Here are just a few more landing pages-- 'self' notes are links that steal affiliate and typein traffic

http:// www.virtuagirls.com/?s=20419 << self
http:// adultfriendfinder.com/go/page/gallery_landing_page&pg=1&ip=auto&pid=p275271.suba dultfriendfinder.com_AdultFriendFinder%20Domains <<self

http:// http://www.alt.com/search/p16521.sub...g=2&override=1
http:// fantasyfinder.com/search.html?aff_id=68019&keywords=XXX&found=51
http:// fantasyfinder.com/search.html?aff_id=68019&keywords=adult+porn&found =49
http:// http://www.alt.com/search/p16521.sub...g=2&override=1

We want some answers...

come on big affiliate companies... why wont you reply,

this issue is not going away. I am going to bump this thread every day and get more and more affiliates to question this and demand answers.... it is in your best interest to addresss it now, if you do it down the road when the pressure gets put on you, you wont be saving any face then. Come clean now and do the right thing.

I knew I had seen that site somewhere, I even remember looking at their TOS (TotemCash) to see if they had anything about spyware. Here's what their TOS says:

"Affiliate further acknowledges and agrees that TOTEM has the right to immediately, and without notice, terminate your participation in the Program if TOTEM, in its sole and absolute discretion, conclude that Affiliate has engaged in any of the following:

6.1 The use any form of mass unsolicited electronic mailings, newsgroup postings, IRC postings, adware, spyware, malware marketing or any other form of "spamming" as a means of promoting Affiliate Web sites or for the purpose of directing or referring users to any web sites owned, operated or controlled by TOTEM. "

I guess the bold part is what really matters... "has the right" and "in its sole and absolute discretion". It doesn't say "will terminate/freeze/suspend/cancel/whatever the account" regardless of who you are.

You have to read these TOS very carefully I guess. There's an affiliate ID in that link, has he/she been reported to TotemCash? Maybe they just don't know? Benefit of the doubt? The link is still active.

Missie

weekend bump

Bump for a good cause.

Maybe you want to explain how this isn't everyone's business?

bump bump

back up we go! :thumbsup

bumping for a win

this is quite some serious shit.

bumping for a winner! :thumbsup

bumping for a win :pimp

This thread makes me sad, about the industry I work in.

Even worse, the truth is, though, this thread will die when it becomes tolerable to all affiliates... and it will. Just like spam became tolerable.

bumpage! :thumbsup

bumperama! :thumbsup

this thread is never going to die unless GFY deletes it. :2 cents:

the days of affiliates just rolling over and getting fucked and letting things go because they are distracted about some bs drama are over. All the spin, pr, contest threads, and other bull shit posted on this site is not going to cause this thread to go away.

I sure hope not! Seems that spyware is targeting many of those sponsors already. Imagine with higher payouts and contests how many more scums will jump on the spyware bandwagon to cash in at the expense of others? Easy money, no work. Who cares if they're stealing from friends or people they don't know? Greed has no boundary.

Wanna win a contest or make more money the honest way? Choose your sponsors very carefully. You could be losing a lot more than you're making.

Missie

back 2 the top! :thumbsup

bump!.....

let's move this along! :thumbsup

We need answers

So it appears we'll be seeing some of these names appearing again in a permanent place on the FTC website

From:
final documents about a spyware program made to pay 4mil(PDF)

bump ....

on to the prize! :thumbsup

so many sponsors remaining quite about this...

lack of a response is a response. :2 cents:

in reality, spyware costs programs much money as well, often corrupting natural "uncoded" SE links and turning them into popped up affiliate links, or replacing a blank or "no ref" cookie with an affiliate code.

I am sure that many of these programs are paying out thousands of extra dollars that they don't need to spend as a result of this sort of hijack... and the end result is that zango are the ones making the money, not anyone else... because the people buying the keywords are paying zango...

The scum are everywhere.

back 2 the top! :thumbsup

These 'sponsors' need to answer.. But what am I saying, they have been called out before on this shit, and never do shit.

To the top

So far,

Duke Dollars

Adult.com

Topbucks

Has came out agiant it in this thread.

Am I missing any other programs?

Iwantu ....

ok,

Duke Dollars

Adult.com

Topbucks

Iwantu

Who is going to infect themselves with scumware and test some of these programs :banana

Yeap Various has been on top of this. Thnaks Various, you are definetly someone I will do business with. the rest of you using spyware and too scared to change or come clean or even lie, lol :321GFY

wow,
nice thread.

What is intresting is actually you can have your own ads targeting aff using spyware. That make it super hard lo locate the bad ids from the good ones.
Not having a reply from them is not good at all.

Another thing I would like to remark is the spyware is popping up sites sometime without user intervention based on the user profile they get from browser hstory. This make the spyware to resemble a little with spam. That means sales will increase for the companies allowing this. Here would be nice to know if what they lose from sales stolen from search/engine is bigger or less then what they get from popups. Based on the fact they didn't reply I can bet sales are bigger from using spyware.

This issue illustrates just how dumb some of our sponsors are, because whether they use these services or not, so long as they exist, they are all vulnerable to whoever is willing to spend the most money.

Take someone who has - let's say - 40 sites. If he bids high enough, he will get lots of traffic for his MILF site. But it's perfectly possible that the exact same "service" is diverting traffic away from the other 39 sites he operates.

They are also vulnerable when affiliates use them. Because of the effort necessary to sign and keep productive affiliates, there is a real cost per affiliate, before he generates so much as a single sign-up. Let's assume that cost is affordable so long as the average affiliate produces what he does in an undistorted market. Now enter the scumware, which doesn't generate a cent extra when your own affiliates' traffic is being stolen, but guarantees that a lot of your affiliates will soon be looking for other sponsors.

More than that, a sponsor has no control over the choices made by unscrupulous affiliates. So sponsors A through E in a particular market sector, lose two ways when such affiliates decide to target sponsor F with their stolen traffic. They lose sales and affiliates.

Any sponsor who allows scumware to prosper but in particular those who actively support it, are helping to destroy "normal" market dynamics and they will become increasingly dependent upon scumware for their traffic. Anything, from legislation, through affiliate reaction, to being outbid by someone else, and they are f*cked.

As an example of short-term thinking and to hell with the future, supporting scumware is about as classic as it gets.

Unfortunately picture is bigger because is not only stolen traffic. Scamware generate new traffic using popups. This traffic will produce some signups as well. This will make some sponsors to use this way of making money. In short term thier sales will grow and proably will make more money. In long term webmasters like me and you will read or just see their sales going down when their traffic goes up and will move on to different sponsors.
But this is a long term move and just some of them will understand ;)

still looking for some response from those sponsors that think this is going to fade away..

gotta keep this on the 1st page

for sure

Catching this thread a little late? For the record, TwistysCash does not accept sign-ups from spyware. Without question, everybody deserves credit for their own hard earned money.

We think we do a pretty good job of keeping an eye on things but always appreciate a heads up from anybody who knows something we don?t. Kevin at twistys dot com, ICQ: 215-457-848 or phone: 416-361-2033. Thanks!