VGLNK advertising
 

I just wanted to get a thread started to discuss the vglnk advertising in the forum. While I understand that CD needs revenue to operate, I am opposed to words from my posts being turned into ads, especially if the ad is for something i may or may not support.

So far I have seen links in a number of user's posts, and I am not sure they know they are doing the advertising.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

I have not seen this advertising you speak of. It is probably a malware infection on your computer artificially adding this to the content you see.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

I am seeing them also, and on multiple computers. Can this be malware? Or is it advertising, as the OP says?

The symptom is one or more instances of a hyperlink that the poster apparently did not create, and that are not pertinent to the content of the post except in a trivial sense; i.e., the linked string also appears in the post title.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

I've never seen those.
Would you take a screen shot the next time it happens, so we can see what you're describing?

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

I see the links in this thread: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=115358

The word "flashlight" links back to eBay and Amazon from multiple browsers on multiple PCs.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

Disabled adblock and I see it too.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

Yup, same. Either we all have the same malware, or there is actually a forum plugin installed that's doing this.

Can we get an official word from a mod or admin?

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

Using Chrome 26.0, I don't see them. No adblock installed (however, I AM behind my corporate firewall).

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

After disabling AdBlock I don't see anything abnormal.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

the word flashlight in your post is even being turned into a link (ebay and amazon too, if you didn't link them, the forum did). Incidentally, I am not making them a link here either.

It must be a forum plugin. The source contains: So far I have not seen them in threads where you are linking into a post, but only in threads arrived by the main topic link.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

Can't be so quick to be sure of this. Malware on your machine could be injecting that code.

Interesting. I see the js call to viglink.com in my source provided by the server, but I don't see the phantom links.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

Ghostery also blocks the links from showing up, but the source still shows the vglnk code.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

My office machine (where I am right now), is behind a Watchguard Firebox X, and runs TRENDmicro's antivirus software. Does not have Adblock Plus, Ghostery, or any other similar adware blocking stuff.

Remote desktop'ing to my server at home, which runs no antivirus, and sits behind a NAT only, I see the viglinks, (its Windows Server 2003 R2, running Chrome 25.0/26.0).

I think I've revised my theory to being that it IS a forum addon, but that it is blocked by some blocking software/hardware.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

I'm on Chrome 26.0 now and having no issues accessing CD. Just the same old JS issues that have been present for a while now.

I wonder when they added this VIGLNK plugin?

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

I'm apparently immune.

I see nothing in the page source.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

Just started getting this a few minutes ago. It annoys me, since normally people hyperlink single words to show examples of what they're saying, so I click them. I hope this is not a permanent feature.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

I noticed from my remote desktop session that unlike the other hotlinking adwords I've seen before (which appeared in green and double underlined, clearly different from an ordinary hyperlink), these viglinks appear to be ordinary links, indistinguishable from ones intentionally added by the post maker. This is a PROBLEM.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

We enabled this late last week to see if it would provide some extra money for operating costs behind the scenes. I was unaware they would link random words -- I was under the impression it would just add some affiliate tracking to existing sites that provide referral-based revenue. (amazon, etc.)

I've disabled it temporarily until I can figure out how to prevent that from happening.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

Thanks for the quick response on this.

I think their only option (based on reading their website) is to modify your existing content looking for linkable words (reading their js is somewhat interesting).

I am curious how their model works, since it sounds like you would pay them a portion of the revenue generated from the affiliate marketing. How much was CD looking at generating, and how much does the js Linker take?

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

Thanks for the response, Brandon.

Looking at their site, they offer a few different versions/products. I'm guessing you wanted the one that adds a referral to links that the user posted (such as Amazon), and not forcibly add the links programmatically (like we were experiencing).

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

The return of VGLNK, but in a new form.

If you "copy link address" on a link, then paste it into something like an email, viglink inserts itself in between and the js adds a bunch of *** to the link you are trying to copy. :mad:

I have been refusing to block any ads or js on CD, but I may start doing so for vglnk.

does CD actually make any money from this? Does this cost any money for them to set up?

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

I haven't seen any instances of it myself, but then I'm also a paid supporter (you can be too!) and a moderator. Not sure how that affects things.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...2&postcount=12

I mean, they've got to make money somehow. Unless you'll be generous-enough to pay the bills (and I'm assuming it's one heck of a bill). If you have any suggestions on how they can make money unobtrusively, feel free to bring it up.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

I am now a paid supported as well. (2 yr)

My question is if vglnk is actually generating much revenue, and roughly how much?

I'm not against advertising. I am against having my content modified by the forum.

Incidentally, If i copy a link from your sig, it gets 3000% longer (and not email friendly). Can we request that this be turned off for paid supporters along with the other advertising?

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

Nope no ads on my machine, both in Chrome and IE.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

On my MacBook pro on Safari, I was not able to replicate the issue. Has it been removed already?

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

I'm not seeing it, with or without adblock, on Safari and Chrome on OSX, and on IE and Chrome in Windows.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

Yeah. It's called a hyperlink.

I was trying to show a good flashlight to use for targeting.

Sorry for upsetting you all. Like I said, I was just trying to help. :(

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

You were linking to a real one. Many other posts had random words linked.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

Then I guess I just didn't see it. I haven't seen this in any thread before.

Since someone linked the thread I posted a link on, I assumed you were talking
about me.

Sorry.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

they turned off the auto linking. If I recall, it made about 4 extra links in your post. No worries about legitimate links.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

It's now messing with my ability to copy actual URLs in Chrome, and that's unacceptable. The solution (which presumably doesn't earn ChiefDelphi any money) is this: http://www.viglink.com/opt-out.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

I really don't want to do that, but it is pretty intrusive. I don't mind banner ads (I disabled my AdBlocker). Vglink just gets in the way in all the wrong ways.

Re: VGLNK advertising
 

Kind of off topic, but on my facebook, whenever I send a link with a nonstandard port, typically over 1024, it changes the link to a port, 80.