Skimlinks on Talk

[AmyGMumsnet]

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

@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.

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.

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

@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

thanks needalittleL

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

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

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

So what happens if I do
Amazon?

Moggle how INTERESTING

Let's try this: mumsnet

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.

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.

Doesn't bother me in the slightest

Wasn't this tried a few months ago and lots of people hated it so it was stopped?

People who say that they've had problems with skimlinks before, like what?
Most websites use links and ads - it's how free sites that are big enough to need staff run.
Yes, it's annoying to accidentally click something but you just hit 'back' or close the window and carry on.

I really can't see why this is so awful tbh. It's everywhere. We are lucky to have a free-to-use site like this and if they have to use skim links then sobeit

And the data stuff is really standard across the board now. At least MN are honest about it, many sites don't engage at all.

They just need to look different to user added/promoted links.

@LilithTheKitty

Wasn't this tried a few months ago and lots of people hated it so it was stopped?

Not that I recall - think you are thinking of native-style ads in Talk which we removed and are working on to make a clearer, better user experience as we speak.

I'm checking on the colour thing and will see if we can come up with an option on that.

Thanks for the feedback.

I am raging about this. As a frequent poster on a S&B page where we constantly link things, it makes knowing what are genuine links, and what are Skimlinks impossible. Very intrusive, and not what I want to be posting. I completely understand that you need to make money from advertising but changing the text of your users to link to things they aren't wanting to link to seems a step too far. Sorry.

I think it is a little naive not to expect MN to seek to capitalise on our links. It is a business after all. I will post links in good faith.

Margery

Its not the links you consciously post that they will make money on.
So say you link to a mug at wilko and it shows up like this:
Www.wilko.co.UK/mugs/barrellmug
Its not those links.

What skimlinks does is reads your posts, finds any product or company named within your post and then makes your post clicky.

So say ypou posted:
"Cadburys are rubbish now, since they were taken over by Mondelez I haven't bought any, I'd much rather gat ASDA own brand'
Skim links would read that, then could make cadburys clickable and li k to cadburys, mondelez click able and link to mondelez website, ASDA click able and link to ASDA website.

Then anyone who follows those links, in the post that you had no intention of linking in, anything people buy will be recorded by skimlinks, how much they paid and 'other order identifiers' basically building a database of peoples shopping habits with information that has been scummed and not volunteered.

Or at least that's how it reads to me.

MNHQ, I have asked some - in my opinion - valid questions about skimlinks, which I think as users we should be given answers on.

I do find ti rather confusing, posting something or just mentioning a brand and suddenly there is a link to it.

I also question whether it prejudices some brands over another. Why does Boden link and not Other Stories for example?

I'm not sure if I prefer it to the rolling ads as it feels like my actually comments are being changed. I appreciate that it is difficult to find ways to monetise MN. I do think a different colour to our own links would help so we know it's unintentional.

I just think it's funny, because 99% of the time I see a brand mentioned by name, it is not in a positive light!!

I don't seem to be seeing any of these links? Is that because I have an adblocker?

I agree with Shopafrolic, it's really annoying to read a post on S&B where the poster says, for example, they bought a skirt from B oden and you click on the link because you think the poster linked to the skirt in question, but it's just to the website homepage.