As cookies crumble AffiliateFuture launches consumer-friendly tracking technology

[Rich]

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Ooops. Sorry

Only joking. Having looked through the tracking now I think you spotted it a lot more quickly than I would have done.

[mainlime]

The more I think about this the less convinced I am by it. It's being spun as less intrusive, more privacy protecting than cookies but any mechanism that enables tracking across multiple requests amounts to the same thing. This method could still be used to profile a user based on their behaviour across multiple websites the same as cookies.

Secondly, they're claiming that this can't be blocked by browsers. Truth is: it can't be blocked at the moment by any browser. I suspect a competent programmer could write a Firefox extension in a short space of time to strip the Etag from a request. The same goes for anti-spyware type programs.

Third, I'll be very surprised if this gets a UK patent as pure software inventions can't be patented.

Of course, if this increases my conversions I'll be happy but I don't think it's as revolutionary as the marketing spin would make it sound.

[Jeff]

Now if only you'd give us product feeds with urls already in place..... ;-)

Don't think they want to do it. It's such a simple and obvious thing to do, that people have been asking for ever since it launched, so if they want to do it you'd think they'd have done it years ago.

Making it easier to get links also seems to be something they're not interested in, it still takes far too many clicks to get a link.

I'm all for networks spending time developing new technologies, but you need to get the basics right too.

[retrolink]

I fully agree with you.

One of the most important things for me is to get quick access to links and the new Affiliate Future interface lacks this at the moment, although maybe this will be improved in the months to come. Even Tradedoubler managed to include quick access to links and banners!

[pistol101]

I fully agree with you.

One of the most important things for me is to get quick access to links and the new Affiliate Future interface lacks this at the moment, although maybe this will be improved in the months to come. Even Tradedoubler managed to include quick access to links and banners!

In the new reporting tools, if you click on Quick tracking links from the main navigation, you can type the merchant your looking for (you need to click search as the return carridge has a bug) and it'll pull back the tracking link.

[andrewshipway]

What I have noticed, when testing my own links, they seem to go through two redirects at affiliate future before going onto the merchant. It takes much longer. They use to be so quick people wouldn't see the affiliatefuture address.

[Jeff]

In the new reporting tools, if you click on Quick tracking links from the main navigation, you can type the merchant your looking for (you need to click search as the return carridge has a bug) and it'll pull back the tracking link.

Can you explain how having to type in the name of the merchant makes it quick?

Why not just have one page with basic text links for all merchants and/or as csv file with all the link?
Some of the other networks do this and it makes it much easier to get links.

If a merchant is on AF and another network, I'll usually use the other one, because AF is so fiddly to use. The new tools have improved reporting, but the system for getting links and in particular data feeds, makes AF the least user friendly network.

[jezaff]

Secondly, they're claiming that this can't be blocked by browsers. Truth is: it can't be blocked at the moment by any browser. I suspect a competent programmer could write a Firefox extension in a short space of time to strip the Etag from a request. The same goes for anti-spyware type programs.

yeah, if what the person up the thread says is right, it sounds like simply clearing the cache will render this useless? In much the same way that such cleaning progs already clear out cookies. Actually my cleaning prog of choice allows control over which cookies to keep and which to wipe - there are some i am happy to leave on .

I think any system which removes the element of control from the user will quickly be classified as invasive and could be be rather an own goal if the bloggers et al decide it is a privacy issue.

Tracking is a very emotive issue and I am suprised that any company would try to "force" tracking (whether "anonymous" or otherwise) onto users - we all know how angry people can get about this. If people turn off cookies - its because they dont want to be tracked! Im not sure anyone turns off cookies just because they want to limit compatability with most of the web for fun! Forcing an alternative is surely going to get some backs up...?!

Anyways, just some thoughts, GL

[John Jupp]

Even simpler than that.

The new browsers have an option whereby a user specifies whether the browser should look for a new version each time they load a page thereby making this innovation redundant.

The newest versions shall have this as default set so I can't honestly see how tracking can be guaranteed without further technical information becoming available to validate the statement.

[Barry]

I am really interested in the technology behind this but lack the brainpower to add anything more to this thread but the following article that I found interesting on the use of etags.

meantime: non-consensual http user tracking using caches

The only confused question that I have after reading this, - is that....

In the article it states that the etag is not like a domain cookie but more of a 'url cookie'

So if I use variations in my '&tracking=' parameter surely it would generate a different etag for each different 'url'? Would this effect the reliability of the tracking?

Or am I talking cobblers...

Ta

[mainlime]

Barry

I've slept since I looked into this so there may be some discrepancies but basically it works like this:

You link to AF page. AF page bounces user to intermediate page. Intermediate page bounces user to merchant.

It's that intermediate stage that does the fancy tracking (actually there is Javascript on that page which calls another script which actually sets the etag). So in answer to your question, no it won't matter if you alter the parameters in your link.

[Barry]

Thanks mainlime - thats great.

Can I ask you what tools you are using to trace the steps through the system and reading the headers and etags.

At the moment I am using sam spade and the tracking just looks normal with no reference to the 'afncsecureclick.aspx' that the tracking goes through via my browser.

Ta

Can I also say that if this really works I will be swapping my links over to AF where ever the merchant is on another network.

Any network that can track better (and has a good track record with compensating affiliates for the unknown) is always going to be a winner in my opinion.

Ta

[mainlime]

I'm using Fiddler : Fiddler HTTP Debugger - A free web debugging tool

The firefox Live Http Headers add-in should also work : https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3829

Edit: also note that I didn't see the etag business working in IE6 and didn't test in IE7. I don't know what browser you are using but it may be something which only works in Firefox and that may be why you're not seeing the appropriate requests

[retrolink]

What I have noticed, when testing my own links, they seem to go through two redirects at affiliate future before going onto the merchant. It takes much longer. They use to be so quick people wouldn't see the affiliatefuture address.

It is a VERY slow redirect but hopefully AF can improve the speed somewhat...

I am having doubts about this technology now but as long as my users don't mind, increased commissions come in, and Google et al. don't mind the extra redirect process that results from a user clicking an AF link, I'll be happy. I don't expect I'll notice any differences, but who knows?

Despite it being a slowish process to get to programme details, I do like AF for being able to see all the banners, with code, in one place. Would be nice for more access to programme details and links with just 1 click from the homepage though...