I don’t understand that kind of sentiment.

These affiliates and networks are creating these toolbars for one reason only, to get commisions they would never have gotten before. These are not toolbars which persuade people to buy products, these commissions are diverted from publisher affiliates and merchant traffic that already exists.

A good read seeing how you've laid out the facts with a neutral perspective.

I'm still not clear how the 'customer support' dynamic plays into the toolbar, perhaps like a knowledgebase or browser toolbar version of Ask.com or Wikipedia with affiliate links?

I think toolbar are a neutral technology, it's the practices that need to be looked at as Brian and you have alluded to.

At the heard of this, it's the affiliate cookie overriding element that needs to be addressed and ultimately stamped out.

I blogged yesterday about the growing controversy surrounding Brian Littleton’s attempt to create a policy for accepted usage of toolbars on the Shareasale Network: …

I have been exceedingly frustrated at times by technology being abused to the point of causing schisms within our industry… For years now I have worked to outline a model for adware behavior
……

I, too, have signed up for the round table discussion and look forward to that discussion.

A very reasoned and well written post – excellent work.

I agree that we need to show we are up to the challenge of putting together a policy which both protects our interests and ideals, while also allowing for technological innovation.

Exactly my sentiment!!! Brian's ethics, fairness, intelligence and level headed reason have proven themselves to me many, many times.

I don't like toolbars at all, but I can envision Brian setting things in motion at ShareASale that could set a new example for the other networks that currently litter their clients (and wreck their ROI) with every cookie-setting pilferizer (thieving machine) under the sun.

Your idea of a "working policy that would address how software can be legitimately used within the affiliate channel" is one I fully stand behind. It is indeed critical to have an industry-wide policy like this (as until we have one, compliance will keep on meaning different things for different networks). The problem, of course, is the fact that there is too much money generated by the unethical adware affiliates (btw, what are the numbers now, Kellie?), and the affiliate networks are partaking of a substantial chunk of that money (is it 30%? the question, of course, is a rhetoric one), which pushes the ethics from the way of the money-making.

I have my doubts that anything accomplished there will have any impact whatsoever on merchants or affiliates residing at other networks, as there seems to be a mindset amongst some that it is okay to push the edge of legality and morality until a position becomes untenable.

Yet, I think it is a good thing that SAS spells out precisely what their position is on toolbars, that is something that I wish every network would do properly. Whether I agree with their conclusions or not is another matter entirely, but at least I will have the information that I need to act in my own interests.