You competitors can see you're using the ad network!

Hello again,

it's not like you're going to hide the ad network. The ad network was hidden and you're about to reveal it.

What about my suggestion to read the image from the php script?

This would have advantages for all. First, the data is more accurate as i've explained in my previous post. I think it should be our interest to get the most accurate data that is possible.
Second, those who mind the image in their html code will be happy. Those who like to have an image there and reveal coop can still do it.

Thanks for your time.

 

This is a problem, you're right. But if I wget -r the site, it will also download the images. I don't know if google also downloads the images when it spiders a site, but I'm sure some bots will do it. So for both solutions, the problem is similar. If you only want to count real, human impressions, you'll probably have to use javascript.

 

Now, I'm confused.

I see in the php code that you do a check for the user agent, even though i don't fully understand how the check works. But, and that's what confuses me, what's in the way of using the same check for the file_get_contents function? This way you could even extend the stats and gather more data (like the ip/host/user agent of the viewer), and pack the data into the image url.

Then, at a later point, you can decide which user agents count as real, human impressions. And those will be the impressions of all people, also those with ad blockers or who have set 'Load images from originating website only' in their preferences.

Anyway, I can understand that everything is already set up and if you don't care for having the image in the source, it's probably not worth it for you. Thanks for listening, though. I'll try to get used to the thought of having these images in my source, as I assume it won't be allowed to remove them.

 

And neither should it be either

 

If you are really concerned about the gif image being displayed, you could use a mod_rewrite, i.e.

in your .htaccess file add this:

RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule ^coop-ad-folder/(.*)\.gif http://ads.digitalpoint.com/$1\.gif

and then in the ad_network.php change this bit in line 78:

'<img src="http://ads.digitalpoint.com/t-'

to:

'<img src="http://www.yourdomain.com/coop-ad-folder/t-'

This will make the search engines think the gif image is being served from your server, i.e the html code for the image will look like:

<img src="http://www.yourdomain.com/coop-ad-folder/t-blahblahblah.gif">

Now there are no references to the ads.digitalpoint.com server on your website, and stats can be tracked with no extra php coding needed.

This info is provided for educational use only

 

RE: The co-op is an ad network, not a link-exchange/PR network:

1. The network does not deliver relevant ads consistently. Text link ads showing on my site are often unrelated to my site's content. This surely should be a priority in an ad network?

I joined only because I heard in another forum it could boost your SERPs, because lots of links to my site will show up on other people's sites. After going all-out to get links in other ways (Deep content, SEO, SE/directory submissions, forum posts, developing and giving away freeware, begging links, press releases, reciprocal links, buying links, praying to nether gods for links) it's a Godsend. There's only so much one man on a limited budget can do.

BUT: If Google can easily filter the CO-OP links, then it will, if the co-op starts to seriously skew the results it shows it's users. Because the co-op links are indiscriminate, artificial, and automatic; a link is defined by Google/Yahoo/MSN as a 'vote' for a site, by a human being deciding it's a good site, and adding a link to it from/on his own website.

Not 5000 links appearing overnight for an obscure financial site.

People are saying in this forum that the Co-op has greatly enhanced their SERPs. Therefore if the Co-op gets bigger and bigger, Google will probably deprecate(?) Co-op links, if it can identify them.

Therefore, I would like the links to show up on my site as naturally as possible, just in case there's even the *slightest* chance Google *may* take against the network, and therefore my site, for *whatever* reason.
It would just kill me.

Also so no-one can try any jiggery-pokery against my site, by seeking out sites displaying the Digitalpoint tracking image, and doing .. what ... I dunno, but after having my PhpBB forum hacked (because it 'helpfully' showed what version it was) I'm a little twitchy.

Also, if I can give no aid to competitors snooping around my site, then I will. Nothing personal, just business.

I've seen the suggestion to put the IP number in the image link instead, but surely that's not much of a help(?)

Arguments to the effect "The co-op is just an ad-exchange, if Google took against it, it would have to ban lots of other ad networks, so it won't" are irrelevant to me, because a. I don't participate in other networks, and b. I'll wager other networks don't show simple text links which can influence SERPs.

If I was a Google tech, and I could clean up what I perceived to be skewed results by a simple hack, I would. Most satisfying.

What I find tiresome is special-pleading in Webmaster forums along the lines of:

"Why attempting to game the search-engines is wrong (morally wrong, bad manners, dangerous)"

vs

"I don't think Google should take against my SEO trick because my site is nice and I am nice and I'm not *really* doing anything bad, look, my competitors are doing it too blah-blah-blah"

vs

"If I whine at length about the latest Google update in popular webmaster forums maybe GoogleGuy will see, and get 'em to change it. Quick!"

Google/Yahoo/MSN are making money off our sites, some of us are making money off them. We don't owe each other anything except civility.

3. Which brings me to my last point: if there *are* other networks that can do what the CO-OP appears to be doing, could someone PM me?

Google, Yahoo and MSN are great search engines, but Google especially is warping how and what kind of sites are developed e.g. PR mania, link-exchange spam, AdSense-fodder sites.

Remember the good old days; putting up stuff for fun, instant listing on Altavista, putting your only email address unencrypted on your web page so people could email you, and checking your sparse inbox with anticipation?

If Google & Co. can only determine the worth of my great little sites by the number and quality of links to them, then something like the Co-op is the 'last shot in the revolver' for the lone, small businessman on a 3 digit budget, who is up against real crooks (and I mean the Mafia kind, in one of my sidelines).

Yes, I have read the exhoratation: "if you don't like it, you can just leave". I do like it, and I'd really rather not. I'm a newbie here, and it looks good so far. (I haven't seen any change in my SERPs, I just like the way the software is set up. And, as long as only good quality sites are admitted, and the standard of admission is ratcheted UP, rather than down, I'll stay happy).

Sorry if this has been covered before. It's 5.00am here, and I'm a bit giddy. Time for beddy-byes, I think

 

Where is this? Is this only for a certain type of ad?

Do I have to enable something to get tracking?

 

Have a look in the source code of main PHP file (latest version). You can see in the code where the image link is generated.

Sorry that's not more helpful. I'm off to bed.

 

Fryman - why don't you dislodge the stick out of your a**. I am not a newbie, and likely have more "weight" in this network then you. I've seen you post your BS on every forum in existence. I know that you own a lot of sites and I also know how intelligent you like to tell everyone you are. You love to rant rave and explain that your way is the only way. The bottom line is I think you are compensating for something... what could that be?

I don't have to post to have knowledge. I read and act. I think that although the thread creator was concerned about competitors, as is EVERYONE, there is also something else at work here. That is a denial that this network was created to help rankings, drive sales, etc. It OBVIOUSLY was. Why else would it exist? My point is with this image-tracking being visible EVERYONES bottom line will be affected that was helped thus far by the co-op network. Look at CJ and what Norton did to many affiliates bottom lines. I don't care what anyone says, this co-op is going to go in the toilet if it's penalized by Google. I can bet $1000 that people get FAR more help and more $$ in their pocket from the co-op's help in the SERPS then from the crazy little groups of text links posted on the bottom of random, obscure sites all over the web.

 

Yeah, whatever, newbie...

 

The comeback of a true child. Some of us have $$$ to make instead of spewing garbage all over 1000 forums and trying to pretend we are "cool". Jesus, I wonder how you will react when you are out of high school and into the real world.

 

Yeah, whatever, but you are still a dumb newbie...

 

Newbie or not, he's right. Take that stick out of your a$$ and stop playing moderator.

 

I'm not playing moderator, what are you talking about, Grandpa?

Said it once, say it again, you need to get a life, Minstrel

 

Yep. He's a master of the snappy comeback all right

 

Yeah, you are right... time to move on, no use on having an argument with mr. ego, I mean, minstrel...