BF Skimming Links again
 

Nice. :rolleyes:

This wonderful practice of Linkskimming popped up a while back and stopped with about as much notification as it had started....

Has anyone officially announced BF's intention to skim all of our external links or is this just another secret perk of being a member now?

have a look folks..... www.viglink.com
Dirty little link skimmers. :notamused:

I don't follow.

They only get paid if a purchase is made. Sounds pretty useless for our links if you ask me.

nope there is no official policy towards linkskimming.
I did a google search a while back and found at least 3 sites using our
posts link skimmed into their site.
I usually report them to IB and let legal dept sort it out.
Zaphod, if you have example of site other than what you posted
PM me, we'll take care of it.

Marty

I'm seeing it on just about every external link I click here.

Here's a thread with a link to an ebay auction where I'm seeing this:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ify-ebay-frame

What exactly are you seeing? Here's what I see:

http://www.os2.dhs.org/~john/linkskim.jpg

when I click the link my browser goes first to www.viglink.com very briefly and then to the destination page. In that case, eBay.

viglink.com is a link skimming affiliate so I'd have a hard time beleiving that that's not what's happening here.

This only happens to me on BikeForums.

I'm calling malware on this one. Works for me.

Although I have seen archived versions of BF redirect me and have embedded annoying links.

Way Ahead of you dude. Running Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot so I doubt its crapware in my case but thanks for playing.

I stand corrected. This is not malware - and the link does go through vigilink.com.

The exact link is "http://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=jsonp&drKey=1050&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bikeforums.net%2Fshowthread.php%2F778754-identify-ebay-frame&v=1&libid=1320083542178&out=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2Fvintage-old-frame-cinelli-super-vitus-3-ttt-%2F190595115065%3F_trksid%3Dp3286.m7%26_trkparms%3Dalgo%253DLVI%2526itu%253DUCI%2526otn%253D3%2526po %253DLVI%2526ps%253D63%2526clkid%253D3867422676477970573&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bikeforums.net%2Fshowt hread.php%2F778762-BF-Skimming-Links-again%3Fp%3D13434581&title=identify%20ebay%20frame%3F&txt=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2Fvintage-old-...22676477970573&jsonp=callback"

_lame_

thanks for the confirmation.

OK I'll ask what (hopefully) someone else was thinking - what is link skimming? Is this basically targeted advertising based on keywords or something?

So you're saying that you're sent to another page, or the other page opens in another window, when you click on a BF link? If so, lame - but I'm glad that hasn't happened to me...maybe it's something in my browser or browser settings that keeps unwanted links from opening? I don't know.

Well, I still don't see, or understand any of it and there is no sense in trying to explain it. I'll just follow along, nodding and smiling.

Its rampant in forums....so much so that vBulletin now puts an option to input Link Skimming Affiliate info and the forum software will do all the legwork for you.

Its not always malicious....sometimes sites have a good reason for doing it and I suspect that if BF is doing it willingly they have their reasons.

This is a super basic description so please don't blast me for glossing over things.
Link Skimming takes the link you click on and essentially routes the page request through a third party. When you hit a link, instead of going to the destination you go to this third party first which if done on a fast connection will be almost invisible to most users. When you hit the third party site it records your hit as something similar to a Banner Ad click and then forwards you on to your destination.
Similarly to a Banner Ad each hit generates a small amount of money, like a penny or two. Multiply that over all the clicks across BF sitewide and you've got a lot of pennies. ......enough for some sites to pay their hosting bill and then some.

If its a known thing that's been disclosed its not malicious...just kinda unsavory

I've got no problem with BF paying its bills however it needs to, but its always nice to be told up front.

Internet Brands has no trouble paying the bills. They are the owner of Bikeforums. They have silenced detractors before.

There is a blob of Javascript, (from viglink), embedded in the page that causes redirection of clicked links through them. It didn't get there by its self; The page had to be edited to include it. Disabling JS in your browser should defeat it.

View the page source, then scroll to the very bottom of the page.

Interesting.

I'm also running Ubuntu (11.04) but the link I get is this:

"http://www.ebay.com/itm/vintage-old-frame-cinelli-super-vitus-3-ttt-/190595115065?_trksid=p3286.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D3%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clki d%3D3867422676477970573"

Is your ISP perhaps using a proxy server to redirect certain links through viglink?

Thanks for the explanation Zaphod!

It's subtle, it hits their server real quick from javascript before proceeding to the clicked link. If you have Firebug installed, you can see it in the Net tab if you enable persist and delete the target attribute of the link so it opens in the current window.

This only takes place if you haven't banned third party scripts.

I also notice this the other day (for the first time) but didn't know what it was.

My thoughts exactly, but the Mods here in C&V aren't Internet Brands shills, they're good folks.... so I don't expect this to be taken as a swipe against any of our friends.

By contrast I consider Internet Brands "The Man"

well it's all news to me, nobody consulted me about it...haha.
I've asked for some clarification, if I get it and can share it I will.

Marty

Thanks Marty!

Honestly If I wasn't on such a slow internet connection I probably would have never noticed it.

I feel like I need to take a shower.