Change is in the Air

[Sanna]

you can also put your mouse over it, and the info bar on the botom (it is on the botom on I.E.) shows where the link actually goes... you can write that down and transcribe it.

except that specifically does not work for these.


using Melina's method of "copy and paste", I get this:

Get a Free Playstation 2
This is not a joke or a scam. No shipping and handling cost.
(with a link of)
http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com...75585183488614


or

Everquest Platinum
Product Pics, Descriptions & Specs. Find Merchants with the Best Price!
http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com...75585183488614

pics? specs? That makes me think they're selling the expansion? But still, the /name/. Meh.


Everquest
Get Everquest absolutely free. Aff.
http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com...75585183488614



I'm in the habit of not even paying attention to ads, so perhaps my culling skills are a little rusty.

-- Sanna

[Dunthor Warsmith]

except that specifically does not work for these.

using Melina's method of "copy and paste", I get this:
<snip>
I'm in the habit of not even paying attention to ads, so perhaps my culling skills are a little rusty.

Actually it does work, though not as simply as for a "normal" link. For Google to track the clicks and credit/charge the appropriate people, it has to be sent information about the links - and the most basic way to do that is have the link go to Google, not the advertiser, and that's what it does - though the Google server simply redirects you to the advertiser. Google was kind enough to embed the advertiser's page url in plaintext in the link however, as the value of the parameter "adurl".

In the first link of Sanna's three, its relatively easy to see: (in bold)

http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/iclk?adurl=[b]http://join1.winhundred.com/myfreeplaystation/adredir.php[/b]&sa=l&ai=AYHj4xOkmBd5-moIwwGg8SGZqPEO5QiwwEfomBAcj3GgPBIr6cKAAgXMCBQQAYaRsXv6_DkjN4cDM0QDMzgDAtJ2bhJHZz5SZxRnchRWZyNnLj9WbAcjM4gXOw8VYzBAABAAa0RHc68yLtJ2bhJHZz5SZxRnchRWZyNnLj9WbvUWcv4WZ3JXZwxWeuAHaw9DZv1jbldnclBHb5ZCc9EzM4QDN1AA&num=1&client=ca-pub-7675585183488614

Its the first parameter of the link.

However, in the other two, its buryed after the long scrabbled "ai" parameter, so its harder to see - but its still there: (scroll far over to find it, I've put the url in bold again)

http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/iclk?sa=l&ai=AcHMbjQkmBFMrocp2wGgmJWI4PwJ86eA7DqJmBAcj3GgPDIr6cKAAArJDBQwAYaBA5YDO3ADN0AzM4AQbi9WYyR2cuUWc0JXYkVmcz5yYv1GA3IDO4lDMfF2cAAQAAgGd0BnOv8Sbi9WYyR2cuUWc0JXYkVmcz5yYv12LlF3LuV2dyVGcslnLwhGc_Q2b94WZ3JXZwxWemAXPxMDO0QTNAA&num=3&adurl=[b]http://www.pricegrabber.com/skd_products.php/keyword%3Deverquest%2520platinum%26mode%3Dgooglesw[/b]&client=ca-pub-7675585183488614
http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/iclk?sa=l&ai=AN2fSjQkmBFMrocp2wGgmJWI4Pcp5Cfw_nnZmBAcj3GgPCIr6cKAAQb4ABQgAYaBA5YDO3ADN0AzM4AQbi9WYyR2cuUWc0JXYkVmcz5yYv1GA3IDO4lDMfF2cAAQAAgGd0BnOv8Sbi9WYyR2cuUWc0JXYkVmcz5yYv12LlF3LuV2dyVGcslnLwhGc_Q2b94WZ3JXZwxWemAXPxMDO0QTNAA&num=2&adurl=[b]http://www.mediataskmaster.com/co/emarketresearch/01/250eb.asp%3Fsid%3DM2AG0079gGC[/b]&client=ca-pub-7675585183488614

So you can still find the site with cut&paste (or sometimes just mouseover/statusbar), but it does take more work than normal.

[Verdandi]

But not all of those are offensive. In fact, the three noted by Sanna just above all appear to be legit. Two of them appear to be Offers of Dubious Value, but they don't look like out and out scams or anything against the EULA. The second one is actually for a very legitimate and useful site, pricegrabber.com.

[Ngreth Thergn]

I understand you dont want the "cash for plat" links. I wouldnt want them either. What about political or non-family oriented sites? I seen one link that shocked me that it was here. I dont want to say which one in fear that i would be viewed as "politically incorrect". I can email the link in question if it falls under your cryteria.

I know which one you are speaking of.

and I am on a fence about it because I understand how some people would be offended by it.

but then again, don't click the link, and you will not be suporting them

While it is a politically charged issue, it is not outright breaking the EULA of SOE likr the plat and acount sellers.

[Melinia]

Hmm.. best way I can express my concern is by asking myself this question..

"What if my kid/nephew/neice clicked that?"

Will sit down and be quiet now.

[Akishka]

If you are talking about what I think you are talking about, I clicked it. There was nothing there that isn't on any other guild site and certainly nothing there that I would worry about my 7 year old stepson seeing. Perhaps you should check it out yourself?

[Melinia]

I look it as this. To click on the link is to give approval to such a site before even viewing the site ( every click increases traffic on the site ) and also gives support to Eqtraders for approving such a site before viewing it. Will I go to the site? No. If I had children, would I be more cautious about them coming to Eqtraders? Yes.
This is just my personal feelings. just that.
Its a touchy situation. I do not want to offend or attack anybody. Its a tough deal. Do I sit and be quiet about something that alarms me to prevent offending anyone. Or do I say something and risk being labeled myself and possibly harming in-game friendships.
The best I can do is try to offer some polite concern.
It's a no-win situation for Eqtraders either.

[Akishka]

Ok, I didn't understand which way your concern was flowing from. Apparently its from the direction I don't understand at all so I'll just leave that be.

Anyway, my opinion is that EQ Traders shouldn't really try to filter out the politically charged stuff. If everybody knows its just a random computer out there throwing up the link, and they have no obligation to click it, then thats tolerable. It may not make everybody happy but I'm sure we all see / hear stuff that offends us in our day to day life and we learn how to tune it out. But, as soon as you start filtering out the stuff that people get passionate about, you really have to make sure that every single link that offends any person is brought down ASAP or you get charges of favoritism towards people / causes. Now, its not a random computer out there thats responsible for the link, its Denmom who should be more responsible about keeping such stuff off this website. And doesn't she have enough responsibilities as is?

And thats not discussing that particular link, its addressing all of them. I'm sure something will pop up one day that I'll hate but I'll try my best to ignore it as well.

[Niami DenMother]

Sadly, you can find something about pretty much any ad or site that will offend someone and it does get too labor-intensive, as well as becoming a very thorny issue to be required to make those decisions (and deal with the complaints) for a large community.

Given that, we've decided that the best we could/should do is filter out those that are flat-out illegal (such as selling plat for cash), since Google, which is generally good about legality things, hasn't gotten a clue-by-four with regards to that particular legality issue.

Quite frankly, we can't afford to do more than that. Keeping two sites going is beyond a fulltime job right now, there's very little fun going on, and there's really not any "profit" as yet. Asking us to also be the moral conscience for stray advertisers adds on one more straw to the camel's back.

If you end up clicking on something and it's truly horrid, if it helps, think of it this way ... you just cost them some money since they have to pay Google for the clickthrough, and you'll know to avoid that site in the future, so there's no profit in it for them of gaining another "customer" out of it. :O

[Ngreth Thergn]

And on top of it, that is YOUR morality.

To me personally, it would be morally offensive to remove the ad (Again assuming it is the one I think it is.) Now just because it would offend me to remove it, is not the reason I am not removing it. What Niami said is.

Some people are morally offended by Free offers (which we are leaving on the ads) we can't remove them.

There has to be a line, and the line we are drawing is Illegality and breaking of the SOE EULA.

[Mester]

On a lighter note, is anyone amused by some of these adds?

I am working on the coldain shawl quests, check out the adds you get on that page, hehe.

What's a Tallit?

[Akishka]

http://www.ezgaming.com

Noticed this a few times today, they are selling plat. Just in case you haven't caught it yet

[Maevenniia]

Akishka, I've noted a few sites like that one in an ongoing thread in the Mod forum, but thanks for your vigilance!

[Niami DenMother]

Please *do* keep posting as you find the ones buying/selling plat and accounts here. We keep an eye on this thread, plus one on the EQ2TC forums for ones that need blocking. It'll take several hours for it to filter through Google's process, but say buh-bye to the EZgaming ads.

[Sanna]

http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com...75585183488614
Buy/Sell Everquest items
Buy and Sell items and characters from all your favourite games
vgoodz.com

attempting to copy the link accidentally sent me to the site, so I looked around... there's, um, nothing really there....
(is there even a crushbone server in eq1?)
but still, they seem to be trying to sell chars, items, plat (gold?).

-- Sanna