random links being applied to text

[The Chairman]

Why didn't you reply with this in post #3 rather than telling us you're "trying it out".

To be clear: ScubaBoard is an experiment. We are constantly trying things out and seeing what works and what doesn't. We didn't get to be number one for Scuba by always being safe. We've had some huge gaffs. While Howie is taking the "blame", I really don't see any blame for him to take. When things work, we call them "features", when they don't we call them "oopsies", "mistakes" and experiments. If they don't work out, we change things and move on. I have empowered Howard to try things out and be creative.

That this has been here so long without anyone noticing that they even had links shows how innocuous it really was. However, as they say: "Let no good deed go unpunished." We have a huge law suit that is starting to eat into operating funds. People love to criticize and miss out on all the good the experiment has done for us and diving in general. While people have accused us of spreading "malware" sites, we have yet to see a single example of skimlinks providing us with any.

If you are asking us to not experiment and to just continue on "as is": it's just not going to happen.

 

[noreastDIVER84]

To be clear: ScubaBoard is an experiment. We are constantly trying things out and seeing what works and what doesn't. We didn't get to be number one for Scuba by always being safe. We've had some huge gaffs. While Howie is taking the "blame", I really don't see any blame for him to take. When things work, we call them "features", when they don't we call them "oopsies", "mistakes" and experiments. If they don't work out, we change things and move on. I have empowered Howard to try things out and be creative.

That this has been here so long without anyone noticing that they even had links shows how innocuous it really was. However, as they say: "Let no good deed go unpunished." We have a huge law suit that is starting to eat into operating funds. People love to criticize and miss out on all the good the experiment has done for us and diving in general. While people have accused us of spreading "malware" sites, we have yet to see a single example of skimlinks providing us with any.

If you are asking us to not experiment and to just continue on "as is": it's just not going to happen.

I have no problems with the experimentation, without it there would be no progression. I just didn't appreciate that links were being attached to my post without me knowing. Today was the first time ever that my posts have been tagged with these links, and I know because I am always checking what I posted after I have posted it. I am not blaming anyone for this, but Skimlinks has been been accused of linking to hackers in the past, whether it be with their knowing or not.

 

[The Chairman]

but Skimlinks has been been accused of linking to hackers in the past, whether it be with their knowing or not.

So has ScubaBoard and those accusations are never grounded in reality. Aspersions are easy to cast about and can be quite entertaining. Just think: Skimlinks is a business that relies on trust just like us. Just as we are incredibly prejudiced towards spammers on ScubaBoard, I can't imagine that they would tolerate that for very long if at all.

 

[D_B]

yanno ...on second thought .. if it's been around that long already without me noticing it, and it will help pay the bills, go for it

... if there was/is a way to make a skimlink a differing color than a regular link, would be good ... if that's possible

 

[Jax]

What is Skimlinks?

I post this link: Skimlinks Review: Get Credit for the Sales Generated From Your Community ManagingCommunities.com

 

[Jax]

It's your business if y'all want to monetize SB, but I find practices like javascript based redirection (so a mouseover won't give the redirection away) to be kind of shady. Also, given that you SHOULD be blocking redirecting, "redirectingat.com" is side-tracking that.

Does anyone know if there is a privacy statement for redirectingat.com so we know if clicks are being cookie'd back to the individual?

 

[BabyDuck]

well, i'm not seeing them. i'm a supporting member. are other supporters seeing them, or is it a commercial we've paid to not have to deal with? if so, yay, because i see them on some other sites & they suck.

never mind, i just saw one, dammit.

 

[SC_Hoaty]

What is Skimlinks? I post this link: Skimlinks Review: Get Credit for the Sales Generated From Your Community ManagingCommunities.com

Thanks for the article Jax. I have not read it all, but post a few excerpts for others so they may also have their interest piqued and read more:

Skimlinks encourages disclosure in a great and highly visible way on their website and as a requirement of their program. They provide examples of how you should disclose your use of the service. This can take different forms and is probably more meaningful where you have some level of editorial integrity you will be concerned with, like a blog or some sort of publication, but it’s important to mention it somewhere on your forums, as well, such as your user guidelines or terms.

One of the markets they are targeting pretty heavily is online forums, where people regularly link out to products related to the community’s subject.

Their homepage shows this example: let’s say you were writing about a product from the Gap. You don’t need to mess around with any affiliate code or even apply to be a member of the Gap affiliate program – just post a link to the product like normal, just as if you were passing the link to a friend. With Skimlinks installed on your site, that link will automatically become an affiliate link.

I don't see where they discuss turning non-links ("I took my car to the body shop") into links (a hot link to a moisturizing cream called "body shop" - which is NOT AT ALL RELATED TO THE SUBJECT) which seems to be the area that created issues here. The product/service as described in the article does not sound near as invasive as the recent user experience here demonstrated it to be. I wonder if Skimlinks is also an experiment, and subject to change?

 

[ScubaSteve]

Dammit I missed the freak out. Can I start late?

Personally, I have no issue with SB trying to make money but I do not want anybody touching my text (unless it is a MOD because I made an "oopsie" ). I stand firmly against anything like skimlinks because if there is a link in my post, I personally have chosen to insert it. Same with the content (Good, Bad or Indifferent), it is there because I chose it.

I am yet again surprised that this has been in place for 6 months because many people spend so much time on SB yet have never seen it. I guess we were all just very lucky. None the less, thanks for disabling it.

 

[DiveNav]

Cease the freak out. It's been disabled. ....

So quickly?
I want to enjoy the rush too :depressed: