Hello MNHQ - a question about automatic links please?

I don't think it's fair to use a website like MN for free then complain when they do something pretty innocuous like this to raise revenue. They have to pay the bills somehow.

Bertha, that is a valid argument and one that is normally referenced during threads like this. We all understand that MN is not a charity, although it helps to foster many charitable endeavours like the Woolly Hugs. However, if you consider its market space on the internet, it's unlikely that a subscription-based model would make commercial sense. There are other, competing forums which are free. There's no strong trend towards paywalls at the moment; I think MN is probably constrained to offering a free-to-use site for commercial reasons as well as because they believe it is the right thing to do.

So this then begs the question of who MN's customers are. Their users or their advertisers? (Not a new question, this tension has always existed in print media as well). Given none of the three can exist without the other two the rest is a question of balance. In this case, I think MN has got it wrong. Converting links we choose to put in to make them affiliate links seems reasonable. Converting random words that may or may not intend to reference the thing the link points to, which may or may not be the user's intention, which the user may or may not wish to endorse, does not.

Bear in mind, MN may lose as much revenue as it gains from the fact that some people find links extremely hard to create (because it is done in an arcane way). A better choice of revenue generation might be to move to more standard forum software so that more people are able to create links to the things of their choice.

Stylecraft
Yarn shops

Different formatting though, definitly but I'd rather help generate revenue and keep mn free through auto links.

How do they work though? Income just from clicking? Income through purchase? Income just from link?

I wouldn't use argos, ebay, tesco etc but would buy wool, gig tickets, overseas travel etc.

If it's made clear on site that "green" or whatever colour links are auto links then why not? you wouldn't have to put up with adds, you'd either click or not?

Totally agree that auto links should be formatted differently

Bladdy hell, nearly gave me a heart attack seeing a link I didn't put there...that's my anxiety nice and high for the day.

Not seeing any links at all.

I'd prefer automatic links to events/restaurants(sp? brain dead)/countries/gigs/charities/books etc

Mind you, on a book/author thread, everybodies posts would be links, but you could have direct access to said book without faffing around at waterstones.

Think of the song links hmv could've made a wad of money

Or cancer charities they'd pay???

Scientific research?? or bridesmaid shops

Benefit threads could be linked to direct gov?? shoots self

Phew.....we can still talk about fruit

I use the iPhone app for almost all if my MN posts. I assume if I write a post including a brand name it will create links that I can't see from my iPhone, but others using computers will see links in my posts that I can't see. That doesn't seem quite right.

Completely understand your need for revenue though.

Should dd have an Apple or Orange in her packed lunch?

Another vote for automatic links looking different to links I've purposely put there.

Thank you!

I don't like it. I just endorsed a DIY chain by accident.

Yes please to the different colour formatting.

Strongly agree that currently it looks like the poster is endorsing the site.

"My concern is that you cannot distinguish between links that are put there by MNers, and links that are put there by the affiliate programme. Could they be formatted differently?"

I agree, they should be a different colour at least.

I don't think it's fair to use a website like MN for free then complain when they do something pretty innocuous like this to raise revenue. They have to pay the bills somehow.

CBeebies
Nickelodeon
BBC
Waitrose
Very

Boden
Morrisons
Fat Face
FatFace
Great Little Trading Company
GLTC

Btw when I referred to performance I didn't particularly mean speed. I meant in terms of reliability, which is extremely poor on MN.

It's interesting that MN didn't consult on the change before it happened. Have you ever thought about having a user group?

It tends to look terrible when they're formatted differently though.

I don't mind it for business names. Not keen on the iphone-linking-to-ebay thing. Especially since I would never recommend anybody buy an iphone on ebay, I work in a second hand phone shop and have heard loads of horror stories.

That's true, Itsallgoingtobefine. I don't think it looks like MN is endorsing the linked-to places, but in plenty of cases it will look as if the poster whose text has been colonized is actually encouraging you to visit the shop's site, so it will seem that she is endorsing.

My concern is that you cannot distinguish between links that are put there by MNers, and links that are put there by the affiliate programme. Could they be formatted differently?

Making our links be affiliate links so you get some dosh - great.

Linking things that people did not intend to be links - not so great.

What if I'm talking about Argos in the context of Ancient Greek History? Or my great-grandfather who was called John Lewis and died in WWI?

MN must be pretty short of money to be doing something so intrusive. All the product-placement threads in Talk already make the site look tawdry, but at least they are in one place. Now Talk as a whole is a peg for built-in adverts. It looks a bit desperate.

I remember when HQ did something similar years ago, so that all sorts of words were auto-formatted as commercial links, with a green font and a double underline, but that was in the days when they didn't have loads of other more subtle offerings for advertisers. Seems surprising that they should have to do this now.

That's odd, I too see some of the links and not others (which I infer that others see as links)

I feel like it implies endorsement too, really not keen.

Oh interesting. I am on my phone and some of those are links, others not.