OP's posting links rather than pics

[SomeonTookMyAnonymousUserName]

It drives me mad when I click on a thread and, instead of posting a pic or screenshot, the OP posts a link to something, ie, how to style this, or what do you think of this etc.

Even if the links aren't dodgy, which I'm sure most of them aren't, I dont want to have their cookies follow me and influence my ads, etc.

If you do this, why? Why not post a pic that everyone can see at a glance?

I thoroughly dislike OPs that include photos. I don’t want to see your ill-fitting dress or strangely green highlights a hundred million times while scrolling through TIO.

So generally I hide those threads.

I don't know how to do that. Can you tell me pls

Gosh. I do. It's why I'm here, well that and the cat photos.

Totally normal OP and not at odds with the approach of pics. It's an either/or thing

There's quite a few posters who make their posts look innocent with (for example a link to a dress from Next) but it's a sneaky referral link.

Don't click the links

I don’t see how a board like Style and Beauty could work at all without links!

I’m more wary of them on other boards.

I don’t mind a link being in the post (although yes intensely dislike referral links!) but as well as a photo not instead! It means if you are interested in looking at it in more detail or to buy the thing you can but without the photo it’s just a random post with no substance.

but I very much agree with you I don’t want a long thread full of links that unless you click on them you can’t see the items being referenced. It’s so fucking annoying!

Actually Mumsnet have a script or code that adds their own affiliate link to product links, so they’re benefitting from the op’s ‘work’ in making a post or sourcing an item

I very much resent the affiliate links to J. Lewis and M. And Spencer.

Tbh I’m not quite clear what a referral link (from a poster) is? I don’t generally click unless the post makes clear what the link leads to - and on the rare occasion when I’m unexpectedly tipped into Shein or Halara or whatever I just click straight out. I have an ad blocker so the nasty things don’t follow me around.

But I post lots of links on S&B. And genuinely thought I was being helpful!

I'm only going on what a MN admin told me once, but it was a while ago so things must've changed.

So if someone posts their own referable link to (for example) to ASOS, mumsnet will change it to their own affiliate link?

If you click & hold the link you can see the poster's referral link address without actually going to the link website itself