1 pixels)". Is this something to do with this trial or is it a referral link that should not have been posted? When I hovered over the link it just looked like it should lead to a Betterware page.
Will it be hard to know the difference between genuine links and referral links in future?

Just tried that in IE8 and it took me straight there, i did not notice anything? what browser are you useing, and do you have any plug-ins that may be interfearing with the transfer????

Wee_Bargain_Hunter

I'm using Firefox at the moment. No blocking add-ons afaik.

bat-out-of-hell

Nope still can not see it on FF 3.6.8, sorry, what version are you using, and is it windows or linux? I cant help as it is working for me just fine, but it will help the site team look into it on monday if they know your set up

Snooze

Wee_Bargain_Hunter wrote: »

When I click on a link in the 2nd post on this thread to a Betterware product, it opens up a blank page with tradedoubler etc in the address line & in the blue bar it says "click (GIF Image, 1x1 pixels)". Is this something to do with this trial or is it a referral link that should not have been posted? When I hovered over the link it just looked like it should lead to a Betterware page.
Will it be hard to know the difference between genuine links and referral links in future?

It's a referral. The 1x1 pixel image is how they collect the traffic.

--

In response to the thread itself I don't understand why the majority are up in arms over it. The main issues people seem to have are :

1. Wah! Wah! Wah! What are you going to do about my 2p loss your crappy links are going to cost me from the cashback sites!!!!!!!!!!!!??? Wah! Wah! Wail!

2. This is all stealth/undercover salesmen/blah etc. The site does/doesn't need the money etc because Martin is worth £gazillion pounds from having his dial in the papers/on tv every other day.

It's all irrelevant....

To answer 1. - Dan has already posted several times now that skimlinks WILL NOT BE USED in the referrals board, so that shuts up all those of you throwing your toys out about losing your 2 pence in cashback.

To answer 2. - How much money the site currently does or does not make is none of anyone's business except Martin's. If he wants to make some extra dollars to help pay the hosting costs or if he just wants to make some extra dollars so he can go out partying every weekend, it is entirely his choice and no-one on here should be holding him to ransome by threatening to boycott the forums/whatever.

The links do not affect the user in ANY WAY but if you click some of them you will be contributing a few pence towards the hard work that Martin puts into the site for the benefit of us ALL. Why people are having a problem with this I really do not know. There is nothing "stealth" about it at all - Dan has been completely transparent about it and explained everything that needs to be explained. You either accept it and carry on as normal or don't use the site. Simples.