Should we automatically add our affiliate code to outgoing links to Bundle Stars?
As long it keeps Steamgifts/Steamtrades running and won't irritate me, go ahead and make some money :)
BUMPERINO
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What about sending to a page like "you're going to an external site: BundleStars, would you prefer going there with our referral and support us or do you want to go without our referral?"
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I'd be tempted to say no just out of spite for the unnecessary delay, so you're back to the recommendation of making it an account setting either way.
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I agree with the account setting, even tho I don't see why would someone bother to so much trouble as not to share a little percentage from their purchase to a website they use regularly free of charge..
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I don't mind advertising, but modifying user posted content and links just feels wrong...
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I'd like to take a moment and appreciate the fact that cg ist putting this issue up for discussion instead of just doing it.
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asking about things like this makes this site so great
go for it
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yes -> only if it is needed for the server and maintenance costs
No otherwise
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No. Not because it's not fair but because it's wrong. For needed costs other options should be considered.
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But why?
Reflinks are an easy way without the user actually having to do something or spending money.
It's like "Do you want bundle starts to get all the money or do you want SG to have a share."
Why do you care?
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Because it means you're making money at the expense of others. If you can't maintain a service without doing this then don't, commercialize it. This is more honest.
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See above+
I never really get why people are against reflinks.
Forbidding them to be posted by users as anti spam measure is obviuous, but posted by the Admin?
The thing is if you do not add it to the thread directly noone will click it.
I know many major sites, where ALL outgoing links are replaced to point to the site itself. You then are only fowarded to the original link, after it being checked for malicious stuff, or if reflinks should be removed / added.
Sure, it's not nice editing user posts, but if you do it right noone will notice a difference besides the SG ref in the links.
And easier than removing the ref would just be to bootmark the main page and click on the bundle, wouldn't it?
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You have.
Steam community does that. Otherwise the "You are leaving steam"- page would not be possible.
And yes I know it's not much work (at least if they just append the ref and not go for fully masked links), but according to this chart
https://xkcd.com/1205/
it's still not worth the time, compared to a bootmark.
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It's only Bundlestars, based on previous few weeks it's around 3-5 bundles a week, not like every single link (or just every bundle site's url) would contain referral links.
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Jeha, fully masked is really bad, half masked (like steam does it) is somewhat okish and just adding the ref, when posting something would be fine.
Probably the best solution would be to not let the user that clicks, but the one that posts decide.
Like a checkbox "Add SG refs to my links". Because as you said. It's the person posting, which had the work with it.
For me I just ask myself a few basic questions (for anything):
- Does it result in more work for me? No.
- Do I have to pay more money now? No.
- Do I have to change my behaivior, i.e. it breaks scripts etc.? No.
- Do I loose private information? No. (That I am active on SG is like the easiest thing to find out about me^^)
- Do I loose security, i.e. cg posting shady links because more profit? No. (at least not yet).
- Does someone I like / care about answers one of the above questions with yes? No.
- Does someone I do not like / hate profit from it? No. (Thats why all my digital homicide cards went into badges or gems and not the market^^)
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well.. just wanted to say cg can drop a few nuclear bombs around the world and it'd still be ok according to your list.
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Nah, The global fallout would violate #5.
But conventional bombs would be fine as long as I do not know anyone in that city or plan on doing my vacation there anytime soon.
(And the destruction of that city does not influence world politics/economy strong enough to fall back onto me).
For example 9/11 violates the rules because I now can not bring my water into an airplane because of that.
But jeha these rules are generally not yes/no Questions, i.e. if a digital homicide card would grant me 100$ I would have sold them all, despite DC getting a share. And the worse the event the less I have to care about people to trigger #6 and death is something to trigger #6 for most people I know and all I do not know.
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It would probably also break rule 1, 3, and possibly 2 (through a destabilized economy). :)
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There's a big difference between banning referral links to prevent spam and allowing to use them in a controlled manner to cover the upkeep of the site. That;s why I think it's acceptable. On the other hand I understand people who don't like to be enforced to use them especially that now all kinds of referral links are banned regardless of their usage.
From my point of view the best way would be to add more sites to the program and make participation in it optional. Default off, but to make sure people know about the option simply enforce setting it one way or another by presenting a modal window on first login after the change is implemented. If the modal window would also state that it is only to help maintain the site, I think most users will understand and turn it on, however if they don't approve they won't be forced to participate.
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Honestly, I couldn't care less. If you feel this could be a help in maintaining the website, go for it.
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Well it's a rough choice. Won't those ref links add money to those sites? Like you can only buy games with it. How are you going to spend that money, buy keys, sell them away and then upgrade the servers or something?
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Normaly there are 2 programs. One is for the customer, inviting his friend and one is for "big players".
Second one can almost always cash out. But not sure about bundle stars.
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I believe that rule is there to help prevent "click here" spam posts.
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While I would prefer the site adhere to the same restrictions as its userbase, the argument for adding an affiliate code is a solid one.
- The site does not charge those using its services, so alternate methods of income are needed.
- The underlying reason for prohibiting referrals is that of preventing outside parties from profiting in their use of SteamGifts. SteamGifts is not an outside party, so the basis for such a restriction does not apply.
- Implementing such a policy should have no negative impact on the SG community, and the added revenue is likely to improve future service.
My vote is a qualified "aye."
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Coming from this discussion (a few comments above, dunno, if you read every comment tree)
https://www.steamgifts.com/discussion/kXxyo/should-we-automatically-add-our-affiliate-code-to-outgoing-links-to-bundle-stars/search?page=4#Tyy7YKF
The counterargument was "The person writing the thread has work, which you use to make money."
Probably a good decision would be, to let the person writing something decide. For example a checkbox under submit/edit " Add SG refs to my links" or a global setting in the config for all comments/threads.
Therefore persons doing stuff for the community can decide if they want to use their work, to help SG as well.
Otherwise (independent of desicion or not or who decides) a clear yes from my side ;->
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ohhhhhhhhhhh the irony of the most broken rule ever created...
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cg, It's your site, we use it for free. It costs $ to keep things going.... It's unobtrusive to site experience which I like.
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If it helps to keep this place running & potential help to improve it as well, I'm all for it. I'll be leaving it turned on.
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Yes, sounds like a good idea. I would not worry about that "downside".
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Hi, a quick question for the community. Bundle Stars has a fairly good reputation here, and their deals are frequently shared. We could automatically add our affiliate code to links that users are posting throughout SteamGifts to Bundle Stars. By doing so the site would earn a commission on sales, and likely generate a few extra dollars per day. The only downside I could see is users might feel it's unfair that we ask everyone not to use referral links, and then we would be automatically attaching one of our own. On the plus side, it would generate additional revenue with basically no impact on users.
Vote below. If the majority vote Yes in the poll, we'll run a test for a while. Thanks!
Edit: Closed. Please refer to Affiliate Links for further information.
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