Link Crappifier

[realwarder]

Ok, so I post a link like this "https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/music/groove-music-pass"

And the site bloody well turns it into some ad link crap.

FFS WC this obsession with ads and tracking is getting plain silly.

https://forums.windowscentral.com/e...re%2Fmusic%2Fgroove-music-pass&token=M2vOTvmr

There you go:

"http://forums.windowscentral.com/ext?link=http%3A%2F%2Fclkde.tradedoubler.com%2Fclick%3Fp%3D259740%26a%3D2542549%26g%3D0%26epi%3Dvb_wp%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.microsoft.com%252Fen-us%252Fstore%252Fmusic%252Fgroove-music-pass"

The link doesn't even look like the posted link................... *sigh*

 

[gpobernardo]

The first link you posted, the one without the hyperlink without the strange numbers and % short-hand, works fine in my PC - no strange advertisements, etc.. On the other hand, the hyperlink you posted looks exactly like the last link you posted (the really long one).

Have you tried clearing the browsing cache - just the cache, not the browsing history - of your PC, as well as checking the cookies.

 

[TheArcaneFlame]

I have noticed the same behavior. It seems we're not allowed to insert a link using the button without Windows Central screwing with it. I have such fond memories of this site that I keep trying to ignore these new issues cropping up but the heavy handedness here is becoming ridiculous.

 

[Pete]

Testing

TV Cabinets | Oak Furniture Land

 

[Laura Knotek]

Testing

TV Cabinets | Oak Furniture Land

This link looks fine, unlike the other one.

 

[Pete]

This isn't happening all over the place in the forums. Apart from the examples above, I've not seen these ad revenue links used anywhere else.

Can you link to other examples you've seen? Maybe we can build a picture of why/when it's happening. It's possible it might be a browser plug-in at fault rather than Windows Central itself.

 

[Laura Knotek]

When it happens are you using an app: WindowsCentral app for Windows Phone, WindowsCentral app for Android, WindowsCentral app for Windows, Tapatalk?

If you're using a browser not an app, which browser?

 

[Laura Knotek]

Testing a link using Tapatalk.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/1...g-re-sign-cleveland-cavaliers-three-year-deal

Sent from my rooted Nexus 7 (2013) using Tapatalk

 

[TheArcaneFlame]

It happened in my post here: http://forums.windowscentral.com/microsoft-band/349706-2.htm#post3227090

I tried editing that post to correct it several times but couldn't get it to work as you can see from my note there. I was using MS Edge at the time on same computer as what I am using now. I composed a second test posting just now (again using Edge) and it doesn't seem to be doing it anymore as the links show up fine now. *shrug* No idea why it was happening but appears to be fixed for me.

 

[Laura Knotek]

It happened in my post here: http://forums.windowscentral.com/microsoft-band/349706-2.htm#post3227090

I tried editing that post to correct it several times but couldn't get it to work as you can see from my note there. I was using MS Edge at the time on same computer as what I am using now. I composed a second test posting just now (again using Edge) and it doesn't seem to be doing it anymore as the links show up fine now. *shrug* No idea why it was happening but appears to be fixed for me.

I checked your link, and it looks fine now. Perhaps this was a temporary bug with Edge.

Please let us know if it happens again and post screenshots if you see it.

 

[Laura Knotek]

It happened here. http://forums.windowscentral.com/mi...-october-6th-microsoft-event.html#post3238334

I blame copy and paste using Bing. If I use Google, it's fine.

Sent from my rooted Nexus 7 (2013) using Tapatalk

 

[xandros9]

Personally, when I post links it seems hit and miss. Sometimes it becomes that weird link, other times it works just fine. But I haven't really done it lately.

 

[TheArcaneFlame]

I checked your link, and it looks fine now. Perhaps this was a temporary bug with Edge.

Please let us know if it happens again and post screenshots if you see it.

Hi Laura, in the forum post I provided as an example the link there is still messed up when I look at it. I just checked it in both Edge and Firefox to confirm that. It's a link to the MS Band troubleshooting page and was copied directly from the Microsoft website. Are you saying that link looks correct for you or were you referring to the link here in this thread? (because that one was always correct)

 

[palmujukka]

I'm using the WC app can see this weird link for the app's download link in today's article about Telegram's new update: http://m.windowscentral.com/telegram-adds-new-channels-feature-latest-update

 

[TheArcaneFlame]

There is a bad link on today's Truecaller app update story. The app link at the bottom is bad. See my attached screenshot.

 

[palmujukka]

I browse Windows Central mainly through the WP app, so I didn't notice this before but the link tracking is actually documented on this site. If you open the site in a browser, there's an "External Links Disclosure" link at the bottom of each page (the last link on the copyright line). I also noticed that every article has the following statement at the article's end just before the social media sharing links:

This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for more details.

That document states:

We use a tool that automatically checks if link destinations have affiliate programs available. If they do, the tool modifies the link to use the available program. [...] We use the commission we receive to support the sites, its writers and staff and to purchase products for review or preview. It also allows us to reduce our reliance on advertising.

 

[realwarder]

We use a tool that automatically checks if link destinations have affiliate programs available. If they do, the tool modifies the link to use the available program. [...] We use the commission we receive to support the sites, its writers and staff and to purchase products for review or preview. It also allows us to reduce our reliance on advertising.

That's a joke though as the website has the highest ad rate per pixel than any other site I know. I recommended to Microsoft several times to use WindowsCentral as a test case because Edge slows down so much on the website. On my L830 it takes ages to render this website. Much slower than any other. And only because of all the ads.

Also OpenDNS (which I use) classifies tradedoubler as 'adware' and blocks it. So all these modified links aren't even clickable for me. Fortunately I can copy, paste and edit the links, but it's still irritating.

Hint hint: I think as a user gains more posts the ads should go down as we intrinsically add value to the site.