NMA Article - Adware - Quotes from Networks & Affiliate

[Helen]

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You might want to read the New Media Age article on adware:

Helen

Here is the article on page 2

"Affiliates Claim adware is 'hijacking' click throughts

A war of words has broken out within the affiliate marketing community over the growing problems of spyware/adware products, which affilaites claim are threatening the model and impacting on ROI.

Affilaites are reporting an increasing number of adware companies are joining networds as affiliates and hijacking their clickthroughs. This is done at the point of sale, either through softwre that places an ad of a competitor in front of an affilaites own website or overwrites the affilaites links and takes the commission

Examples of adware companies include gator, whenu, greasypalm, 180 solutions and claria

Eight networks including dealgroupmedia, buy.at, affilaite window and affiliate future have already banned these products from being used on their networks. But the 2 biggest networks CJ & TD are refusing to boq to the pressure to follow suit.

Tradedoubler did release an addedum to its affiliate amrekting agreement last week, however, setting out strict guidelines on how adware products are used and putting processes in place to try and protect affiliates. Will Copper said "in our opinion there's a legitimate place for adware, as long as the user is aware they've downloaded the sfotware. He said the company spent 6 weeks analysing data across its network and found that adware had a very small impact on overwriting cookies.

CJ already has a code of conduct for adware companies and said its in the process of reviewing it.

But Paul Wheatley, MD of Shopperuk.com, which works with most of the affilaite networks said " to say that adware companiesare affilaites is insulting to real affiliates"he added that he and a number of other affilaites are considering swopping their linksif CJ and TD don't ban this practice

[Malcolm Cowley]

Nice one

Good to see all those calls by us all were not in vain :-)

Thought when I read revolution this morning for June that maybe even though NMA seemed more interested they might go the same route and miss this issue out. I know where i will be putting our next ad spend just out of principal good on you NMA.

Nice to finally see an affiliate quoted in an affiliate marketing piece too.

[Qui Gon Jinn]

greasypalm are not spyware !

TD strict policy, nope it isn't, a false claim.

TD try to focus on the over writing of cookies when it goes beyond that. Showing they are trying to deflect the focus of other issues at hand which allows spyware companies to still operate within their framework. Affecting afiliates and merchants more so.

The article shows a lack of understanding of the differences between adware and spyware.

Aren't Gator & Claria one of the same company?

[betterHalf]

...maybe not, but they ARE an anagram of:-

el gay spam'r

[NeilDurrant]

Nice to see increased exposure on this topic however I'm very disappointed to see GP unfairly mentioned in this article.

Months back I openly discussed GP's application and made some changes in response to feedback on A4U.

As a reminder:

There are a number of subtle points that combined clearly differentiate Rebate Catcher from the commonly termed ‘spyware’ applications including:


a) Rebate Catcher uses the browser’s pre-navigational history to identify the referring URL. In the case that the browsers request includes any affiliate networks tracking code then it recognises this fact and takes no action. Rebate Catcher does not redirect or provide any tracking or messaging systems in the presence of another affiliates link.

b) Rebate Catcher is not bundled with any other software applications. Rebate Catcher is only available to GreasyPalm members. Users make a voluntary and explicit request to install the software in full knowledge of the service it provides.

c) Rebate Catcher provides a very real added value for its users – helping them to make the most of their GreasyPalm membership.

d) Rebate Catcher has the functionality to mimic network cookie periods to prevent messaging and redirect functionality during that time.

e) Rebate Catcher provides merchants with a low-cost premium incentive providing both increased conversion rates and order values.

f) As a commitment to our ethical policy and with consideration to other publishers, should a merchant also operate an in-house affiliate program whose affiliate links cannot be isolated and detected by Rebate Catcher then we have NOT included them in our software application.


A combination of these factors has lead the affiliate networks and most (!) of our competing publishers to declare Rebate Catcher as a legitimate and ethical software application.

I've been quiet on this forum over the weeks relating to the adware debate as I know that some do not understand the differences between GP and other applications and I wanted to avoid the situation of being pigeon-hold with the likes of some of the more aggressive adware solutions.

For the record, I support the efforts made by those bringing pressure to bear on the networks in relation to some of the alternate applications that lack respect for other publishers (including our) revenue channels.

[Malcolm Cowley]

Didnt catch that on first read through - sorry you got unfairly painted there Neil.

When approached there was only 3 companies i mentioned and none of those were GP.

I am pleased about the exposure aside from the GPO comment which is rot. Like you Paul the corporate spin doesnt impress but the point is the issue has been raised publicly is a leading publication and there will be plenty of opportunity to set certain racords straight as the momentum builds for now I am glad the ball is rolling in that medium.

[NeilDurrant]

Oops, I see QCG has posted in between me writing my 'novel' of a post above - must learn to type quicker!

BetterHalf:

...maybe not, but they ARE an anagram of:- el gay spam'r

LOL, very true it is such an anagram but I trust your not making suggestions about either my sexuality or email marketing practices

Seriously, any claims of spamming would be unprecedented. All opt-in, every mail includes unsubcribes etc.

- Neil

[Rich]

You've got too much time betterHalf

I agree its a pity that it wasn't a better article, but I think its still taking us in the right direction and won't have done too much harm - well done to those involved. It's also a shame they couldn't give more of a reference for where these 'claims' were being discussed and allow people to get more details (or is there more details around the article?)

Do they have any form of Letters/right to reply page that could be written to for the next edition to clear up some of the errors.

To me, the greasypalm rebate catcher is a form of adware, but I think most affiliates accept that it is adware done right - personally I think its possibly too friendly to other affiliates, but thats just my oppinion.

[loquax]

You can write to the editor at NMA via nma.letters@centaur.co.uk

Jason

[wwwb]

Will Copper said "in our opinion there's a legitimate place for adware, as long as the user is aware they've downloaded the sfotware. He said the company spent 6 weeks analysing data across its network and found that adware had a very small impact on overwriting cookies.

ok, am i right in thinking that most people who have adware/spyware/scumware or however you want to call it are unaware it is installed on their pcs? ...if that is the case why is say that certain TD affiliate we've all been discussing still allowed to continue as an affiliate? its not like you see ads for it all over the bloomin internet? "Here, download us we r great at collectiing your data" etc etc

second point...if adware had a very small impact on overwriting cookies, then by suppostion, (correct me if i'm wrong) , they can't therefore be earning networks much money because they don't have your traditional medium of advertising on the web, ie a website...therefore, if they don't make so much money why were they not a)suspended during the 6 week investigation and b)removed from the said network, because it seems illogical that TD would potentially loose so many affiliates and business because of a couple of insignificant affiliate accounts..

call me cynical, but could a certain network be talking a load of old cobblers? Could a 6 week investigation be a good way of racking the cash in and fobbing off affs who dare to question their business?

if anyone can clear up and help clarify stuff for me that would be groovy.
(edit- i really apologise about the pants spelling and grammar)

[Qui Gon Jinn]

Susie Harwood

susie.harwood@centaur.co.uk

I have just spoken with Susie, who wrote the article

Gave permission to publishers to forward constructive comments surrounding our issues and concerns re spyware, obviously she doesn't want to be bombarded, but may do a follow up in a couple of weeks.

There is a right to reply to articles whch may be included in their letters section.

[Frostie]

Sorry GP got listed - tis a shame. Just hope the NMA correct their errors in a future article.

[Luca Brasi]

"Tradedoubler did release an addedum to its affiliate amrekting agreement last week, however, setting out strict guidelines on how adware products are used and putting processes in place to try and protect affiliates. Will Copper said "in our opinion there's a legitimate place for adware, as long as the user is aware they've downloaded the sfotware. He said the company spent 6 weeks analysing data across its network and found that adware had a very small impact on overwriting cookies."

I think the overwriting cookies part is a bit overdone. For me this is only part of the issue. PC users get software installed on their machines without their knowledge which then place competing pop up ads on my websites / content (mostly setting a cokie at the same time). This means I lose customers from auto cookie setting and click throughs on the pop ups, and I lose customers from people getting annoyed with pop up ads, which they think are from my website.

An another note the guidelines issued by the networks have a rather major hole in them which the majority of adware companies dont comply with. Firstly the consented download - its pretty easy to find where this isnt being done. And Secondly the uninstall process. For one, 180 solutions software doesn't uninstall when following their instructions. So will TD be kicking them out after 30 days for this??? I doubt it.....

[Supercod]

I would like to just add that what Neil has at GP is a software program that serves a purpose for his user base who have to actively download it to use with plenty of information about what the software will do and information to remove it. But most important for affiliates is it sets the standards for software affiliates, he is not showing adverts on affiliates sites, he is honouring every affiliate networks links and cookie periods for each merchant, as you know he consulted a number of affiliates before making it and then had a open public debate about what he was doing.

So for the GP Rebate Catcher Program to be classed as adware is just plan wrong in my books. However sadly and I don't know if it's just lack of knowledge some people at a certain network have, that have put him in the exact same pigeon hole as some pretty sneaky and down right thieving programs.

Any way I thought I add my voice since I am one of the current "experts" on the subject so people keep telling me LOL

[CMG]

I have rebate catcher installed on my computer, if I classed it as spyware then there's no way I'd leave on it my machine.
Rebate catcher is as Neil said a service that gives very real added value for its users!