| LED Digest 1734: Stealing Affiliate Revenues? |
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================================================== The LED Digest Moderated Discussion List "Effective Online Advertising, Since 1997" pair Networks: The LED's Web Host Hosting and Domain Reg. from a Trusted Leader pair.com for Hosting | pairNIC.com for Domains ================================================== List Moderator: Published by: Adam Audette LED Digest adam,led-digest.com http://www.led-digest.com ................................................. January 22, 2003 Issue #1734 ................................................. .....IN THIS DIGEST..... ====== NEW ====================== --== Affiliate ID Rip Off? ==-- ~ Heikki Nylund "I have a creeping suspicion that someone is stealing my affiliate commissions..." ==== CONTINUING ================= --== Web Ad Trademark Laws ==-- ~ Ian Dickson "...a trademark doesn't give you control of the word..." --== Ad Blocking Software ==-- ~ Mark Rogers "I equate pop-ups to solicitors opening my front door." ~ Abu Haider "Look at how painful having an email account has become..." ~ Mark Whitman "...popups are a sleazy byproduct of a poorly designed web site." --== Gaggle Chasing Google ==-- ~ Vip Milton "It is as if we need to recreate an internet..." ==== BILLBOARD =================== --== Third-party Fulfillment Services ==-- ~ Charles Bennett ======= NEW ===================================== From: Heikki Nylund Subject: Affiliate ID rip-off I have a creeping suspicion that someone is stealing my affiliate commissions by replacing my ID string in the merchant's URL with their own. Is there a way to prevent this, for example, with some sort of encryption? The URL's are dynamically generated with PHP from a MySQL database. Thanking for advice, Heikki Nylund http://www.chitarrata.com/ ===== CONTINUING ================================= From: Ian Dickson Subject: Trademark ads Trademarks and the Net. Playboy and Playmate may well be trademarked in Europe. But a Trademark doesn't give you control of the word, only the particular graphical representation. Now, when using a search engine, do you enter a graphic or a word? I believe that in law you can own a word only if you invent it, not if you adopt one from common language. (And even then ownership does not give control, but does give more powers if, say a competitor, misuses it). Even then it is not Google that infringes, but the site that does so. Or should the media be banned from writing stories about companies. Imagine that Enron had been able to bar mention of the company name. Cheers ian dickson www.commkit.com ------- new post - new topic ------- From: Mark Rogers Subject: Ad blockers > Google already has a pop-up blocker that you can > download free. The only problem that I have seen > so far is that a lot of sites are using pop-ups for > legimate reasons... - Mark Roberts, LED 1733 That is why I use Opera. It has an option called "open requested pop-ups only". Personally, I equate pop-ups to solicitors opening my front door. A serious intrusion. I do not believe people should be allowed to remotely open windows on my PC. I am in the process of opening an Internet retail store. I intend to avoid using pop-ups for any purpose. I do find it interesting that some claim that it has helped increase their business revenue. I wonder if that depends on your market demographics. For example, if your demographics are also the people who respond to spam, then I am sure pop-ups are affective for you. For me, I am not sure whom the pop-up demographics are for because I don't know anyone that responds to them. One of my circles is telecom engineers. They all have some method of blocking pop-ups which is not surprising. What did surprise me however was my recent trip back to a small town in Mississippi that does not even have a McDonalds. Even there, virtually everyone hates pop-ups and most had a means of blocking them. Most of these people work at the paper mill; some didn't even graduate high school. On a side note, I would like to mention what an incredible list this is. I am very thankful for its existence, and for all the great people who contribute to it. I hope one day I will be able to contribute more than just my opinion. Mark Rogers Frame Destination www.framedestination.com (not up yet) ------- new post - same topic ------- From: Abu Haider Subject: Ad blockers It takes a lot of effort creating new technologies, or developing extensions to existing technologies. Javascript and Popups were developed because they offer useful functionality. There are people out there who are waiting to abuse and take advantage of other people's noble work. Look at how painful having an Email account has become, because of the spammers. What is the best solution to the spam problem? Should we stop using email? We all can stop using pop ups for any purpose and find workarounds to get similar functionality. Better yet, lets propose to ECMA and WWW Consortium that the ability to launch pop ups be removed from Javascript. Instead, I will continue to use pop ups whenever I find them appropriate, and make it clear to the visitor that if they want that specific feature, pop ups must be enabled. That would be my humble voice against all those who are determined to kill and burry a useful feature that was created for a good cause. And yes, as I see it, all who belong to one of the following groups are trying to kill it: 1. Who are abusing the feature, and causing pain to others. 2. Who are developing tools to block the feature. 3. Who are using those tools to block the feature. Can we find a way to fight against all of them? Abu Haider ------- new post - same topic ------- From: Mark Whitman Subject: Ad blockers > Let's all be smart and thwart their abilities to use any form > of JavaScript pop-ups. JavaScript can simply be turned off. - Lee Roberts LED 1733 Lee's right in terms of thwarting the use of pop-ups but abandoning JavaScript is not the way to go. JS offers much more than "eye-candy" which is not do-able with CSS, PHP or ASP. As a developer I just hate to see the loss of useful tools because too many bone heads are abusing the underlying technology, in terms of website etiquette, in hot pursuit of the almighty $$$. Having developed many web sites for corporate customers I know that they are typically very sensitive to user complaints, particularly on a new web site or when trying some new technique. If enough people complain about automatic pop-ups / unders and those idiotic ads that bounce around a page, and *never* interact with them, it will likely have an impact on their use. Problem is, not enough people take the time to complain and too many people interact with these ads in a way that reinforces a belief in their effectiveness. > If your ads are so relevant that I need to see them, > work them into your copy. Point to the links within > your body text. But don't overburden me with junk > that has no relevance to your content. - Tom Anson LED 1733 This in my view is the ideal solution for website operators. If a website is strategically developed properly, the user has to "trip" over whatever the site owner feels is crucial for the user to see or interact with. I've always maintained to my customers that automatic popups are a sleazy byproduct of a poorly designed web site. But again, the solution boils down to the necessity that the user complain and never reward the site owner by interacting with the popup/under or overlay ads in a way that makes them profitable for the site operator. Mark Whitman ------- new post - new topic ------- From: Vip Milton Subject: Google gaggle > Paid submission, pay for click, ad nauseum" are simply > get rich quick schemes to drive the small businessman > off the internet... I agree. It is as if we need to recreate an internet that allows free web site submissions to search engines and doesn't allow popup ads. Oh, well... Vip Milton ==== BILLBOARD ==================================== From: Charles Bennett Subject: Fulfillment > Can anyone refer a reputable fulfillment house? > ... what would an acceptable price range be...? - Peter Warnock, LED 1732 In the past, many successful fulfillment houses have been based out of 'non-tax' states so sales tax collection was not an issue. This may no longer be the case, but is worth noting. Charles Bennett ------------------------------------------------------- The LED Digest is sponsored by pair Networks: pair.com for Hosting | pairNIC.com for Domains Copyright 1995-2003 Adam Audette. All Rights Reserved. ----------------------------------------------------------------- "Me winning isn't, you do." - Ty Webb |
