Hello MNHQ - a question about automatic links please?

[rhondajean]

Seems that quite a few of us are now having names of online shops come up as automatic links.

Eg(and fingers crossed these work!

Argos
Next
Marks and spencers
Wilkes
Toys r us

Can you confirm if this is a new addition to MN or are we all infected with something nasty?

Thankoo!

Touching Cloth

Well, I'm OUTRAGED that none of my favourite shops are linking.

We could always preformat posts with our own links.

Anyshop.com

Ann Summers

Giant Expensive Brassieres

ANN SUMMERS IS LIVE OMG

ok

Ann Scummers

Touching cloth

Good plan, Oaty. I will try <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=thefagcasanova.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/anteaters-in-jumpers.jpg&imgrefurl=thefagcasanova.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/grinternet-an-anteaters-in-clothes-special/&h=536&w=550&sz=87&tbnid=Ep4mu_KDM7j0HM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=92&zoom=1&usg=__ad88AUOLVmF55PNffmL7k6VWLbw=&docid=Y8rYhaTf9HTq5M&sa=X&ei=XSFsUPOPDPDP4QTgzIAw&ved=0CDkQ9QEwBg&dur=57" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the sweater shop

I've just posted about the British Museum on another thread and noticed this.

Not impressed though - most of the shop posts on here are about how rubblish a place has been, so you're not going to want to inadvertantly advertise it.

Lol at brassieres

Per Una

OOh we are safe. Per Una didn't work.

How about Marks and Spencer?

Iceland

Phew. I am not promoting Prawn Rings...

Can you tell on 'Preview Message' whether it's going to do it or not?

Marks and Spencer

No, doesn't show up in preview.

MN you really really need to make the auto affiliate links a different colour, or you are going to end up with MNers reporting each other for spamming

Test
Marks and Spencer

Just seeing what happened if keyword contained within MN link.

It will change the way we use mn. Because when I used to look at s and b threads, whenever there was a link to a shop website in a post, it was always to flag up a particular item of clothing which was either really nice or really awful depending on the post.

Now all the posts are full of links that are just to a shop's homepage, and have no relevance to the point the post is trying to make.

I'm nor coal. I'm fucking diamond, me.

The first time I saw it I clicked on it thinking it would be a funny picture to do with the thread. The thread was about toilets and John Lewis came up in conversation. Completely baffled me.

Afternoon. Thanks for all your comments on this (rofl at brassieres).

Just to add to Justine's post last night, we're aware that the linking is a bit random. Am not quite sure of the algorithm/mechanics but I know we were keen for there not to be any 'inappropriate' links. We'll keep an eye and see if we can adjust anything.

It's a good point many of you make about the automatic links being the same colour as links you actually make on purpose. We can have a think about that but, at the moment, we're tending to think it's much less obtrusive having them the same colour. Wouldn't two colours (potentially) within a post be a bit much?

As ever, we're grateful for all your posts. We'll keep reviewing how this is going.