A lot of us wonder about Sam and what he's saying...
j/k, buddy!
j/k, buddy!
Home Theater
Entertainment & Streaming Content
Physical Media
Home Theater Equipment and Hardware
Other Diversions
Bargains and Classifieds
Home Theater Forum
BestBuy going out of business.... Gradually and then all at once says Forbes. (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Sam Posten
- Start date
Yes, USG is blocking that link because of the viglink redirects that it is pulling through. Strangely other links at HTF which all go through the munging seem unaffected.
Something is odd with that particular link perhaps. Perhaps because it is not a naked link but one wrapped up.
Something is odd with that particular link perhaps. Perhaps because it is not a naked link but one wrapped up.
OK. BOTH the naked and wrapped links I just put in myself going from HTF to USAtoday get caught in the filter. I got there not by the original link above but by typind in usatoday.com and searching on the article from their main page. That wene through fine. But the redirects here do not.
Neither of the ones going to the verge do.
So something is hinky in Viglink's redirect to usatoday.
Neither of the ones going to the verge do.
So something is hinky in Viglink's redirect to usatoday.
I don't know enough to understand your point.
When I copy the link to the "wrapped" link...it reads exactly the same as the unwrapped one. I don't see any redirect.
But, like I said, I don't pretend to understand a lick about how these things work.
When I copy the link to the "wrapped" link...it reads exactly the same as the unwrapped one. I don't see any redirect.
But, like I said, I don't pretend to understand a lick about how these things work.
Yeah, behind the scenes Huddler and HTF are actually doing URL spying on you. When you mouse over it it shows the final destination but to get there it actually goes through a number of redirects, in particular to a 3rd party very slimy service called Viglink.
I hate hate hate that HTF and Huddler use it.
Do a websearch on "viglink sucks" to see how reviled it is.
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=477047
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1522082
http://www.bmx-forum.com/t/250536/viglinks-sucks-balls
http://www.grandprixforums.net/get-rid-viglink-bs-57089.html
Etc.
SEO douchebags sing its praises:
http://internetmarketing.humenews.com/viglink-no-fuss-affiliate-sales
Honestly I believe it is absolutely wrong for any forum to change user posts in any way but obviously the owners here disagree.
The problem is that sites that take this stuff seriously, like oh I dunno, the USG, treat slimy redirects like the malware that they are. Not all the time, but often enough and more often than previously that this is going to be a continued problem
Previous thread:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/315512/who-the-hell-is-viglink-and-why-do-i-need-to-authorize-them-to-edit-my-posts
I hate hate hate that HTF and Huddler use it.
Do a websearch on "viglink sucks" to see how reviled it is.
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=477047
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1522082
http://www.bmx-forum.com/t/250536/viglinks-sucks-balls
http://www.grandprixforums.net/get-rid-viglink-bs-57089.html
Etc.
SEO douchebags sing its praises:
http://internetmarketing.humenews.com/viglink-no-fuss-affiliate-sales
Honestly I believe it is absolutely wrong for any forum to change user posts in any way but obviously the owners here disagree.
The problem is that sites that take this stuff seriously, like oh I dunno, the USG, treat slimy redirects like the malware that they are. Not all the time, but often enough and more often than previously that this is going to be a continued problem
Previous thread:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/315512/who-the-hell-is-viglink-and-why-do-i-need-to-authorize-them-to-edit-my-posts
I see it very quickly when I click those links.
Sam:
Thanks for taking the time to explain. I had no idea...
You see, I never did. I would see, as Sam said, the correct link on the mouse-over. And if you right-click the link and copy it into a blank browser URL field, it still came up as original. That's pretty stealthy stuff (which, I doubt, I will ever fully understand).
Thanks for taking the time to explain. I had no idea...
You see, I never did. I would see, as Sam said, the correct link on the mouse-over. And if you right-click the link and copy it into a blank browser URL field, it still came up as original. That's pretty stealthy stuff (which, I doubt, I will ever fully understand).
And if the mods don't even understand it.....
You see my concern.
You see my concern.
Yeah, well, us mods are pretty much just here to keep guys like you in check...
Qui custodis custodit? =p
THAT would be you!
Squeaky wheels and all that. But nobody listens to the nutters.
A few words from management....
There are two components to Vigilink. One is where links are automatically inserted into a text only post. If you posted something along the lines of "Is the Oppo a good Blu-ray player?" it might create a link on the word Oppo linking to anything Oppo related on Ebay. Half of the sites you put links to Sam are complaining of this part. We don't use that.
The other component is if a link is placed in a post Vigilink does redirect it on the way to its destination. The primary reason for this is for referral codes. We had a big problem a while back with people posting deals with their own personal codes in them (which is against forum rules). Vigilink would remove their referral code. It also saves us the hassle of trying to get referral accounts at each retailer, and since our referrals are "pooled" with those of other Vigilink customers we end up in the highest purchase brackets to maximize referral revenue. In short it helps keep the lights on around here.
I would ask that this thread "redirect" (ha!) to Best Buy. If anyone wants to continue discussing the pros and cons of affiliate revenue and Vigil ink feel free to use the thread in the feedback area that Sam linked to.
There are two components to Vigilink. One is where links are automatically inserted into a text only post. If you posted something along the lines of "Is the Oppo a good Blu-ray player?" it might create a link on the word Oppo linking to anything Oppo related on Ebay. Half of the sites you put links to Sam are complaining of this part. We don't use that.
The other component is if a link is placed in a post Vigilink does redirect it on the way to its destination. The primary reason for this is for referral codes. We had a big problem a while back with people posting deals with their own personal codes in them (which is against forum rules). Vigilink would remove their referral code. It also saves us the hassle of trying to get referral accounts at each retailer, and since our referrals are "pooled" with those of other Vigilink customers we end up in the highest purchase brackets to maximize referral revenue. In short it helps keep the lights on around here.
I would ask that this thread "redirect" (ha!) to Best Buy. If anyone wants to continue discussing the pros and cons of affiliate revenue and Vigil ink feel free to use the thread in the feedback area that Sam linked to.
I think Best Buy going private would be a great thing. It removes the quarter to quarter pressure to perform and lets them focus on a long term strategy, and makes me a decent profit in my retirement account for the shares I purchased a few months ago.
I think they should shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders. Them and Dell. =) Mostly kidding but also not really.
I think that in 10-20 years we are going to look back and say "remember when big box retailers were a thing? And how pissed people were when they killed off the Mom and Pop places? And then got so used to them that they freaked out when they went away and were replaced?"
fortunes rise and fall. Business Plans look brilliant or foolish over time. I happen to think the overabundance of big box retailers is one that is going to be a dinosaur. I expect to see more smaller specialty boutiques in their place. Things that are destinations to seek out.
I think that in 10-20 years we are going to look back and say "remember when big box retailers were a thing? And how pissed people were when they killed off the Mom and Pop places? And then got so used to them that they freaked out when they went away and were replaced?"
fortunes rise and fall. Business Plans look brilliant or foolish over time. I happen to think the overabundance of big box retailers is one that is going to be a dinosaur. I expect to see more smaller specialty boutiques in their place. Things that are destinations to seek out.
That's a fabulous article, Sam. Well organized information.
EricSchulz
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2004
- Messages
- 5,587
Here's the thing that I don't get about B&M stores not price matching online retailers (specifically Amazon): how many customers are going to utilize it? I remember when Walmart posted the ads for the competitors (Target, Best Buy) and dropped their price to a few cents lower...on a store by store basis based on local competition. That way they could claim that "Low Price...Always" motto. But NOW they price match at the register and put the burden on the customer. And that makes sense...why sell EVERY copy of a DVD for $17.96 to beat Target when you could still sell them at $19.96 and sell a few to customers that price match? I don't understand why the stores don't embrace this AND PROMOTE IT. It promotes more goodwill than selling things online that you can't fulfill (Best Buy and Toys R Us!).
Similar threads
Users who are viewing this thread
Sign up for our newsletter
and receive essential news, curated deals, and much more
Staff online
-
Sam PostenStudio Mogul