Viglink is evil

[Mr Lucky]

Well, maybe that is going a bit far.

Recently I posted on a forum about how important it is to get a good set of headphones for professional studio work. Viglink made a link of the word headphones and linked to a cheap set of earbuds, making it look to people like these were headphones I was recommending. basically making a mockery of my post.

I really don't know why people use Viglink. Well, it's to make money of course, but why do that at the cost of the integrity of our forum?

 

[Sador]

For the same reason people use ads in general, I'm guessing. To make money.

 

[Martok]

Viglink Insert is what you have experienced on that forum. It is optional and doesn't have to be turned on. I dislike as it's obtrusive it so it's switched off on my Viglink account for my forum, I only use the standard URL linking option.

 

[Mr Lucky]

For the same reason people use ads in general, I'm guessing. To make money.

Of course. But normal ads at least are (usually) obviously ads. When an auto generated text link appears to be a link generated by the post author, that is the situation I am talking about.

There is nothing wrong with people making money from honest advertising which is transparent.

 

[Sador]

Of course. But normal ads at least are (usually) obviously ads. When an auto generated text link appears to be a link generated by the post author, that is the situation I am talking about.

There is nothing wrong with people making money from honest advertising which is transparent.

I wouldn't use Vigilinks, but I also don't like "normal transparent ads" as a user. They're often obnoxious, with way too many of them, in all the wrong places. There's nothing wrong with people making money and I understand why ads are used, but just because they are generally more accepted doesn't make me like them any more as a user being bombarded with them everywhere I go.

 

[Coop1979]

I use special CSS on my Skimlinks that overlines the link in order to provide a little bit of transparency.

Oh, and I've been much more successful with Skimlinks than Viglinks, though I bet it could vary with your forum's subject matter.

 

[JulianD]

You can turn off that VigLink feature if you dislike it and it will only work with already existing links in your board. Ask your fellow administrator, maybe they will feel the same way about it and they can flip the switch.

 

[Mr Lucky]

You can turn off that VigLink feature if you dislike it and it will only work with already existing links in your board. Ask your fellow administrator, maybe they will feel the same way about it and they can flip the switch.

No, it is not my board. I'm talking about posts I make on another forum, and some words I use get turn into inappropriate links so it appears to people I am linking to things not related to the meaning of my post.

 

[CTXMedia]

Most people aren't aware, but you can opt-out of Viglink for the sites you visit: http://www.viglink.com/opt-out

 

[Mr Lucky]

Most people aren't aware, but you can opt-out of Viglink for the sites you visit: http://www.viglink.com/opt-out

Yes, but other people would still be seeing the the bogus link in my post though.

 

[CTXMedia]

Yes, but other people would still the the bogus link in my post though.

Ah, yes, sorry, I misunderstood - you are not happy with the link being attributed to text within a post you have made.

Perhaps you could suggest to the site owner that they format the links in a different (or obvious) way to ensure visitors understand that the link isn't your link, but one the site owner has put there automatically.

I have changed the formatting of Skimlinks shopping links at my own sites and when you hover over them text appears to attribute them to Skimlinks shopping (to avoid an association between poster and link).

 

[akia]

I use special CSS on my Skimlinks that overlines the link in order to provide a little bit of transparency.

Oh, and I've been much more successful with Skimlinks than Viglinks, though I bet it could vary with your forum's subject matter.

Do you mind sharing?

 

[Coop1979]

Do you mind sharing?

Sure, here you go (put it in Extra.css):

a.skimwords-link { color: #176093 !important;
text-decoration: overline !important;}