ModernClick Affiliate Network Encourages Cookie Stuffing?

I received an email in my inbox this morning from Keith Baxter, the owner of ModernClick - an affiliate network.

Keith was also the owner of Give PPC the Finger which was part of a very clever viral campaign to help him launch ModernClick.

I usually enjoy hearing what Keith has to say and so this morning when he recommended a new blog, I thought it was certainly worth a look.

Imagine my surprise when the fourth post I read on the blog was about how to use junk popup traffic to stuff cookies.

Now, I have bloggged before about cookie stuffing and given a few reasons why the affiliate industry should not be allowing it and how cookie stuffing is akin to stealing from merchants.

As an affiliate program manager I would certainly never sign with a network that accepted, let alone encouraged cookie stuffing.

I am not trying to be Mr. Holier Than Thou here - I have tried black and grey hat techniques to learn about SEO for example, but cookie stuffing is on a whole other level - it is stealing.

I can only hope that Keith was not aware of that post on the blog, because I think he has done himself a disservice by associating himself and Modernclick with it.

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Continue reading » · Written on: 03-21-07 · 10 Comments »

10 Responses to “ModernClick Affiliate Network Encourages Cookie Stuffing?”

  1. Keith Baxter wrote:

    I appreciate your take on this but saying that Modern Click encourages cookie stuffing is simply liable and I would appreciate your removing this post or at least getting your facts straight.

    To say this without facts is just plain ignorant.

    I can recommend a blog, site, or person without particpating in what that blog, site, or person encourages.

    Keith

     March 23rd, 2007 at 12:57 am
  2. Rob wrote:

    Hi Keith,

    Thanks for clarifying that Modernclick does not encourage cookie stuffing.

    However, I would be careful of recommending a blog that informs its readers about the art of stuffing cookies in the manner they have, as I am sure you agree, cookie stuffing can generally only hurt the affiliate industry.

    Yours
    Rob

     March 25th, 2007 at 11:34 am
  3. Rob wrote:

    Interesting to note that you recommended the blog (or rather that blog’s new subscription service) a second time to your email list, after your comments here.

     March 28th, 2007 at 8:35 am
  4. Business Marketing wrote:

    I had never heard of cookie stuffing until reading this post although it was a concern (I just didn’t know what it was officially called). This may explain how some of my affiliate traffic magically stopped converting even though nothing was done to the ads or the setup.

    I agree that cookie stuffing can only hurt the affiliate industry. It is unfortunate for the people who produce good products worthy of legitimate affiliate marketing.

     April 5th, 2007 at 5:51 am
  5. Court Online wrote:

    That’s why the whole internet is rigged right there. :) There are too many big companies that use shady practices.

     April 25th, 2007 at 8:49 pm
  6. Cade wrote:

    Very interesting article. I appreciate your feelings on the subject. Can you explain to me what cookie stuffing is a little more? I am not too familiar with it.

     April 26th, 2007 at 6:46 am
  7. Svend wrote:

    I am with cade on not really understanding what Cookie Stuffing is, do you have the link to your first article that possibly explains what it is? But from what this article says, it doesn’t sound very ethical.

     May 7th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
  8. Rob wrote:

    Usually when you put an affilaite link on your site, a cookie is set on the user’s computer when they click on it. That way the affiliate network can tell that the user came through from your site and give you any commissions.

    Cookie stuffing means you put the cookie on the user’s computer without them clicking (or even knowing) when they either visit a site (or see some unethical advertising).

    I don’t really want to say how exactly, as I don’t want to be responsible for people ruining our industry.

     May 7th, 2007 at 10:33 pm
  9. Mark wrote:

    Unfortunate that people/companies will do these things. Changes the rules of the game for the rest of us and never pays off in the long run. Good information from you - thanks.

     May 10th, 2007 at 3:25 am
  10. Kevin wrote:

    Before even knowing what cookie stuffing was long ago, I’d figured companies stuff their own cookies in order to cheat affiliates out of commissions. Bad enough they shaved results, which is the biggest reason they all delay stats, trust me. I’ve managed to see (don’t ask) the inside panels for most of these companies, even the biggest ones, and they pretty much all do it though they will defend it to the end.

    The more your making, the more they shave. Most I’d seen average around 30% -60% shavings, which is ridiculous.

     April 29th, 2008 at 5:35 pm

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