Hiding referral codes in the URL?
 

I noticed a lot of people do this by using javascript in the onmouseover so the link does not show up in the status bar, and since they are listed I am assuming this is OK from a LL BL prespective...

My question was more along the lines of... is there really any benifit to doing this? If the link is not supposed to be blind in order to get listed, even if the actual link is being hidden joe surfer is still told in no uncertain terms that he is going to a sponsor... why hide the link code in the status bar?

I did a bit of searching and the theory seems to be that if joe surfer sees a referal code he may not click on it rather type in the link in to the address bar directly (or right click copy link paste into the address bar delete referral code hit enter and take the tour) hence the free porn provider (me) looses the referral, but there is the other school of thought that says, if joe surfer is going to go through that much work just to screw over the free porn provider, he has no intention of buying anything in the first place...

The second makes sense to me (but what the hell do I know)... I would think the ideal surfer is the guy with the credit card next to his mouse... and that guy isnt going to give a shit what the status bar says...

Comments?

Hi CalModels
I really dont think there is any benifit

did I get back to you about that email you sent me a few days ago ??

Tommy, just got it... YOU ROCK!!!!

I would think that the average surfer would be more weary of seeing this
in the status bar than this
In this particular case the full URL is actuall more "blind" because it doesn't show the true destination URL at all. Whether or not it makes a difference in conversions I couldn't tell, but i always mouseover my own links just in case.

I think you're right that if a crafty bugger wants to fuck you out of your commision there's nothing you can do about it.

It's an "every little bit helps" sort of thing :)

Javascript mouseovers should improve your clickthrus. Like Lemmy said, a clean javascript mouseover is "less blind" then a long referral code, especially if the domain goes to the sponsor before the actual paysite.

For guys that want to rip the ref code off the link, you can link to a sponsor through a redirecting page. Since I admit sometimes I rip ref codes from links myself, I know if a link links to a paysite using "http://clickthrudomain[dot]com/blowjobbiatches/ will prevent people from ripping the ref code...because the ref code isn't even there.

It's a pain in the ass to actually type in the domain name in the browser, so I only see a small percentage of surfers actually doing that.

Thanks guys, gonna try it for the next site Im doing (which should be ready in about another week at the rate I am going).. wonder if DW has an easier way of doing mouseovers besides typing it in :(

Although, personally, when I go to a site and mouseover a link if the statusbar acts funny like being blank or having something besides a url, all kinds of alarm bells go off in my wee little head and even if the site would have taken me to free beer for life, I wont click it... (well, thats a lie... I would for free beer)...

You kinda answered your own question there Cal :)

That's exactly one of the reasons to use mouseovers. As Lemmy mentioned, some of the paysite referral links ARE downright scary looking. Having just a nice simple "www.paysite.com" show up in the status bar is a bit more...comfy...for the horny bastards :D

I pretty much use mouseovers on the scary links and don't bother with em on the more regular looking links.

Maybe it's me but I thought a lot of link lists didnt allow mouse overs

most do as long as it only shows the destination url. there are a couple of big ones that don't like them, tho, so I stopped using them altogether in my attempt to make better use of my time :)
I haven't noticed any drop in click thrus yet so I'm not sure if it really makes a big difference.

yah I wouldnt use javascript to block links on free site or gallery but you cna use it on your hub if you want to mix some content with your stuf such as free hosted sites and FHG :)

I won't decline for mouseovers as long as they show the actual URL of the site the surfer is going to. I've also never had any problems getting listed, and I always use them.

In fact, with a lot of sponsors their ref links look like http://sites.sponsorname.com/wm=2345&site=304&pop=2 or something like that, and in those cases the mouseover gives the surfer a clearer idea of where they're going with sitename.com than the actual sponsor link. :)

The easy way to use mouseovers with DW and not type the damned thing every time is to use the exact same opening tag including the href and mouseover, then just copy and paste that in the html. You can't do it with the WYSIWYG interface, but it's much quicker that way anyway.

Ive been going through my LL DB and only ones who explicitly say no mouseovers (except to hide referal codes) are Tommy and Wazza...

As long as you're only hiding affiliate codes and displaying the paysite url instead, I have never had a link site decline for mouseovers.

Not LOR, nor Tommy's, nor JK's...I don't think anyone will decline for correct use of mouseovers |thumb

As I said in my PM - this is incorrect

Correctly used mouseovers which include an onmouseout which returns the status bar to its default state have always been cool and always will be cool

Out hit counters, pages which meta refresh to your sponsor etc are very uncool... Live abroad for a while and you'll get what I mean... I must be able to see the link code given to you by your sponsor (and therefore what options you're using) without having to leave your site... If I have to click, I reject...

You can thank the sponsor who installed an uninstallable toolbar on my PC for being an unwashed barefoot foreigner for this rule... That's 4 hours of my life I'm never getting back |angry|

Hang on... I just reread that

I hope you're not going to put them on internal links and links to full sized pics - if you are - every LL in existense will reject for that - rule or no rule...

*beaten into submission* no, not to internal links, just the links to sponsors...

I was responding to the post earlier about LL's not allowing mouseovers... and that in my list of LL's you guys were the only ones who had something specific to say about it... none of the other LL's mention mouseovers other than to say "mouseovers to hide ref codes are OK" more as a permissive rule than a restrictive rule (atleast in my currently alcohol clogged brain anyway)...

That said.. I completely understand why LL owners would be weary of mouseovers (thanks for the PM Wazza)... my theory is if joe surfer is not horny enough to have his credit card whipped out while he is clicking away, he probably wont be contributing to my financial bottom line... mouseover or no, if the guy is out to fuck me of a sale, he will fuck me out of a sale... conversely, if he is joe surfer, he wont give two shits what the status bar says...

Don't feel beaten up mate :)

I'm looking for some help regarding the topic of this thread... If anyone could send me a mouseover script or direct me to a scripting resource where I could learn how to make one, I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks

Thank you so much! That's awesome!

Mousovers dontwork on all browsers
 

Not on FireFox at all or on early netscape/opera or even on ie if javascript is turned off or if the user links in from a surfing history containing a page with bad javascript errors.

How about if you point the link at a simple page on a site you control such as http://mysite.com/ebonysite2.html
and have an instant redirect (with your affiliate code) on the page. That should cloak your link code making it unalterable and also give a clean address for the surfer and will work in all browsers.

Any comments?

I think if they are interested in the site they'll click the link regardless.

Same thing with the amount of sponsor links.

Two links is all you really need - people seem to think that they need five for some reason