Privacytools.io: Hypothetical possibility of using affiliate/referral links
1–10 of 19 posts
Re: Privacytools.io: Hypothetical possibility of using affiliate/referral links
#2Inaccurate title? Link mentions a discussion on a "hypothetical" situation. Nowhere do I see that they will add links or listings.
Re: Privacytools.io: Hypothetical possibility of using affiliate/referral links
#3Inaccurate title? Link mentions a discussion on a "hypothetical" situation. Nowhere do I see that they will add links or listings.
Funny how the thread even mentions how the discussion itself can start rumors.
Re: Privacytools.io: Hypothetical possibility of using affiliate/referral links
#4And if they did, what’s wrong with it? People are not allowed to make money? As long as they don’t prioritize based on affiliation I don’t see a problem.
Re: Privacytools.io: Hypothetical possibility of using affiliate/referral links
#5Inaccurate title? Link mentions a discussion on a "hypothetical" situation. Nowhere do I see that they will add links or listings.
Yep, that should be updated.
While I understand the desire to make some money, as soon as you mix an altruistic effort with a moneymaking one, the former is muddled.
Sure, maybe it would 100% have no impact on decisions. The real problem is ... how would a user know? I struggle with this when listening to NPR and hearing the programming is "possible due to [huge corporate sponsor]" I want to believe NPR would not be influenced to not run or minimize a story about a sponsor, but the uncertainty makes their coverage less trustworthy to me.
That applies here. Sure, you're telling me Brave is the best choice and maybe that's true, but I also know you have a financial benefit from convincing me of that.
Private donations from users via crowdfunding is the only system that mitigates this. Maybe they just need to better promote those.
Re: Privacytools.io: Hypothetical possibility of using affiliate/referral links
#6And if they did, what’s wrong with it? People are not allowed to make money? As long as they don’t prioritize based on affiliation I don’t see a problem.
I guess that what people are worried about is the fact that there is no way to really know if the prioritization that was made was based on the affiliation or not.
Re: Privacytools.io: Hypothetical possibility of using affiliate/referral links
#7Inaccurate title? Link mentions a discussion on a "hypothetical" situation. Nowhere do I see that they will add links or listings.
Yep, that should be updated. While I understand the desire to make some money, as soon as you mix an altruistic effort with a moneymaking one, the former is muddled. Sure, maybe it would 100% have no impact on decisions. The real problem is ... how would a user know? I struggle with this when listening to NPR and hearing the programming is "possible due to [huge corporate sponsor]" I want to believe NPR would not be…
The solution is the programs they link to, such as Brave Browser should just donate. Though it is up to privacytool.io to set up the system to allow this.
Re: Privacytools.io: Hypothetical possibility of using affiliate/referral links
#8Perhaps put two links?
"We recommend XYZ because of ABC. They run a program that compensates us for recommending them. You can click here and we won't receive any money for the recommendation, or click here and we'll receive a small amount of money that will be put towards our own development. As soon as, and if we ever decide to not recommend XYZ, we will remove both links."
Or whatever.
Re: Privacytools.io: Hypothetical possibility of using affiliate/referral links
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yep, that should be updated. While I understand the desire to make some money, as soon as you mix an altruistic effort with a moneymaking one, the former is muddled. Sure, maybe it would 100% have no impact on decisions. The real problem is ... how would a user know? I struggle with this when listening to NPR and hearing the programming is "possible due to [huge corporate sponsor]" I want to believe NPR would not be…
The solution is the programs they link to, such as Brave Browser should just donate. Though it is up to privacytool.io to set up the system to allow this.
This doesn't solve that problem at all. Now you have something that looks like pay for play.
Re: Privacytools.io: Hypothetical possibility of using affiliate/referral links
#10And if they did, what’s wrong with it? People are not allowed to make money? As long as they don’t prioritize based on affiliation I don’t see a problem.
what’s wrong with it?
You see this in loads of situations, even those with ethics codes and suchlike. From Youtubers and Instagram influencers all the way to professional games journalists and national newspapers' lifestyle magazines.