Add-On Releases - Rewrite eBay Links

Rewrite eBay Links

Description:
This mod rewrites eBay links so they link to an affiliate.

Request:
Requested in a paid deal by brookelyn, this modification's idea can also be accredited to brookelyn. Also requested by various other members.

Installation:
All the installation information is in the package.

Changes:
2 Plugins
1 File

[Dismounted]

If the ID is hidden, how is it meant to know who to credit? Please post a link to documentation describing what they mean...

[nascartr]

Here, this topic http://forums.ebay.com/db2/topic/Eba...100857&start=0 has some information on encrypting affiliate info. starting with post 11.

Here's a quote...

ePN is arguably the most coveted affiliate program on the Net. Security is a very real issue. If someone has a site that is in direct competition to yours and they discover your site ranking higher on the SE's, they could easily copy and paste your campaign IDs into places that will get you in trouble with ePN. Don't ever think that people won't do it. I not only recommend that you keep your URLs private, I also recommend you employ some kind of redirect scripting that masks your affiliate information to site visitors.

[nascartr]

I've researched it a bit and see that masking can be done with a php. file in a way like your url specifying http://yourdomain.com/ebay.php but that would only work if you do every url manually. What I wonder is if it couldn't be worked into your modification with instead of adding the rover link in front of the ebay url that you add a link to a php file to the ebay url that will redirect using the ePN information but mask it to anyone else because they'll only see the php file source in front of the ebay url.

I don't think it'd be too hard to make the mod automatically add a link to a php file on the server in front of all ebay url's but the thing that I can't firgure out yet is how to make a php file redirect using the ePN credentials so we get credit for the transaction.

Maybe it could be done like your vbAnonymizer where Ebay links posted would be redirected through a php. file that attaches the affiliate info. to the url without exposing any AID's.

I don't know for sure though as I'm still researching how masking works. I just wanted to throw it out there because I see it could be useful for many of the affiliates.

[Dismounted]

That is not a "real" method - anyone that wanted to would still be able get that ID. However, yes, it can be done.

[creativepart]

Would it be possible to add a javascript no right click to the mod?

I'm one person that had a link on my forum copied and pasted into an Ebay auction. My EPN account was closed in a matter of hours.

Fortunately, I had a contact at Ebay and we figured it out and I got my account reinstated.

I don't want a "no right click" added to my entire forum that would be horrible, but a no right click on Ebay links would be a big help.

Or if the mod could leave the original non-rover link and only add the campid etc when left clicked only. But I don't know how you could do that.

I think a "no right click" or "no copy" function should just be built into the mod. It's a serious worry.

PS. The link with my campid that was copied into an auction was not malicious. Just a stupid accident. Someone on my forum posted a link to a non-auction page on Ebay in their post. The mod rewrote it to a rover link even though it was non-auction. Then a 3rd party wanted to include a link to that page in his auction and remembered seeing the link on my site and copied it and pasted it. If I hadn't had an EPN contact I would be out many thousands of dollars due to this silly accident.

[nascartr]

Originally Posted by Dismounted

That is not a "real" method - anyone that wanted to would still be able get that ID. However, yes, it can be done.

It would make it harder to get which would definitely benefit the affiliates. It seems that the ePN is a tricky business and the harder it is to get your affiliate info. the better.

The problem with no right click creativepart is that at least on Avant Browser I can highlight a link and click ctrl+c (copy) and ctrl+v (paste) it somewhere else still completely intact. That requires no right clicking. I don't think many people know that they can do it this way but it's still a possible problem.

You can easily test this method by posting a link here and previewing (not submitting) the post and see that your complete rover information is still intact just by highlighting the link from your site and copy/pasting elsewhere without even right clicking, just use the ctrl keys.

What about a way to do this via the php masking method? Is there anyway that if someone copied a link using that method that when posted elsewhere our credentials wouldn't be added if the link wasn't clicked from our domain? If I'm not explaining it clearly let me try to make an example.

Say we use the masking method that uses a .php file to hide the rover information on mouseover. Someone copies the link intact linking back to our php file with the ebay url and pastes it elsewhere. The php file would only recognize by maybe an "if" tag the source url and if the link is clicked from another source wouldn't include are ePN info.? Would that be impossible?

What would this cost Dismounted to have the php. masking done with or without the the last method I mentioned?

[creativepart]

I agree that a redirected link sounds more secure. But the copying of your affiliate link into an Ebay owned page is remote, it happens, obviously but it is remote. So, a right click prevent would be easier to code and not add any processing overhead. Yes, it could be defeated, but it does make a remote occurrence even more remote.

It's better than doing nothing.

Actually, the answer to the problem is for Ebay to filter the content of it's blog, auctions and forums to prevent the posting of any "rover" URL. That's by far the easiest most secure way to do this. But they don't seem so inclined.

[Dismounted]

Originally Posted by creativepart

...

I don't know if that's even possible.

Originally Posted by nascartr

What about a way to do this via the php masking method? Is there anyway that if someone copied a link using that method that when posted elsewhere our credentials wouldn't be added if the link wasn't clicked from our domain? If I'm not explaining it clearly let me try to make an example.

Possible, but in any case - the end user would be able to get the ID if they wanted.

[maryx]

I had been using the rewrite ebay to shoppingads mod, but shoppingads dropped me.

However, Ebay has approved my site for the Ebay Partner Network.

I need to use this Rewrite ebay links mod so that ebay partner network gives me credit if members buy after clicking on ebay auction links that my members post.

How can I use this mod to point to my EPN membership?

Please be specific, I am not really great with code. Thanks!

[creativepart]

Maryx, you install this like any other mod and configure it with you EPN info in vb Admin just like almost all other mods. That's all there is to it.