Links on the forum automatically converted to affiliate links to participating retailers

[Commissar]

Eh.. I don't really like it.

 

Thing is everytime I see a link I think it will be a review or a video from you on the product. And then boom..it's ads.

 

I would endure it though if it's not going to be as intrusive as thoughs sites where they highlight every keyword and when you mouse over a baloon appear. God those are annoying.

that is called adware. stop using utorrent. there's the solution.

[Adam_Cr1]

It's not the same as ads. It's basically going to convert links to products into affiliate links automatically. If I understand it correctly it also has other features that will insert "where to buy" links for products that are already being discussed in a particular thread.

 

Whatever you do though, please don't use the thing that underlines words. Often, it shows something completely irrelevant. In my opinion, it's' worse than popup ads. I'm perfectly happy with it turning existing links into affiliate links though. Great idea.

[Christian]

I support it as long as long as the linked pages are related to tech, rather than Viagra or something

[joelthezombie15]

i'm all for you making money but i dont want ads popping up in my face maybe like one or two on the side bar is fine

[DNAA29]

If it helps generate money for the site, and isn't annoying on the user's end then I say go for it.

+1

[CaptRex635]

As long as its not flashy and does not pop up like crazy, static non moving ads could be another alternative

[joelthezombie15]

as long as the links are good stores i dont care

[bradscoolio]

If these do not redirect me from a link somebody posts and is only to tech product sites i'm down with it. No hair straighteners or makeup infomercials preeze :3

[pcman2000]

Keyword Highlighting = No.

Turning existing links into affiliate links = Yes.

One or two non-intrusive banner ads = Yes.

Tip Jar = Yes.

[Norco]

Is this what Skimlinks would do?  

Take a link to a product, say on amazon, and add a referral token to the end of it?

 

If so I'm all for Skimlinks, but not skimwords, I would much rather see full adverts before skimwords. 

[zeros]

I almost encourage ads on websites because to be frank, Its not really harming me in any way but providing money to the provider of the website. 

I do however never look nor click an ad for the life of me...which would be the same case for this hyperlinking.

I think that this method of monetizing will bare little revenue due to the fact that majority of users here will carefully plan buying equipment. This is a tech. forum, we all plan before we start buying parts for our pc's. This hyperlinking method imo is aim'd towards impulsive buyers. Not only that, wouldn't the normal consumer want to choose their desired outlet to purchase their goods? I'm Canadian and if this hyperlink ad sends me to an USA only website...well your not getting any revenue. 

I agree to that part, not sure you can give it a month trial to see how it goes. You could also include adds after every 10 posts a thin add to which you agree is worth adding. Those never annoyed me, sometimes I even looked at it if it's nicely done.

Also you should add a tip jar, and make it appear like it's part of the forum not big and lots of TIP TIP TIP stuff :). Or make a tip bar only for the support of the forum like, you need 201$ this month to pay for the forum and this much was already tip-ed. I love those ones.

[prodigydoo]

please dont use skimwords.. and redirecting product links??  is it actually changing the outcome of the link or is it doing nothing but giving you revenue when the link is clicked..  

 

if its actually changing the link then doesnt that kinda fuck things up....  Like if i suggest a cpu and link to a cheap place to buy it. then the link gets redirected to another place to buy it...

[Purple]

As long as the site isn't ugly to look at because of too many ads i'm fine.

 

 

I'm not completely sure how Skimlinks works, but I don't know if  I would like being redirected to different sites all the time by accidentally clicking things.

 

[That Norwegian Guy]

I would much rather see ways to donate/ give money than this, mostly because the kind of site that uses these types of solutions I have found myself purposefully avoid in the past.

 

However,

 

Some sites have these kinds of solutions only for people who aren't logged in. That would be optimal. It allows you to get some benefit from unregistered users, and you can still get support from registered ones through other means, like donations.

[The Ran]

please dont use skimwords.. and redirecting product links??  is it actually changing the outcome of the link or is it doing nothing but giving you revenue when the link is clicked..  

 

if its actually changing the link then doesnt that kinda fuck things up....  Like if i suggest a cpu and link to a cheap place to buy it. then the link gets redirected to another place to buy it...

I'm also concerned about this, that's what it sounds like it does to me. I'm not so much concerned about if the price of the product is different in the link as chances are it won't be a UK store anyway, but if someone posts a link for some info which then gets changed it's going to be really annoying. Also if I share a link with someone else on here from the UK and it turned it into an American product listing.

 

Honestly I would be willing to disable adblock for this forum and I'm sure 90% of other members would too. Perhaps you could do something revolutionary and actually use some decent ads for places where members will actually shop such as Newegg (not being American that's the only place I can think of).

[prodigydoo]

I'm also concerned about this, that's what it sounds like it does to me. I'm not so much concerned about if the price of the product is different in the link as chances are it won't be a UK store anyway, but if someone posts a link for some info which then gets changed it's going to be really annoying. Also if I share a link with someone else on here from the UK and it turned it into an American product listing.

 

Honestly I would be willing to disable adblock for this forum and I'm sure 90% of other members would too. Perhaps you could do something revolutionary and actually use some decent ads for places where members will actually shop such as Newegg (not being American that's the only place I can think of).

 

 

^^^^

 

 

Linus and Slickybabe Please seriously consider this:

 

• Put a single ad underneath the "recent topics" on the home page
  • Maybe just let it be up to google to put the right ad there or even look for sponsors such as samsung or whatever and they might want to advertise something there...
• Slick, make some a java script that detects if the user is running adblock and if they are, display information requesting people disable adblock in the same location where the ad would be located..
• Have a thread in 'forum info' that explains the situation and requests users disable adblock..

As the ran says, im sure a majority of people would whitelist this site if you asked nicely...

[SharpEye]

I would like to see like a square add box on the right of the site, and on the top, not harming any one and keeps the reading easier, I hate it when I hover over a word and a bubble opens up and tells me stuff like that.

[mds4075]

I heard those don't make you much money anyway... Tip jar is better in my opinion!

[SubTract]

I like the whole Idea. I think it will even help people who are unsure about what people are talking about understand.

The only problem I have is now that the forum is finally up and running properly would adding a heap more jscript hurt the forum.

I don't want the forum to be broken again.

[fredtechcheck]

Over at the link you posted Linus, it said in the negative columns that it can slow down the website.  Should this be a problem?  Also this could impact the overall user experience when at the website with the lower responsiveness of the forum like with vbulletin.  I don't want new people coming to the forum to leave due to the lag caused by ads.  This is what I feat may happen if skimlinks will slow down this website and I just want this forum to continue to thrive.   

[TechFan@ic]

If this means awesome E3 coverage then yes !

[KaareKanin]

Option A. But with a small side note: If it just affects already existing links then I'm kinda liking it. But I'm not liking more java, and I'm asking myself if the forum needs any performance drops (would this lead to more down time? :P)

 

I haven't thought much about this, but lets say you implemented some kind of subscription where users who paid/donated some sum of money got a nice clean forum without ads, and those who didn't could have ads?

 

Edit: Do you have an example site for us to view? And like someone else said, be very careful if this is a deal you which you can't just pull out of

[LinusTech]

Thanks for all the comments. We won't implement anything that locks us into a long term contract for sure!!! We need the flexibility to bail if it ends up being a problem.

[Yoinkerman]

Personally I can't stand skimlinks. If there is a link on a couple of words in an article, I expect that link to be another article on the topic of the linked words, full stop.

Turning peoples forum posts into billboards feela wrong, and I personally expect more from you guys. I don't know what viglinks do my phone apparently didn't do the article justice. I am more in favour of having ads on the sides and top on message boards instead of in the content itself, as it seems like you're selling us, the contributors, out to make money.

Tldr; money is good but not when you sell us iut

[MdX MaxX]

I'm really not a fan of clicking on a link, expecting to go to a website, but being taken somewhere else.

 

And could that possibly kill the news section?  A link to a source article could be wrongly redirected to some merchant's product page.

 

I could be misinterpreting it, though.  If it doesn't actually change link destinations, then it shouldn't be much of a problem.