Every link I click on gets automatically turned into a Viglink link. For example:
Like that. The problem is, they don’t get sent to the target of the link, they get sent right back to the thread. What’s going on here?
Browser is Firefox.
I don’t know what’s going on in your specific case, but as engineer_comp_geek once mentioned, if you add “viglink.com” as a new filter group in Adblock Plus, this nuisance is banished forever.
You can also navigate directly to viglink.com and opt out of their service. You don’t need to give them any more info about you than they already have. I did that a couple years ago and have had zero SDMB viglink-related queertrons since.
Sounds like something is borked on Viglink’s side of things. We don’t have any control over the links that they make, but I’ll let our admins know anyway.
As was already mentioned, you can block them or opt-out to get around the problem.
That should be:
“Sounds like something is still borked on Viglink’s side of things.”
This worked. Thanks! 
We shouldn’t have to block them or opt out. They shouldn’t be allowed at all, because they violate web standards. Vigilink is a browser hijacker, and should be treated as the malware it is.
I’m using someone else’s computer today and the horror of visiting the Dope without an adblocker turned on is complete.
How do the Powers That Be expect this site to function for “normal” newcomers?
Anyway, adblocking on and configured. Problem solved?
Viglink is basically malware. The opt-out option is silly.
So, after advising everyone that adding “viglink.com” to Adblock was a terrific way of getting rid of it, I find that it doesn’t work on the new computer, the only difference being it’s a newer version of Firefox and Adblock Plus.
I realize this isn’t an SDMB issue but just wondering if it’s working for others with a similar configuration – Firefox 55.0.3 64-bit and Adblock Plus 2.9.1. As before, all I did was create a custom filter with the entry “viglink.com”. Any link I click or copy inside a post is still hijacked by Viglink.
I should add to the above – this only happens on the old skin, Straight Dope v3.7.3. Viglink isn’t enabled on the new skin at this time, so you don’t get the redirects even when Adblock is turned off.
Never mind, forget I ever said anything! :o It works fine. You have to add it as a filter rule, not a filter group, and you have to enable the filter rules to show by toggling “hide/show filters”. I should know this since I’ve already enabled it on several other computers.
Reedit killed Viglink, and they are desperately trying to find ways to make money. I really wish it would be killed here, too.
At least it’s not like one forum where Viglink is actually directly baked into links from the server side. I actually had to make an exception for Viglink on my phone’s adboocker so I could use their links–to other parts of the site!
Weird that you guys have to add Viglink to your lists manually.
I turned OFF AdBlock for this site because I’m a paid member (and I think it was causing issues, although I no longer remember what those were). WTF is Viglink doing even getting in the way for me? My current workaround is to right-click and open in a new tab, but I seriously don’t appreciate having to do that when I used to be able to just click and go.
Welcome to Viglink!
It’s a horrible idea that should be scorged from the Earth. It redirects links and bypasses the noparse tag. It actively breaks one of the methods for complying with the “two click” rule.