Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Site stuff

Join our Innovation Panel to try new features early and help make Mumsnet better.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

MNHQ

Skimlinks on Talk

462 replies

AmyGMumsnet · 03/02/2017 18:54

Hi folks,

Some of you might have spotted a few more links in discussions across the site - this is because we're testing out a programme called Skimlinks, which auto-converts some of your brand mentions into links.

This makes it easier for you to have a look at products that other MNers happen to mention on the boards, and, if you decide to make a purchase from one of these links, Mumsnet benefits from a small commission.

Thanks all - let us know if you experience any issues that you think might be related.

MNHQ

OP posts:
Thread gallery
12
tribpot · 19/02/2017 17:51

A 'freemium' model in which you pay to remove ads is very common in the app marketplace. It would give MN users a better choice about how to support the platform.

peaceout · 19/02/2017 17:52

this is not the same as a site which uses ads to pay the journalists and writers who create the content.
Or a podcast where you can pay to get extra or ad free content.
We are the writers and we create the network and the content

paxillin · 19/02/2017 17:54

I don't understand why Mumsnet doesn't keep it free with ads for those that want it that way, and a paid for version without ads for those who hate the ads and are happy to pay.

Yes, that might work if enough people paid rather than just used ad blockers to get it for free and without ads.

Maybe we could keep Chocolate emojis for all, but you get a Green & Black emoji if you pay a little and Artisan du Chocolat if you pay a lot?

tribpot · 19/02/2017 18:03

MN could force (or at least repeatedly prompt) for ad blockers to whitelist the site, the way an increasing number of newspaper sites do. And as noted above, Ad Blockers don't stop your own content being monetised, you just can't see when it does.

That said, I agree with peaceout. Whenever this type of change happens, we come up against the fact that the vast majority of the website's content is user generated. We are both the product and a consumer.

olderthanyouthink · 19/02/2017 18:09

I'm waiting for the "we see that you are using ad blocker, please disable it"

peaceout · 19/02/2017 18:16

when I point that out Tribpot the response is often 'but we're just on here messing about, we're not working
and that is true, but all the socialising has created a very valuable resource, a community that people flock to for all sorts of things, to vent, have a laugh, a row, for support and handholding.

Obviously the managment recognise the value of the community but when they try to extract a profit it just leaves a bad taste for me.
It begins to feel like all the other labours of love that women do for free which are actually very valuable but never properly acknowledged.

There is often a feeling that we should be grateful to mnhq for letting us use the site, that we shouldnt complain because if not for the ads we would have to pay for the service that MN provides.
MN is a facilitator extracting money from the content generated by the members

lougle · 19/02/2017 18:29

So some words make a link and others don't? I take it Nestlé doesn't? Because that would be awkward. I'm not a fan of skimlinks.

tribpot · 19/02/2017 18:55

I wonder if MN charge for webchats, particularly where the webchatter has a product to push, e.g. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. This should be a fairly lucrative form of advertising - MN does have a huge userbase and that is its major selling point as you say, peaceout.

I often link users to moneysavingexpert.com and fool.co.uk, both of which have very lively talkboards but as an add-on to the information part of the website, not the main content. Pistonheads similarly has a mix of editorial, forum and classified ads.

Perhaps it would be helpful to understand how close to the margins MN is. Its accounts are available on Companies House and the company made £2m in profit last year - as opposed to £3 million plus for MSE (although I have only glanced at the account filings and MSE appear not to have paid any tax, I'm sure I've misunderstood that!)

From that crude comparison, MN is lagging behind. MSE has lots of (very clearly indicated) affiliate links in its editorial content, I'm sure MN could generate more revenue that way, instead of embedding affiliate links in our content.

MistressMerryWeather · 19/02/2017 18:56

car door

MistressMerryWeather · 19/02/2017 18:56

Sorry just testing.

That's a weird one. :o

peaceout · 19/02/2017 18:58

we dont know which words do and dont generate a link, presumably they are starting off on a small scale, and will then ramp it up as we get used to it.
Of course it's just to make life easier for those who contribute to the forumHmm
'This makes it easier for you to have a look at products that other MNers happen to mention on the boards'
this is bullshit....totally disingenuous, the purpose is to make a profit from peoples posts on here

GrumpyOldBag · 19/02/2017 18:59

It's ridiculous. If you go to the eBay message board, every time that website is mentioned it converts to a live link.

I think we all know what that website does, or we wouldn't be posting on that particular board!

peaceout · 19/02/2017 19:03

we need euphemisms
3bay
4mazon
etc

tribpot · 19/02/2017 19:03

The skimlinks are added after the page has loaded, i.e. they're not permanently stored in the text of your post. Which means, I assume, they can change over time. So if you view a post from 10 years ago, it doesn't contain links to products or websites that no longer exist.

Some of the links are hilariously basic - like iPhone in case anyone is wondering what one of those is.

drspouse · 19/02/2017 19:03

I saw that one Mistress. Bananas.

peaceout · 19/02/2017 19:04

bit like fu(k for fuck when you want to bypass a swear filter,
could be fun
what words generate links so far?

MistressMerryWeather · 19/02/2017 19:18

I'm surprised bananas doesn't come up as one, drspouse. :o

RedAndYellowStripe · 19/02/2017 20:06

Car door has generated one .... linked to a page on eBay... quite random IMO. Who on earth Would click on a link for a car door when someone is talking about a child hitting the other car with his car door.
I can't see how this will drive any revenue for MN either Confused

I suspect my post will generate one for eBay too....

RedAndYellowStripe · 19/02/2017 20:08

Oh why hasn't eBay appeared in my last posts??

Is it random in the top of it?

MistressMerryWeather · 19/02/2017 20:08

I've just seen that seat belt does it too.

MistressMerryWeather · 19/02/2017 20:10

Opps.

I mean seat belts

tribpot · 19/02/2017 20:13

Is there a limit of one merchant per post I wonder?

So if I type

iPad
car door
Waltons
Sainsbury's

Does only one get linked?

GeorgeTheHamster · 19/02/2017 20:23

Yes. And it's card oor which is utterly bizarre anyway. (See what I did there😃).

MimsyFluff · 19/02/2017 20:58

Amazon Amazon

WorraLiberty · 19/02/2017 21:00

I saw a thread the other day where a MNetter mentioned her DC had a Pastoral Support Plan, except she shortened it.

So it actually read, "My DC has a PSP" and up came a link to Playstations Grin Grin

I have to admit it did confuse me for a second.

But in general, I have no problem with the skimlinks thing.

Swipe left for the next trending thread