Hi, > > I have requested the free test several times and it was very useful > > because it brought my attention to aspects that I was not considering, > > some related to PHP in specific and other related to Internet in general. > > > fair enough, you could have given him the link the the page directly > > _without_ > > your affiliate add on code, but since you did tack your aff code on, I > think > > you should have mentioned it > > That would be irrelevant because nothing changes for the anybody that > follows the link with or without the aff code. The service is still free > and the service is the same. Not really, the service is still the same... true, but what happens if he decides to buy one more scan (49$) from that site or decides to buy a 1 month scanning option ($119) or 1 year scanning ($899)? Does a little birdie get 35% (recurring) of that? > > as you get 35% (minimum, for upto a year) if he signs up...not that anybodys > > bothered if you make money > > That is false. If he signs up and tries the free penetration test > service that he asked and I suggested, I do not gain anything. Stop > deceiving people! My bad there, while typeing the first email I meant "if he signs up for a paid plan" instead I wrote "if he signs up..." > > If I ever gain anything with the referral, he would not be paying more for > > whatever services he would order. > > ------ > > Never said would be paying he extra, but the point is you would be making > money off him (not a bad > thing again) without his knowledge (bad thing)...if he finds the link really > useful I think to show his appreciation he > would _make sure_ your affiliate link is tacked there......I would. > Stop distorting the facts. You are implying that I acting with malice by > stating that I will make money by hiding facts when a) Andy never asked > explicitly for a service that the referer would not gain anything b) I > am not hiding anything as the affiliate id is quite visible in the URL > c) I never denied that the URL contains my affiliate id. You keep saying "distorting the facts", which is quite strange because this whole discussion took a turn because you in a way "distorted the facts" by not telling the person you were helping that you may be making money off him without his knowledge. "Andy never asked explicitly for a service that the referer would not gain anything " True, but if want to play that game, he never mentioned that he was looking for someone to mention a site/resource where the referrer was gaining OR not gaining anything...which is kind of stupid because when we write to the list we dont think we are making a deal with the devil so we have to cover all points and angles. This is PHP (help) list, not a list on how to best write a help email so it would hold up in a court of law- "I am not hiding anything as the affiliate id is quite visible in the URL " Unfortunatly for you thats quite true...and thats how this whole thing turned because I saw it, but many people (maybe Andy too) dont know what it means when someone gives them a URL with an affiliate id tacked to the end of it, common decency is to tell the person that you have a "connection" with that site. "I never denied that the URL contains my affiliate id." If you did you would be realllllllly stupid, and nobody is accusing you of being that. --------- If I am acting with malice as you suggest just because I did not mention that the URL contained my affiliate id, what would you say about the PHP group that lists a pile of books in Amazon linked with their affiliate id but they do not mention that fact anywhere in their pages? http://www.php.net/books.php ---------- Ummm..... this is whats written on the page: "If you buy the book using the links on this page, you are helping to support PHP development! " Lucky for me, English is my mother tongue but I think even if it was'nt and my IQ was quite a bit lower I would still the idea that if I buy a book using one of those links the site was gaining from it. Why? because they are being open,decent AND honest about it, see the "If you buy the book using the links .....you are helping to support...." parts? > > Maybe I am Darth Vader and the PHP Group is the whole dark side of the > > force. And you tell me I am being ridiculous! <clip> > Another example, I am an affilate of interland, if someone asks about > "dedicated hosting" I could send them there > they would join, not pay a cent extra, but i get a commision *without their > knowledge* (10% recurring)... am I helping them or myself? Yeah, right, you are fighting the dark side of the force to be the good guy that just lives from the air that you breath and nobody else should be allowed to gain anything from referrals unless you warn users that you refer that you are keeping a commission, despite the price is always the same!?! </clip> People on this list are some of the best people I have even had the privilage of helping and being helped by...they are not really out to sucker anyone or for self gain..they help to help, no other sides/angles to it. If they point you to a site (eg: Jay's site where he is selling a templating software) they mention it saying they are connected to the site, as do I, as does Chris and everyone else I have seen on the list. Nobody is pointing fingers at you because you want to make money, EVERYONE does, just be honest about it...heres another example how you could have told Andy about you affilate link keeping what you wrote above in mind: "My affilate link is attached to the above URL, I only make an affiliate commission if you buy from them, either way the price is the same! (they also offer free options)" One and a half line, few seconds to write, you are not hiding anything and _now_ you are actually helping someone. > > you challenged my credibility by distorting the facts. Of course > > that bugs me because for 8 years I have been participating in PHP > > mailing lists helping people leading to solutions to the problems that > > they pose, and your attitude is misleading people into believing that I > > am not helping them. Cool, just one question..... everytime you "help" someone are you helping yourself too like the way you tried to help Andy? Have you noticed some of the guys here who unselfishly answer something like: "I see what the problem is, use this code instead <code here> and replace this <code here> and try reading about this function here <url here>" Now, _thats_ unselfishly helping someone...no gain for the helper except that warm feeling and a clear concience....maybe even a good nights sleep. The way you help people is only by giving them the solution if you get something out of it.... I have been on this list for a long time...I see a lot of questions and a lot of answers, never an answer from you unless you are gaining something out of it....true? Or will somebody please correct me? > > You have caused such confusion that Andy, the original poster, have > > written me privately telling that he thought that the link that I > > suggested pointed to a site of mine where I was selling security > > auditing services, when in fact the only person that doing that in this > > thread was Chris Shiflet. And Chris too did the decent thing of mentioning that he was connected to that site...see my point? > > I just recommended a service that I tried, and so I have first hand > >experience to comment about, No arguement there > > unlike you that not only just caused > > confusion but also did not offer any solution to the problem posed by Andy. I dont have a solution, if I did I would have written to him immediatly telling him I did, and if I was connected to the site by having an affilate account with them or owning the site, I would have mentioned that too...in one or two lines. > > Basically you are not helping because all you did is to bug > > somebody that tried to help. And here we go full circle.... I dont say you didnt try to help...but the question is who were you trying to help more (by not disclosing your affiliate account with that site)...him or you? Cheers, Ryan -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.322 / Virus Database: 267.0.0 - Release Date: 5/27/2005 -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
