WTH is this ???

[bleeb]

skimlinks?

block?

I haven't a clue what that means ... how do you block something ... and how did it show up on ScubaBoard?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

It's keyword ad revenue for SB, sort of like Google Adwords, but instead inserting hyperlinks in text. There's good and bad in the scheme. On the one hand, there's ad revenue. On the other hand, the way it appears to modify people's postings does rub a large minority the wrong way (not just here on SB). It's been in use here a while, but it seems relatively infrequent that someone's actually bought the keyword and the effects show up. However, watching the diagnostics at this end, it does seem to be a significant although not dominant part of the time it takes to load a page.

 

[Tortuga68]

So does this mean we can generate revenue for SB just by saying Walmart?

Sounds good to me... Walmart Walmart Walmart

How much did I just earn SB and where's my cut? Or does someone have to click on it first?

 

[bleeb]

So does this mean we can generate revenue for SB just by saying Walmart?

Sounds good to me... Walmart Walmart Walmart

How much did I just earn SB and where's my cut? Or does someone have to click on it first?

I assume someone has to click on it. So everyone start helping to get Walmart to pay for SB by clicking on those Walmart links!

 

[Tortuga68]

I just clicked on a few and shut the window before it loaded... money for old rope

 

[spoolin01]

Here's another discussion of skim links now on SB.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/site-support/382358-there-some-automatic-hyperlinking-feature.html

Didn't know about blocking the website. I've switched to Firefox since then, and the Walmart's in this thread aren't linked.

 

[annasea]

Thankfully, I'm not seeing any link to 'the store that shall not be named.' I use Adblock Plus... maybe this is the reason why?

 

[Tortuga68]

I'm using the current version of Firefox and I still see them

 

[Cave Diver]

So does this mean we can generate revenue for SB just by saying Walmart?

Sounds good to me... Walmart Walmart Walmart

How much did I just earn SB and where's my cut? Or does someone have to click on it first?

I assume someone has to click on it. So everyone start helping to get Walmart to pay for SB by clicking on those Walmart links!

They are skimlinks. To my knowledge just clicking the link doesn't generate the revenue, it's if you actually go to the site and make a purchase. There are several keywords I've seen that trigger it, but they are easy enough to remove by changing the word. Example Walmart - Wal mart, Ebay - E bay, etc.

 

[spoolin01]

I'm using the current version of Firefox and I still see them

I just started with Firefox, but I did add the Adblock add-on. If I hover over the little stop sign, it shows 13 items are blocked, including skimresources.com

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Hmmm ... this is a test ... Walmart ...

ah ... that's MUCH better ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)