# We're trying a money-making experiment **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 28, 2010, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611 "2010-04-28T10:38:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611/21 "2010-04-28T21:43:44Z")
So in a thread about books, if someone links a crappy book, and someone else mentions a good book but doesn’t link it, I could follow the link to Amazon, look up t’other book and buy it, and y’all would still get a nickel? Shouldn’t I just go to Amazon via a link in the dope regardless of whether I’m buying stuff that’s discussed on the dope or not? ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611/22 "2010-04-28T22:15:48Z")
We should get this going with [TVTropes](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HomePage). Every time someone posts a link to that damn site, everybody is innately compelled to click on it and forfeit the next hour of their life browsing various tropes. ---
**Author:** ![Ed\_Zotti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/fbc32d/32.png) [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611/23 "2010-04-28T22:29:56Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > So in a thread about books, if someone links a crappy book, and someone else mentions a good book but doesn’t link it, I could follow the link to Amazon, look up t’other book and buy it, and y’all would still get a nickel? > > Shouldn’t I just go to Amazon via a link in the dope regardless of whether I’m buying stuff that’s discussed on the dope or not? You should conduct all commercial transactions via links on the Dope. Buying houses, billion dollar hostile takeover attempts, etc. Think of it as a kind of bake sale for us. Seriously, not that I’m ever NOT serious, I have no idea what the fine points of this are, but my guess is if you buy anything on a qualifying site it counts. However, don’t buy drugs and tell people it was our idea; I get enough puzzled e-mails from management as it is. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611/24 "2010-04-28T22:51:43Z")
> [@Ed\_Zotti](#): > > However, don’t buy drugs and tell people it was our idea; I get enough puzzled e-mails from management as it is. However, eBay and Amazon are both Driving Revenue partners and they both sell Bacon Salt. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611/25 "2010-04-28T23:03:46Z")
> [@kushiel](#): > > However, eBay and Amazon are both Driving Revenue partners and they both sell Bacon Salt. Alright. Bacon salt yes, V14GR4 no. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611/26 "2010-04-28T23:57:51Z")
> [@Ed\_Zotti](#): > > However, don’t buy drugs and tell people it was our idea; I get enough puzzled e-mails from management as it is. NOW you tell me! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Lestrade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Lestrade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lestrade)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611/27 "2010-04-29T13:05:48Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Any idea what the links will preview like? Will it be invisible to the poster or clicker? As one of the paranoid ones, I tend to take a look in the status bar before clicking, and if it’s not to where I think it should be going, that could be a bit off-putting. Knowing what to look for would help. The mouseover on links doesn’t appear to be affected. As an example when I mouse over this link to [The Straight Dope](http://www.amazon.com/Straight-Dope-Cecil-Adams/dp/0345422910/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272545246&sr=8-1) at Amazon my browser makes a request to [http://outboundlink.net/](http://outboundlink.net/)… As **KneadToKnow** pointed out, it doesn’t care how you add the link. It appears to work by decorating each outbound link with an ID and sending a request with the URL of the page when you mouse over a link. This suggests that if you use a link in the preview of a post they won’t pay the SDMB. Finally, it appears to not interfere with **wierdaaron** ’s greasemonkey scripts. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611/28 "2010-04-29T14:32:43Z")
Does the code affect pricing on the target site? That is, if [ignoranceweapons.com](http://ignoranceweapons.com) knows it’s going to give a cut to the SD, will it still display all its regular or special discounts to the visitor? How persistent is the tag (?) that gets attached after following a link. That is, if I look at model 123 from a link but subsequently purchase model 456 after further searching on the site, will the SD get credit? Does it persist for the rest of the day? Week? If it is flexible, any chance of getting sticky in ATMB with a list of vendor links? If the prices are the same (i.e., it costs me nothing to start from the SDMB), and I’m looking to buy an item, I’d take the moment to start here. ---
**Author:** ![Ed\_Zotti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/fbc32d/32.png) [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611/29 "2010-04-29T17:06:51Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Does the code affect pricing on the target site? That is, if [ignoranceweapons.com](http://ignoranceweapons.com) knows it’s going to give a cut to the SD, will it still display all its regular or special discounts to the visitor? We wouldn’t participate if we thought it was going to mean our users would pay higher prices. However, I can’t say it occurred to me to ask. I’ll do so. > [@](#): > > How persistent is the tag (?) that gets attached after following a link. That is, if I look at model 123 from a link but subsequently purchase model 456 after further searching on the site, will the SD get credit? Does it persist for the rest of the day? Week? My understanding is that the tag is simply some code included in the URL that’s passed along to the receiving site. I believe the site then gives you a cookie; I presume the SD “sticker” is included in this cookie in case you don’t purchase immediately but come back later. However, I didn’t explore all the possible permutations, e.g., what if you come back six months later, or you have stickers from multiple sending sites that have signed up with DR. I figure I’ll worry about that if this generates some appreciable amount of revenue. > [@](#): > > If it is flexible, any chance of getting sticky in ATMB with a list of vendor links? If the prices are the same (i.e., it costs me nothing to start from the SDMB), and I’m looking to buy an item, I’d take the moment to start here. Appreciate it. A list of links is a good idea; I’ll put it on my fairly lengthy list of things to do - although here’s an even better idea. If a member wants to post the links in this thread, I’ll sticky it and give them a one-year custom title subscription, the initial title being Straight Dope Friend of Science, the highest honor it’s within my power to bestow. You have to a member, though. Guests will get a heartfelt “well done.” ---
**Author:** ![Ed\_Zotti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/fbc32d/32.png) [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611/30 "2010-04-29T17:17:31Z")
By the way, if anyone has a problem with external links not working, please let me know. We had one earlier complaint, which apparently stemmed from the use of NoScript. Tagging of links is supposed to be unnoticeable to the user. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611/31 "2010-04-29T18:28:34Z")
This should be a list of the vendors listed graphically in **Crotalus’** [link](http://drivingrevenue.com/partners.php). Note that there were some pure duplicates that I deleted (e.g., PCMall was listed twice), and there are some duplicates that are location-specific (e.g., amazon.ca|co.uk|com). ETA: Shoot, maybe I’m not that much of a friend to science—rechecking their page, it says that these are _some_ of their partners (though it’s a lot), and they provide a contact us link for a complete list. I will if that’s okay (though I can’t claim any real connection to the Dope/one of their customers). [1and1.com](http://www.1and1.com) [4wd.com](http://www.4wd.com) [6ave.com](http://www.6ave.com) [7dayshop.com](http://www.7dayshop.com/) [abesofmaine.com](http://www.abesofmaine.com) [abt.com](http://www.abt.com) [advancedmp3players.co.uk](http://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk) [ajelectronics.co.uk](http://www.ajelectronics.co.uk/) [all-battery.com](http://www.all-battery.com/) [amazon.ca](http://www.amazon.ca) [amazon.co.uk](http://www.amazon.co.uk) [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com) [autoanything.com](http://www.autoanything.com) [autosportcatalog.com](http://www.autosportcatalog.com/) [batteries.com](http://www.batteries.com/) [be-direct.co.uk](http://www.be-direct.co.uk/) [buy.com](http://www.buy.com) [cdwow.com](http://www.cdwow.com) [coopelectricalshop.co.uk](http://www.coopelectricalshop.co.uk/) [currys.co.uk](http://www.currys.co.uk/) [digitaldirectuk.com](http://www.digitaldirectuk.com/) [digitalempireonline.co.uk](http://www.digitalempireonline.co.uk/) [dixons.co.uk](http://www.dixons.co.uk/) [drivingcomfort.com](http://www.drivingcomfort.com/) [easycinema.com](http://www.easycinema.com) [ebay.ca](http://www.ebay.ca/) [ebay.co.uk](http://www.ebay.co.uk/) [ebay.com](http://www.ebay.com) [ecost.com](http://www.ecost.com) [edmunds.com](http://www.edmunds.com) [electricaldiscountuk.co.uk](http://www.electricaldiscountuk.co.uk/) [empiredirect.co.uk](http://www.empiredirect.co.uk/) [etronics.com](http://www.etronics.com/) [euro.dell.com](http://www.euro.dell.com) [finishline.com](http://www.finishline.com) [geeks.com](http://www.geeks.com) [gnc.com](http://www.gnc.com) [godaddy.com](http://www.godaddy.com/) [half.ebay.com](http://www.half.ebay.com/) [hifibitz.co.uk](http://www.hifibitz.co.uk/) [hotels.com](http://www.hotels.com) [jcwhitney.com](http://www.jcwhitney.com/) [macconnection.com](http://www.macconnection.com/) [macmall.com](http://www.macmall.com) [memorybits.co.uk](http://www.memorybits.co.uk/) [meshcomputers.com](http://www.meshcomputers.com) [microdirect.co.uk](http://www.microdirect.co.uk/) [misco.co.uk](http://www.misco.co.uk/) [mwave.com](http://www.mwave.com) [mymemory.co.uk](http://www.mymemory.co.uk/) [networksolutions.com](http://www.networksolutions.com) [newegg.com](http://www.newegg.com) [novatech.co.uk](http://www.novatech.co.uk/) [officemax.com](http://www.officemax.com) [onecall.com](http://www.onecall.com) [pcconnection.com](http://www.pcconnection.com) [pcmall.com](http://www.pcmall.com) [pcworld.co.uk](http://www.pcworld.co.uk/) [play.com](http://www.play.com) [rapidonline.com](http://www.rapidonline.com) [sears.com](http://www.sears.com) [sharp.co.uk](http://www.sharp.co.uk/) [stubhub.com](http://www.stubhub.com) [tesco.com](http://www.tesco.com/) [thehut.com](http://www.thehut.com/) [tigerdirect.com](http://www.tigerdirect.com) [tirerack.com](http://www.tirerack.com) [travelocity.com](http://www.travelocity.com) [tvcables.co.uk](http://www.tvcables.co.uk/) [vonage.com](http://www.vonage.com/) [xmradio.com](http://www.xmradio.com) [zipzoomfly.com](http://www.zipzoomfly.com) ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611/32 "2010-04-29T18:34:38Z")
> [@Ed\_Zotti](#): > > By the way, if anyone has a problem with external links not working, please let me know. We had one earlier complaint, which apparently stemmed from the use of NoScript. Tagging of links is supposed to be unnoticeable to the user. Chrome on 7. AdThwart on. When I click on an external link, I get the pop-up blocked icon on the address field and nothing happens. When I click the second time, it goes where it is supposed to go. If I disable AdThwart, then it doesn’t happen every time but still often enough. ---
**Author:** ![Ed\_Zotti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/fbc32d/32.png) [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611/33 "2010-04-29T18:51:32Z")
> [@Sapo](#): > > Chrome on 7. AdThwart on. > > When I click on an external link, I get the pop-up blocked icon on the address field and nothing happens. When I click the second time, it goes where it is supposed to go. > > If I disable AdThwart, then it doesn’t happen every time but still often enough. What seemed to work in the other case was disabling the ad blocker-type program (NoScript there, AdThwart here), then restarting your browser - try that. Since the problem occurs less frequently if you merely disable AT, I deduce that’s the source of the problem. You could, of course, subscribe, in which case you wouldn’t need to use AT while here and your life would improve on numerous other levels as well. ---
**Author:** ![Ed\_Zotti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/fbc32d/32.png) [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611/34 "2010-04-29T18:59:36Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > This should be a list of the vendors listed graphically in **Crotalus’** [link](http://drivingrevenue.com/partners.php). Note that there were some pure duplicates that I deleted (e.g., PCMall was listed twice), and there are some duplicates that are location-specific (e.g., amazon.ca|co.uk|com). ETA: Shoot, maybe I’m not that much of a friend to science—rechecking their page, it says that these are _some_ of their partners (though it’s a lot), and they provide a contact us link for a complete list. I will if that’s okay (though I can’t claim any real connection to the Dope/one of their customers). Sure, go ahead, thank you. If the question of who you are comes up, which seems unlikely, just say you’re a friend of TSD. Meanwhile, seeing as you’re a Charter Member, I’ll need to consult **xash** so I can get your custom title bestowed without crashing the board or causing a blackout in New Jersey. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611/35 "2010-04-29T19:05:04Z")
Woo hoo, thanks! (Though maybe New Jersey would look better in the dark.) ---
**Author:** ![Ed\_Zotti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/fbc32d/32.png) [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611/36 "2010-04-29T19:10:20Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Does the code affect pricing on the target site? That is, if [ignoranceweapons.com](http://ignoranceweapons.com) knows it’s going to give a cut to the SD, will it still display all its regular or special discounts to the visitor? I asked DR and got this reply: “The prices are not raised as all retailers are familiar with these fees since they signed up another other affiliate programs in the first place. There aren’t any new charges with this technology in place.” > [@](#): > > How persistent is the tag (?) that gets attached after following a link. That is, if I look at model 123 from a link but subsequently purchase model 456 after further searching on the site, will the SD get credit? Does it persist for the rest of the day? Week? “The user is tagged with a cookie for a period of time by the retailer and it can be anywhere from 24 hours to 30 days. The site that gets credit is basically the last man standing, the last site to visit the URL of the product being purchased. So basically it’s for the limited period of time set by the affiliate/retailer.” What he’s referring to in sentence #2 is the case in which a user has cookies from two DR sending sites - the site with the most recently clicked on link is the one that gets credit. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611/37 "2010-04-29T21:11:21Z")
I didn’t see this thread at first and I wondered why the hell every outside link I clicked was redirecting me to a host called [outboundlink.me](http://outboundlink.me) (it seems that’s the host used by Driving Revenue, as I later found). Sure, I understand the need to boost revenue (is this in response to pressure from the owners BTW? Is SDMB under threat if it doesn’t make a profit or break even?), but what I did find annoying is that it’s appreciably slowed down my browsing, at least when I click an outgoing link. [Outboundlink.me](http://Outboundlink.me) does not look to be the most responsive of servers and I’m getting tired of the message ‘Waiting for [outboundlink.me](http://outboundlink.me)’. I could live with any privacy issues but anything that gets in the way of smooth surfing does not endear itself to me. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611/38 "2010-04-30T00:09:18Z")
> [@Sapo](#): > > Chrome on 7. AdThwart on. > > When I click on an external link, I get the pop-up blocked icon on the address field and nothing happens. When I click the second time, it goes where it is supposed to go. > > If I disable AdThwart, then it doesn’t happen every time but still often enough. If I understand AdThwart correctly, it mostly still serves the ads, but then hides them. In other words, the Dope still gets the money for serving the ad. Another adblocker that does this is called [Adsweep](http://adsweep.org/). You may want to try that. If you know how to tweak the plugins, you might even be able to only enable adsweep on Dope pages. Then again, having to double-click to open a link is not that big an inconvenience, to me. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611/39 "2010-04-30T00:26:27Z")
I’m willing to play along with this, and I’d go further and go to Amazon via the Dope, if it would line Ed’s coffers. Can we get a sticky with URLs someplace so that when I have a hankering to by a book I don’t have to hunt around to find a link on the dope - or even more inanely, drop a link into a post so that I can use it. ---
**Author:** ![Ed\_Zotti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/fbc32d/32.png) [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611/40 "2010-04-30T01:26:12Z")
I’ve stickied this thread and added a reference to **Rhythmdvl** ’s list of links in the OP. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-trying-a-money-making-experiment/537611.md?page=3)