Skimlinks on Talk

Doesn't bother me in the slightest

Donkey love it!
I don't really mind it apart from that it's not upfront - posters can add their own links whenever they want, and these skimlinks look exactly the same - as if the poster has added the link and wants to recommend them. It's silly as plenty of posts where skimlinks are used will be where a poster is complaining about the company. It just seems underhand.

I don't mind them. I hate all kinds of on line advertising, run adblockers etc but don't have a problem with these at all.

Yy to a paid for ad free version, I'd happily sign up to that.

Moggle how INTERESTING

Let's try this: mumsnet

So what happens if I do
Amazon?

Yes, please put them in another colour. It's annoying!!

(just out of interest)... Waitrose Ocado Amazon Cheese Etsy Custard Spotify Apple

They don't bother me

Tiny request though... Could they possibly be a different colour to links posted by posters, so we can see whether a link is posted by them?

Ah, just typed this then saw it has already been asked. Put me as a +1 for that then

thanks needalittleL

@biwi Halfords/Sainsbury's/boots etc won't get your details.

Skim links picks up data from the cookie that mumsnet passes and notes that it is a 'mumsnet' bit of traffic. Skimlinks passes to end proprietor and end proprieor will note if that click-through becomes a conversion. If it does it will pass the override to skimlinks who will then pass back to mumsnet.

Mumsnet gets the override. Your data does not go to the end proprietor unless the Mumsnet cookie policy has been updated to cover that. However I would find it very unlikely that that data is passed user-Mumsnet-skimlinks-end proprietor as it's a clunky and hacky way of doing it.

By the by if you are concerned about your data you need to look up a service called drawbridge. They provide a service to provide 'device graphs' where by hey pay a service that you might use on multiple devices like Facebook to hand over data of the IP/Device ID's you use so that the know Mrs X uses devices A,B and C. Then they send targeted advertising to all devices

I see both sides - but showing them in another colour is a great idea.

Oh, and btw, for the record MNHQ and @JustineMumsnet, I don't have any issue over you doing this as a way to increase revenue for the business - you clearly need to do something to pay the bills! (And I think this is much less intrusive than all the ads/banner ads you've been running).

I just want to be absolutely clear how it works.

@NeedALittleL

To other users- when you click that 'accept cookies' message on other websites this is what you are giving up

I know that. I'm not totally stupid . But when I go on someone's website I know that I'm giving them my details. I accept it - it's part of the deal of using their site. What I'm less happy about is some random company getting my details just because I've made some kind of reference to them in a post.

There's a big difference.

When I clicked on a link ( a thread on eternity rings, supposedly Mumsnetters showing their eternity rings ) PaidbyResults.net quiclkly came up prior to getting to the website linked to by the supposed Mumsnetter.
I was so disappointed. Was the whole thread so jewellers could advertise???
But Mumsnet Towers took that post down swiftly when I alerted them.

FWIW....they don't bother me at all.

I totally understand the need to generate income and the skimlinks are less intrusive than annoying pop up adds, etc.

damage MN brand though

Oh dear, i tihnk it's far to late to be worried about damaged brand.

Oh yes, I just looked at the cookies policy and it's in there. I still think the autolinks are tacky and damage MN brand though.

the non-paying users of the site?

We're the product, icanteven, MN isn't a charity for which we must be grateful. I don't find the autolinks 'fairly inoffensive' they blur the distinction between advertising and content in a way I'm not comfortable with at all.

I'm glad I can block them. I understand this deprives MN of income but as I've said, I'll happily pay a subscription for an ad-free version.

scumlinks would also be a good term for a story going straight to the tabloids?

(Not that that makes any money for either site or post's author)

scumlinks? That's a bit overboard, surely? You "totally get" that Mumsnet is expensive to run, but slag off a fairly inoffensive monetising technique they're trialling and discussing with us - the non-paying users of the site?

I work for an affiliate programme organisation and am pretty unphased by this (as it goes on without you knowing anyway). fWIW thanks for letting us know about it Mumsnet and if you want me to take part in any user testing I will happily do so!

To other users- when you click that 'accept cookies' message on other websites this is what you are giving up. Your time of logging in, browser type, whether you've clicked through to any other sites etc. Mumsnet will take an 'override' (a commission)) on any clicks that turn into conversions (sales) that originate from this site.

Personally I think it's a fair way of doing it. The other option is having ads all over the site. I know which I prefer.

In the same way that ur ads have the little ad choices logo the scumlinks should also be marked.

I totally get that MNG is expensive to run but this isn't great.

Like is I say "when I was in Harrods last the staff looked at me like I was scum" (didn't really happen) hardly something they want liking to their site, right?

It's the sneaky, underhand way that links are not immediately obvious to be part of this advertising scheme. We have no idea which companies are or are not involved and are accessing data about us.

Hang on - just let me get this straight.

Does this mean if I click on these links, that skimlink (or the brand I've referred to) gets my data?

What about if I just use the name of a shop (as I've just done on a post), without realising it would turn into a link?