This concealed awin stuff is pointless

[ban-all-sheds]

It just stops links from working.

e.g.

http://www.diy.com/departments/mk-13a-1-gang-white-unswitched-socket/262236_BQ.prd

I just get a blank screen.

Yes, I do know why, and no, there is no chance of me allowing a non-blank screen to appear.

But I would like to know who thinks it is in whose interests for it to be this way.

 

[DIYnot]

I don't follow?

Are you saying that
a)when you post a www.diy.com link it doesn't work?
or
b) that your setup doesn't allow links through awin1.com?
or
c) none of the above!!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

b

 

[DIYnot]

That's unfortunate, but that's how it works I'm afraid.

 

[mattylad]

b) that your setup doesn't allow links through awin1.com?

This.
Ublock brings up a page with 2 advertising server that it does not want to allow because they are on a block list.
Nothing to do with DIYnot though - the same would apply if I went there myself.

Thats what ad blockers do.

 

[DIYnot]

b) that your setup doesn't allow links through awin1.com?

This.
Ublock brings up a page with 2 advertising server that it does not want to allow because they are on a block list.
Nothing to do with DIYnot though - the same would apply if I went there myself.

Thats what ad blockers do.

awin1.com is the server of Affiliate Window, they record the origin of clicked links for the purpose of allocating commissions, without which (alongside banner ads of course) DIYnot would not exist.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I think that is fair enough when associated with adverts.

I'm less happy when it effectively hijacks links in posts. If you look at the text using BB code editor it can be seen that although I entered

http://www.diy.com/departments/mk-13a-1-gang-white-unswitched-socket/262236_BQ.prd

it's actually turned into

[URL='http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=483&awinaffid=58258&clickref=xf&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.awin1.com%2Fcread.php%3F']http://www.diy.com/departments/mk-13a-1-gang-white-unswitched-socket/262236_BQ.prd[/URL]

Can't be prevented even if I explicitly enter

[URL='http://www.diy.com/departments/mk-13a-1-gang-white-unswitched-socket/262236_BQ.prd']http://www.diy.com/departments/mk-13a-1-gang-white-unswitched-socket/262236_BQ.prd[/URL]

Still - it is what it is.

 

[roganty]

b-a-s, that link in your first post doesn't work for me either.

There must be something wrong with the affiliate uri as I get an error from Virgin Media unable to find 'aff-58258'

But strangely all your links in the last post work, and all point to diy.com without going through an affiliate site