IMPORTANT: Rules for posting affiliate links in this forum

[koland]

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

Not fewer posts, but fewer threads. Before the change, every update to an affiliate thread would have been a thread on its own, with a title that needs to be changed to reflect updates. Now, that workload is off the moderators and on the person maintaining the thread. So there has been a certain shift, from that point of view.

Only in that the affiliate link threads (which seem to be "not-desired" from comments here) won't need updates.

The free book threads that Arcdata is still posting (and others are welcome to add) and the ones for other, bargain books (without affiliate links, for anyone that chooses to post) would still need to be maintained, I would imagine.

And the free ones were the main ones that needed updates, from what I recall, so the same amount of work changing thread titles would be needed. Plus I imagine you now must read every post not in an affiliate thread to check that there are no affiliate links included, no?

I am not posting to be argumentative, just truly curious if the reduced workload anticipated will be realized (or only realized by reducing bargain posts to only the affiliate threads)?

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by Loosheesh

I guess silly us for assuming the complaints were coming from users ...

Since when are mods not also users? IIRC, a good number of our current mods are simply regular users who've been elevated to modhood for having been exceptionally helpful to others, rather than having some more direct connection to the site like the owners do. And they still participate and post in a lot of discussions without ever donning their mod hats. One day, it may even happen to one of you.

Mind you, I'm glad they've put up further explanation for the motivations behind this move, although given how people generally react to changes on MR I see the cycle of complaints continuing as people continue to complain about the original complaints and then complain about the new complaints*.

Anyway, if the mods think it'll make their unpaid job easier (or just cut down on one vector of frustration while possibly opening up another), they can change whatever they like with my approval, even if they decide to arbitrarily close access to the Deals forum in a rotating manner so that only posters with usernames starting D-G can see what's inside from 3-5 PM PST on every 2nd Wednesday and the rest of us A-C|H-Z peons will have to wait until teatime is over.

Personally, if the affiliate links/not-links are going to cause such kerfuffle, I'm almost tempted to propose that the forum software be changed so that ALL attempted Amazon affiliate links no matter when or where will automatically be altered to provide a referrer-link for ?tag=mobileread-20 instead so that if anyone tries to sneak one in where they think the mods won't see, that 4 cents on the dollar goes directly to supporting MR instead.

Non-affiliate links would still be left as-is.

But that would make extra work for the developers.

* Myself, I am already complaining about all the complaints and expect someone else to shortly complain about my complaint.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Anyway, if the mods think it'll make their unpaid job easier (or just cut down on one vector of frustration while possibly opening up another), they can change whatever they like with my approval, even if they decide to arbitrarily close access to the Deals forum in a rotating manner so that only posters with usernames starting D-G can see what's inside from 3-5 PM PST on every 2nd Wednesday and the rest of us A-C|H-Z peons will have to wait until teatime is over.

*creates alternate account eScalyFreak*

[pilotbob]

I'm really confused, first you say you liked looking in a single thread for the Kindle freebees...

We want a user to limit all their aff links to a single thread... but then you say that will cause you to look in multiple threads.

Once again, single thread per book for a deal/free bee is still 100% fine, as long as there is no affiliate link.

BOb

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Can we just TRY the 2-link, 1-post method? Please? For a week or two?

Can we just TRY what we have put in place for a week or two first?

BOb

[basschick]

obviously we have no choice but to either try it or stop visiting the deals and freebies forum.

maybe after a week, mods could put up a poll and get an idea of the percentages of who prefers the old way vs the new.

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Can we just TRY what we have put in place for a week or two first?

BOb

[FF2]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Yes. Anything you'd purchase during the visit that began from the initial link, the affiliate gets the commission, which is 4 percent.

It's not like the purchaser pays anything extra; it's just that the referrer earns a little bit from Amazon.

Ah. Thanks. I'm glad I asked for clarification.

So, when I clink on affiliate links for a free book as someone else mentioned, they earn a percentage of ZERO which is ZERO. But if I then purchase a cordless screwdriver for $180.00 they earn a percentage of that sale even though it was not a book! Interesting. If I don't 'log' off Amazon's site but close any Amazon tabs in my browser and come back later that hour, day, do they still earn commissions?

....... back to the generic concept and not to the quotee....

Well, I still prefer the original or older method. I could just log on, visit this subforum and go back to the last time I logged off here and start looking for freebies by looking at the date in the left column.

Now, if Affiliate xyz posted on Sept 23, 2011, they have to add to that thread. When I come back in one, two or three days, or after a week of vacation, I have to wade through threads that still list "origin" date of Sept 23, 2011 even thought it is now December?

Hmmmm. Well, as others have said, it is not my forum and it is YOUR rules. But....

[sufue]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Can we just TRY what we have put in place for a week or two first?

BOb

sounds good, but then please also....

Originally Posted by basschick

maybe after a week, mods could put up a poll and get an idea of the percentages of who prefers the old way vs the new.

[koland]

Originally Posted by FF2

So, when I clink on affiliate links for a free book as someone else mentioned, they earn a percentage of ZERO which is ZERO. But if I then purchase a cordless screwdriver for $180.00 they earn a percentage of that sale even though it was not a book! Interesting. If I don't 'log' off Amazon's site but close any Amazon tabs in my browser and come back later that hour, day, do they still earn commissions?

Correct on the first two. The latter is not supposed to result in any commission (also, if you already had the screwdriver in your cart and only finalized the purchase after clicking a link, no credit is give, either; just new shopping done after a link, thru one order, which includes one-clicks).

With non-Amazon stores, the rules are more complicated (and you are less likely to impulse buy a new Kobo Reader, I suspect); some have cookies, I think, that last longer, others track only thru one sale, ebook or otherwise.

You can use the "open first unread/new post" symbol at the start of the threads you subscribe to and only see the newest posts, so you don't have to wade thru everything (it's that tiny down arrow before the thread title). Won't help much if you haven't been around for a while, as the offerings change so fast - Exodus was free for about 5 minutes earlier today and has already dropped in price again, for example, and Rob Bell's book (posted yesterday) is already pulled from the Kindle store.

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I'm really confused, first you say you liked looking in a single thread for the Kindle freebees...

We want a user to limit all their aff links to a single thread... but then you say that will cause you to look in multiple threads.

I maintained a single thread in the Kindle forum - it was restarted and stickied each month and all new bargains and free books were posted there, ONLY for Kindle. It included books, games, indies (free only) ... everything Kindle. Perhaps once a month some posts had to be deleted by a moderator, as a drive-by author popped by, a lot of off topic comments showed up or there was a duplication of content (due to two posting at the same time).

There is now one thread per person and it can contain books of all content formats. So, yes, the OP in this case has to visit more threads with the new system (presumably he, like many in the Kindle forum, simply ignored this entire forum, before). There are probably fewer threads now, but only for those that paid attention to all the threads in this forum, before. For those that want one particular format, EPUB or Kindle, there is now more to read thru, to find those (then, repeat in each thread). There is also off-topic chatter in the individual threads, which was very much discouraged in the Kindle and nook forum threads.

Regardless, we will all try the new way (I caught one mispost I had yesterday, of a free book; I have gone back and removed all the aff tags from that post).

[BillSmithBooks]

I didn't realize this was a Moderator issue...if it makes the moderators' lives easier, I can support such a policy in principle because they do give an awful lot to make this a good community...but I have found links (affiliate or not) to be helpful in steering me to good books to read, so IMO, affiliate links do have value.

Smart affiliate posters would do something like "Affiliate -- (title)/subject -- Smashwords" or whatever to show subject and format.

The problem with the new threads as I've seen then so far is that you have no idea if a thread is worth clicking or skipping over.

I'm confused about the reporting issue mentioned earlier. Was this a case of affiliate-linkers were turning on (reporting) each other, "He/she poached/duplicated my link" and dragging the Mods into an argument? Kind of like cuttle-fish (Pirates of the Caribbean 3 reference )

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Can we just TRY what we have put in place for a week or two first?

If it makes it easier for the mods to do it this way, why not?

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by FF2

Now, if Affiliate xyz posted on Sept 23, 2011, they have to add to that thread. When I come back in one, two or three days, or after a week of vacation, I have to wade through threads that still list "origin" date of Sept 23, 2011 even thought it is now December?

If you subscribe to the thread, it will show up in your list of subscriptions whenever Affiliate User X updates the thread, and you can click the little arrow to get to the first unread post. I've subscribed to koland's and arcadata's threads now.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Can we just TRY what we have put in place for a week or two first?

BOb

I feel confident stating that my dislike of the new system will not fade after a week or two. I have all the necessary data about the new system to know that the new system will not fit my preferred method of browsing.

I suggested trying the "old way + disclaimer" because it seems that the "will we like it" variable depends on new behavior -- i.e., spam in the absence of moderation. We do not have that data on the new system.

I do recognize, however, that everything is not all about me, and others may feel differently. I wholeheartedly support a poll-check to see how people feel in two weeks.

[blue_skies]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I'm really confused, first you say you liked looking in a single thread for the Kindle freebees...

We want a user to limit all their aff links to a single thread... but then you say that will cause you to look in multiple threads.

Once again, single thread per book for a deal/free bee is still 100% fine, as long as there is no affiliate link.

BOb

Bob, are you referring to my post? Perhaps I didn't explain myself clearly, but the single thread I was referring to was this monthly one stickied in the Kindle section: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=148536

Koland's post is perhaps a better explanation:

Originally Posted by koland

I maintained a single thread in the Kindle forum - it was restarted and stickied each month and all new bargains and free books were posted there, ONLY for Kindle. It included books, games, indies (free only) ... everything Kindle. Perhaps once a month some posts had to be deleted by a moderator, as a drive-by author popped by, a lot of off topic comments showed up or there was a duplication of content (due to two posting at the same time).

There is now one thread per person and it can contain books of all content formats. So, yes, the OP in this case has to visit more threads with the new system (presumably he, like many in the Kindle forum, simply ignored this entire forum, before). There are probably fewer threads now, but only for those that paid attention to all the threads in this forum, before. For those that want one particular format, EPUB or Kindle, there is now more to read thru, to find those (then, repeat in each thread). There is also off-topic chatter in the individual threads, which was very much discouraged in the Kindle and nook forum threads.

Yes, yes, and yes! That is my issue and this is probably a much more negative change for those like me who used to only visit the single format thread in their device subforums. Trying to find the listings that used to be posted there now requires sifting through multiple threads in an additional sub-forum and an abundance of off-topic posts, which is a very frustrating change.

I used to be able to avoid this "Deals, Freebies and Resources" sub-forum all together before things were made more cumbersome. That's why it's hard for me to understand how it could result in fewer threads and posts. I'm used to the relying upon the single, well-managed monthly thread linked above for finding Kindle deals. Now the information is all scattered and duplicated.

[Loosheesh]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Since when are mods not also users? IIRC, a good number of our current mods are simply regular users who've been elevated to modhood for having been exceptionally helpful to others, rather than having some more direct connection to the site like the owners do. And they still participate and post in a lot of discussions without ever donning their mod hats. One day, it may even happen to one of you.

Mind you, I'm glad they've put up further explanation for the motivations behind this move, although given how people generally react to changes on MR I see the cycle of complaints continuing as people continue to complain about the original complaints and then complain about the new complaints*.

Anyway, if the mods think it'll make their unpaid job easier (or just cut down on one vector of frustration while possibly opening up another), they can change whatever they like with my approval, even if they decide to arbitrarily close access to the Deals forum in a rotating manner so that only posters with usernames starting D-G can see what's inside from 3-5 PM PST on every 2nd Wednesday and the rest of us A-C|H-Z peons will have to wait until teatime is over.

Personally, if the affiliate links/not-links are going to cause such kerfuffle, I'm almost tempted to propose that the forum software be changed so that ALL attempted Amazon affiliate links no matter when or where will automatically be altered to provide a referrer-link for ?tag=mobileread-20 instead so that if anyone tries to sneak one in where they think the mods won't see, that 4 cents on the dollar goes directly to supporting MR instead.

Non-affiliate links would still be left as-is.

But that would make extra work for the developers.

* Myself, I am already complaining about all the complaints and expect someone else to shortly complain about my complaint.

By "users", I meant non-mods, but I'm sure you knew that

I understand and respect where the mods are coming from; I just think this all would've gone down better if they'd just come out and said what WTSharpe said here instead of "We have received a number of complaints about the fact that ...". I acknowledge that mods are users also, but I naturally (or maybe unnaturally ) assumed the complaints were from users who are not moderators.

To be clear, this is not a complaint about your complaint (or whatever - I'm kinda confused at this point ). The mods have done what they think is best for their forum - my complaining or lack thereof won't change jack - now I simply have to do what I think is best for my user experience.