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Dirty Toolbar Practices: Scott Jangro’s informative series on how toolbars cheat

Nov 29, 2008
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There are not many things that can bring affiliates to band together. Cheating them out of their commissions is one sure way to do it.

As technology grows, various affiliate networks,  rather than adapting the way their compliance departments look at affiliate tactics, have chosen to ignore the practices of affiliates whose tactics while technically legal break the very agreements set forth by the networks themselves. The networks do so for a variety of reasons: a) often the advertiser/merchant is unaware of the situation; b) it is difficult to keep up with new technology; c) the networks still get paid for such transactions; and d) not enough sustained pressure is put on the networks to change.

While the networks benefit this is not a victimless situation. Affiliates who play fair are cheated out of their commission. Advertisers end up in some cases paying double for transactions and more importantly losing the source that brought them the customer.

This problem has been around a long time. Folks like Ben Edelman, Kellie Stevens, Center for Democracy and Technology, and ABestWeb (see current discussion with multiple videos on a toolbar by One Cause) have made various attempts to make networks enforce their own rules. After all, how else are they going to earn the role of “trusted 3rd party”?

Personally I feel education is the only way to put pressure on the networks. Education of affiliates as well as merchants. Which is why I am glad to see Scott Jangro, former Director of Product Management for BeFree and Commission Junction and one of the smartest folks in online marketing, compile an informative series of videos that display these tactics in layman’s terms. If you are an affiliate or a merchant get informed on how this technology impacts your business.

About Angel Djambazov

Born in Bulgaria, Angel Djambazov has spent his professional career in the fields of journalism and online marketing. In his journalistic career he worked as an editor on several newspapers and was the founding Editor-in-Chief of Wyoming Homes and Living Magazine. Later his career path led to online marketing where while working at OnlineShoes he earned the Affiliate Manager of the Year (2006) award at the Affiliate Summit, and In-house Manager of the Year (2006) award by ABestWeb.

For four years Angel served as OPM for Jones Soda for which he won his second Affiliate Manger of the Year (2009) award at Affiliate Summit.

Currently Angel serves as OPM for KEEN Footwear and MedicalRecords.com. His former clients include: Dell, Real Networks, Jones Soda, Intelius, Graphicly, Chrome Bags, Onlineshoes.com, Vitamin Angels, The Safecig, and Bag Borrow or Steal.

Angel is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Publisher for ReveNews.com and ReveNews.org.

Angel lives north of Seattle, spending his free time reading up on obscure scientific references made by his wife MGX, while keeping up with a horde of cats and a library of books.

You can find Angel on Twitter @djambazov.

Filed under: Adware, Spyware, Greynets, & Internet Fraud + Affiliate Marketing
  • http://www.sgbmedia.ning.com Stephen G. Barr

    I can't thank you enough for this blog post! Thank you so much Scott Jangro! You just saved my bacon and I owe you a huge debt of gratitude my friend!