What would you say if an affiliate program, looked at your referrers.... - GoFuckYourself.com

pr0 · 05-20-2008, 09:47 PM

And then handed out the information to their other affiliates.

For instance a "directory" that pushed mad traffic that you could get free listings on.

Like hey try this...its working out great for "this guy".

And then the traffic source dried up....or at least got split in half.

How would you handle it?

pr0 · 05-20-2008, 09:48 PM

btw...

this is not pointed at anyone

this is not an "outing" thread.....just a general consensus

kane · 05-20-2008, 09:51 PM

Several years ago I had something similar happen. I had written a kick ass text link for a site that drew and converted like mad. They asked me how I was sending traffic because my ratio was really good. I talked to the affiliate program and showed them the link and they told me the thought it was really good and congratulated me on it. About two weeks later my text link shows up on their banners page. I contacted them and told them to take it down that they didn't have my permission to use it. They just didn't return my emails. I pulled all my links to them and then suddenly they wanted to know why I stopped using them. After telling them they apologized and pulled the link, they also gave me a raise. I tried them again for a few months then they stopped paying and eventually went out of business.

It really pissed me off.

GPS · 05-20-2008, 09:54 PM

Post on here..... so people can stay away..

pr0 · 05-20-2008, 09:55 PM

Interesting....

Yea I'm curious as to how much "information sharing" goes on in this business.

When i speak to someone I just consider it confidential.

I don't do business with just anyone. So i just assume all people i work with are consummate businessmen/businesswomen who would hold my information confidential at all times.

So I'm just wondering from the webmasters out there who don't have such "tight" relationships....have you seen anything like this before? And how did you handle it?

Thanks for your comments kane btw, very informative.

sicone · 05-20-2008, 09:55 PM

Sadly most affiliate managers know nothing at all about traffic and how to get/convert it. But they do know how to copy what works for others.

kane · 05-20-2008, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pr0

Interesting....

Yea I'm curious as to how much "information sharing" goes on in this business.

When i speak to someone I just consider it confidential.

I don't do business with just anyone. So i just assume all people i work with are consummate businessmen/businesswomen who would hold my information confidential at all times.

So I'm just wondering from the webmasters out there who don't have such "tight" relationships....have you seen anything like this before? And how did you handle it?

Thanks for your comments kane btw, very informative.

I would guess that there is more of this type of stuff than we would know. nothing is sacred. I used to promote AFF a while back (this was in 99-2000) and had a killer text box I used on on my galleries. It wasn't long before half the TGPs I submitted to had the same text box.

It wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that an affiliate manager took a good look at some of his bigger affiliates, found out how they get traffic and then started quietly sharing that with other affiliates.

seeric · 05-20-2008, 10:41 PM

1000000% confidential.

As an affiliate myself I have to say that I think anyone that runs a program should have to have affiliate experience. Its the only way you can feel the pain.

No way in hell would I ever share traffic info affiliate to affiliate. If anyone is doing this, I would question their ethics on other things too. It's not acceptable in my opinion.

This is also the reason that I do not promote the programs that I build and run/manage. No conflicts of interest that way.

Penny24Seven · 05-20-2008, 10:43 PM

I would be pissed. I look at which galleries work best for an affiliate and let him know which ones he is getting the new joins from but I would not tell another about that. I would not use the same gallery either. All that shit adds up and for the most part word of mouth means a lot

kristin · 05-20-2008, 10:44 PM

Ask the affiliate if you can steal the text and give them some cash for it.

We did it when I worked at EGC with hosted galleries. We would pay our WMs $5 per approved gallery they gave us. Put the galleries into our system and bam, open for all WMs to use.

VIPimp · 05-20-2008, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sicone

Sadly most affiliate managers know nothing at all about traffic and how to get/convert it. But they do know how to copy what works for others.

Thats one reason I don't have one...
And I keep affiliate stats and even chats confidential.

pr0 · 05-20-2008, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kristin

Ask the affiliate if you can steal the text and give them some cash for it.

We did it when I worked at EGC with hosted galleries. We would pay our WMs $5 per approved gallery they gave us. Put the galleries into our system and bam, open for all WMs to use.

so you're saying some form of compensation would at least be in order?

crockett · 05-20-2008, 10:56 PM

I'd shit can them

WiredGuy · 05-20-2008, 11:07 PM

I hide my referrers pretty well. On the flip side, I'd love to get access to those kind of logs

WG

pr0 · 05-20-2008, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WiredGuy

I hide my referrers pretty well. On the flip side, I'd love to get access to those kind of logs

WG

all i know is if i found out someone did it to me

they'd be on the ground screaming "DONT TASE ME BRO!"

Thurbs · 05-20-2008, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WiredGuy

I hide my referrers pretty well. On the flip side, I'd love to get access to those kind of logs

WG

for u .. googspy.com ....

datatank · 05-20-2008, 11:16 PM

I would use a redirect to mask my refferers

2012 · 05-20-2008, 11:17 PM

thats fucked

pr0 · 05-20-2008, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by datatank

I would use a redirect to mask my refferers

lazycash · 05-20-2008, 11:34 PM

I'd be pissed and if the program was highly profitable for me I'd approach them and ask them to keep your traffic sources confidential. I can see how a narrow sited affiliate manager might think that divulging the information would benefit his program as a whole, but letting him know that you're considering moving your traffic should wake him up.

ztik · 05-20-2008, 11:35 PM

In mainstream we ALWAYS hide our traffic source from our sponsors. If they ask, move on. Don't show them your landings either. They always steal your shit

Oracle Porn · 05-20-2008, 11:36 PM

if anyone thinks that sponsors aren't checking your refers and using that info to their advantage is an idiot.

crockett · 05-20-2008, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oracle Porn

if anyone thinks that sponsors aren't checking your refers and using that info to their advantage is an idiot.

That's not what he said. He said they gave the info to another affiliate. Of course a sponsor sees where you send traffic from, but that info should be kept private and not shared.

baddog · 05-20-2008, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pr0

so you're saying some form of compensation would at least be in order?

I have a feeling I would want more than $5

baddog · 05-20-2008, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ztik

In mainstream we ALWAYS hide our traffic source from our sponsors. If they ask, move on. Don't show them your landings either. They always steal your shit

They also buy your stuff.

fuzebox · 05-21-2008, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WiredGuy

I hide my referrers pretty well.

That's interesting... I always figured that sort of behavior made sponsors suspicious. I'm going to start doing this

Oracle Porn · 05-21-2008, 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crockett

That's not what he said. He said they gave the info to another affiliate. Of course a sponsor sees where you send traffic from, but that info should be kept private and not shared.

they are not going to share it on a public msg board...but i can assure it one person shares your info with another whether its inside the company or to top whales or whatever....its not your info once its on their site.

Zester · 05-21-2008, 03:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kane

Several years ago I had something similar happen. I had written a kick ass text link for a site that drew and converted like mad. They asked me how I was sending traffic because my ratio was really good. I talked to the affiliate program and showed them the link and they told me the thought it was really good and congratulated me on it. About two weeks later my text link shows up on their banners page. I contacted them and told them to take it down that they didn't have my permission to use it. They just didn't return my emails. I pulled all my links to them and then suddenly they wanted to know why I stopped using them. After telling them they apologized and pulled the link, they also gave me a raise. I tried them again for a few months then they stopped paying and eventually went out of business.

It really pissed me off.

give me the name

WiredGuy · 05-21-2008, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuzebox

That's interesting... I always figured that sort of behavior made sponsors suspicious. I'm going to start doing this

They usually only care when complaints or chargebacks happen. If the traffic is clean, there should be no problem hiding those referrers.
WG

OzMan · 05-21-2008, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WiredGuy

I hide my referrers pretty well. On the flip side, I'd love to get access to those kind of logs

WG

yup it's a two way street... we love to get info on what is working for other ppl but don't want absolutely anything revealed about ourselves

but like you said if there are no complaints the sponsor will usually respect your privacy and not push you for exact details that they could use themselves or give away as tips to their favorite affiliates.

kane · 05-21-2008, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zester

give me the name

The company was called Island Online and their program was called Sex Bucks http://www.sexbucks.com/ the program page still exists, but it hasn't been active for several years (that I know of) They stopped answering my emails and stopped paying a while back. I think some of their sites are still up, but I don't know if they still work or not.

They owe me around $2500 still, but I know I will never see it.

notoldschool · 05-21-2008, 01:46 PM

Not good. I would out them if I was COMPLETELY certain they had done so.

FightThisPatent · 05-21-2008, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WiredGuy

I hide my referrers pretty well. On the flip side, I'd love to get access to those kind of logs

WG

charles, you should do a demo with me on t3report

Fight the plug!

rowan · 05-21-2008, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by datatank

I would use a redirect to mask my refferers

It would need to be a meta refresh or javascript-post redirect, since a HTTP 301/302 redirect will preserve the referer. Even then you may get the occasional "leak" from oddball browsers...

05-20-2008, 09:47 PM	#1
pr0 rockin tha trailerpark Industry Role: Join Date: May 2001 Location: ~Coastal~ Posts: 23,088	What would you say if an affiliate program, looked at your referrers.... And then handed out the information to their other affiliates. For instance a "directory" that pushed mad traffic that you could get free listings on. Like hey try this...its working out great for "this guy". And then the traffic source dried up....or at least got split in half. How would you handle it? __________________ __________ Loadedca$h - get sum! - Revengebucks - mmm rebills! - webair (gotz sErVrz)

05-20-2008, 09:51 PM	#3
kane Too lazy to set a custom title Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: portland, OR Posts: 20,684	Several years ago I had something similar happen. I had written a kick ass text link for a site that drew and converted like mad. They asked me how I was sending traffic because my ratio was really good. I talked to the affiliate program and showed them the link and they told me the thought it was really good and congratulated me on it. About two weeks later my text link shows up on their banners page. I contacted them and told them to take it down that they didn't have my permission to use it. They just didn't return my emails. I pulled all my links to them and then suddenly they wanted to know why I stopped using them. After telling them they apologized and pulled the link, they also gave me a raise. I tried them again for a few months then they stopped paying and eventually went out of business. It really pissed me off. Last edited by kane; 05-20-2008 at 09:52 PM..

05-20-2008, 09:54 PM	#4
GPS Confirmed User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: in the slumps Posts: 572	Post on here..... so people can stay away.. __________________ no sig!

05-20-2008, 09:55 PM	#6
sicone Retired Industry Role: Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Sac Posts: 18,453	Sadly most affiliate managers know nothing at all about traffic and how to get/convert it. But they do know how to copy what works for others. __________________

05-20-2008, 10:41 PM	#8
seeric .......... Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: .......... Posts: 41,917	1000000% confidential. As an affiliate myself I have to say that I think anyone that runs a program should have to have affiliate experience. Its the only way you can feel the pain. No way in hell would I ever share traffic info affiliate to affiliate. If anyone is doing this, I would question their ethics on other things too. It's not acceptable in my opinion. This is also the reason that I do not promote the programs that I build and run/manage. No conflicts of interest that way. Last edited by seeric; 05-20-2008 at 10:42 PM..

05-20-2008, 09:48 PM	#2
pr0 rockin tha trailerpark Industry Role: Join Date: May 2001 Location: ~Coastal~ Posts: 23,088	btw... this is not pointed at anyone this is not an "outing" thread.....just a general consensus

05-20-2008, 10:43 PM	#9
Penny24Seven So Fucking What Industry Role: Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: USA Posts: 6,287	I would be pissed. I look at which galleries work best for an affiliate and let him know which ones he is getting the new joins from but I would not tell another about that. I would not use the same gallery either. All that shit adds up and for the most part word of mouth means a lot __________________ Our site is coming soon. It will be one of the best ever! I know so. Brian and Penny

05-20-2008, 10:44 PM	#10
kristin GOO! Industry Role: Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Back Home : ) Posts: 9,768	Ask the affiliate if you can steal the text and give them some cash for it. We did it when I worked at EGC with hosted galleries. We would pay our WMs $5 per approved gallery they gave us. Put the galleries into our system and bam, open for all WMs to use. __________________ Vacares rules. "Usually only fat guys have the kind of knowledge and ability that Kristin has." Last edited by kristin; 05-20-2008 at 10:47 PM..

05-20-2008, 10:56 PM	#13
crockett in a van by the river Industry Role: Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 76,806	I'd shit can them __________________ In November, you can vote for America's next president or its first dictator.

05-20-2008, 11:07 PM	#14
WiredGuy Pounding Googlebot Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 34,490	I hide my referrers pretty well. On the flip side, I'd love to get access to those kind of logs WG __________________ I play with Google.

05-20-2008, 11:16 PM	#17
datatank Confirmed User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: My dog is blacker than Tupac Posts: 5,471	I would use a redirect to mask my refferers

05-20-2008, 11:17 PM	#18
2012 So Fucking What Industry Role: Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 17,189	thats fucked __________________ best host: Webair \| best sponsor: Kink \| best coder: 688218966 \| Go Fuck Yourself

05-20-2008, 11:34 PM	#20
lazycash Troll Patrol Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Local Socal Posts: 15,214	I'd be pissed and if the program was highly profitable for me I'd approach them and ask them to keep your traffic sources confidential. I can see how a narrow sited affiliate manager might think that divulging the information would benefit his program as a whole, but letting him know that you're considering moving your traffic should wake him up.

05-20-2008, 11:35 PM	#21
ztik Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Nomad Posts: 5,196	In mainstream we ALWAYS hide our traffic source from our sponsors. If they ask, move on. Don't show them your landings either. They always steal your shit __________________ .

05-20-2008, 11:36 PM	#22
Oracle Porn Affiliate Industry Role: Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Icq: 94-399-723 Posts: 24,433	if anyone thinks that sponsors aren't checking your refers and using that info to their advantage is an idiot. __________________

05-21-2008, 01:46 PM	#32
notoldschool Confirmed User Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 5,687	Not good. I would out them if I was COMPLETELY certain they had done so. __________________ No doubt one may quote history to support any cause, as the devil quotes scripture. -- Learned Hand http://www.bjpenn.com