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I don't understand

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e.bram

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I clicked on a link from TUG, filled out a form and got a call from an upfront company. What gives.
 

AwayWeGo

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[triennial - points]
Care For A Bit Of Guesswork ?

I clicked on a link from TUG, filled out a form and got a call from an upfront company. What gives.
I'm guessing the link looked all TUG-like & everything but in truth was totally bogus -- spoofy & phishy just like all those fake eBay "log in" sites that I fill in & click, then -- WHAM ! -- some scam artists over in Liberia or Nigeria or somewhere over there have my user name & my secret password & I don't know what-all.

If that's what it is, then you aren't the only victim. The Owner & Operator & Proprietor of TUG is also being ripped off royally by having the good name & integrity of TUG dragged through the mud like that.

Just guesswork on my part. Somebody let me know if I guessed wrong.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

FlyerBobcat

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I clicked on a link from TUG, filled out a form and got a call from an upfront company. What gives.


Where did you find (or how did you navigate to) the "link" that you clicked on? Can you get back to it and take a closer look?
 

DeniseM

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I clicked on a link from TUG, filled out a form and got a call from an upfront company. What gives.

I found it on the TUG classified page.

You did not click on a link FROM TUG - you clicked on a link from an advertiser that you found ON TUG - BIG difference.

It seems to me that you voluntarily provided personal information to an unknown entity. Why are you surprised at the outcome? :shrug:
 
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TUGBrian

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was it a google ad link? what was the website? (pm please)

While I cant control what goes up in those ads, I can block sites from appearing. The list is already incredibly long...but I dont mind adding more if they are sites we wouldnt recommend.
 

e.bram

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TUG. TUG advertiser. What is the difference? It is a link on TUG. (Sold TUG's soul to Mephisto).
 

DeniseM

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TUG. TUG advertiser. What is the difference? It is a link on TUG. (Sold TUG's soul to Mephisto).

Surely you didn't think that the personal info. you provided was going to TUG? :confused:

You know that we are all volunteers here, right? At last count there were over 10K Ads in the Timeshare Marketplace - Do you really expect someone to research every Ad posted in the Classifieds? There are bound to be some out of compliance Ads that slip through. It's a simple matter to report them.
 

e.bram

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The ad was not in the classified. It was on the side labled as Google Ads. Does TUG get paid for these sidebar ads?
 

DeniseM

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The ad was not in the classified. It was on the side labled as Google Ads. Does TUG get paid for these sidebar ads?

Thank you for the clarification. Yes, it does, however, my understanding is that TUG is not able to preview the Google Ads before they appear, but specific companies can be blocked, once someone reports them. I am not sure what the criteria is for removal.

A good rule of thumb is to never provide personal information to an unknown entity on the internet.
 

TUGBrian

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yep...google ads are another source of revenue for TUG. All internet ads work in this fashion, each time someone clicks on an ad, both google and the site that hosts the ad (in this case..TUG) earn an amount of money (the amount varies widely) paid by the company who is running the ad. This is called "pay per click" advertising...and is how google makes money.

As mentioned before we cannot control what ads get posted there that is controlled by google itself and the ad types are served up based on the content of the page the ads exist on, all we can do is block websites that we know of to be "not in users best interests" (which is why I asked what the site was so we can add it to our filter)

We also do the same for banner advertising vs just allowing anyone who can pay to run ads on TUG.

Believe me, if it was all about just making the most money....there woudl be far more ads on the site. Heck I could make a fortune just slatering google ads here on the forums, but thats not what TUG is about, nor is it something I would care to do anyway.

I turn down COUNTLESS requests for banner advertising on the site from organizations that I wouldnt recommend TUG members use.

And also as mentioned before, the current list of blocked "ads" from google contains over 50 sites that have been identified as not something we would care to have our users click on.

I dont see any pm's or emails from you identifying the url for me to add it to the blocked list?
 
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I have to admit that when I discovered that forums have no direct control over what companies are displayed on Google ads at a site I was shocked. I don't think it unreasonable for members of a site to assume that the advertisers have been OK'd by that site, but this is a timely warning that that is not the case.
The first place I came across the problem was on HolidayWatchdog where an advert for a company called ETOO was directly above a post informing people that the company was a rip off mob. The people controlling HW said much the same as Brian about the lack of control, although they didn't say they could block ads once they know of a problem with them.
I don't know if the link to ETOO or ATOO its sister organisation comes up on TUG but the website is www.etoo.com.
 

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Clicking Ads is always a gamble

After about 15 years of extensive internet use, I have found that clicking ads found on ANY website is most often just inviting trouble of some sort or another. I don't want to (and don't think I will) put a damper on any income to TUG, but if you don't find the site yourself or have it recommended by a close friend, it's probably a better idea not to click at all. Way too many viruses, lock-ups, and hours spent recovering (and losing) my files in the past after clicking on something that piqued my curiosity!!!
 

Talent312

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The ad was not in the classified. It was on the side labled as Google Ads. Does TUG get paid for these sidebar ads?

Unfortunately, they're everywhere on the net. Unless you know the link to be benign, they are best avoided, no matter what site you're visiting.

"My momma always said, '[Those sidebar ads are] like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." -- Forrest Gump (1994).
 
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TUGBrian

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the number of clicks is closely tracked, and it is less than even 1% of the pages visited.

New web browsers and internet security software actually block ads completely from the browser so many people dont even see them to be able to click on them.

Just to clarify keith...are etoo and atoo upfront fee companies?
 

e.bram

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I don't mind giving my personal information to anyone(I have no debts) and if they call it is on their dime. However I do find it suprising that TUG is aiding and abbetting upfront and PCC companies for the revenue(selling their soul to the devil)
 

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I don't mind giving my personal information to anyone(I have no debts) and if they call it is on their dime. However I do find it suprising that TUG is aiding and abbetting upfront and PCC companies for the revenue(selling their soul to the devil)

Since TUG doesn't meet your purity standards, are we to presume that you will never return again lest you be further defiled?
 
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bnoble

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e.bram, why is this so hard to understand?

TUG would like to pay the bills. They do so in part by selling ad space to google. Google, using their clever software, picks ads most likely to be relevant to folks thinking about timesahring. Naturally, up front fee companies are "relevant" (if perhaps unsavory), and will show up.

Steve's suggestion of just walking away would be one way of handling this. Another might be to change that little "Guest" under your name by paying a few bucks to become a member.
 

DeniseM

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I don't mind giving my personal information to anyone(I have no debts) and if they call it is on their dime. However I do find it suprising that TUG is aiding and abbetting upfront and PCC companies for the revenue(selling their soul to the devil)

Since Brian has taken over Mgmt. of TUG, he has greatly increased the capacity, features, and stability of the website, while at the same time reducing the cost to members. Improvements cost money, and Google Ads are just one way of subsidizing TUG without asking members for more money. I think he's doing a great job! :clap:

(Outside funding sources also allow guests to use almost all of the resources on TUG without having to pay a cent. ;) )

Just call me the "Devil's Advocate!"
little-devil.jpg
 
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Talent312

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I don't mind giving my personal information to anyone (I have no debts)...

Ha! I'd rather not have yours (nor the risks you take), thank you.
Would you like to have some debts? I think you know that the web is full of shady characters who know how to run up debts on other peoples' dime. You might mind it if someone obtained a CC or financed a car unsing your ID and ruined your credit. I suggest that you know a little more about who you are dealing with B4 you so blithely turn over your future to them.
 
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I don't mind giving my personal information to anyone(I have no debts) and if they call it is on their dime. However I do find it suprising that TUG is aiding and abbetting upfront and PCC companies for the revenue(selling their soul to the devil)

I do find this comment completely unfair. Brian has asked for the link so that he can add it to his list of blocked sites. What do you want him to do - go back in time to undo your error? TUG has not sold your soul to the devil, you handed it over willingly.
 

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I don't mind giving my personal information to anyone(I have no debts) and if they call it is on their dime. However I do find it suprising that TUG is aiding and abbetting upfront and PCC companies for the revenue(selling their soul to the devil)

Thats absurd and you know it. further proven by the fact that you still have not bothered to submit the link to me to ensure its removed.

By your logic, you are just as guilty at supporting them by allowing it to remain on the site.
 

icydog

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While I don't agree with the original poster, it seems that some on this thread are ganging up on her. She should submit the advertiser's name to Brian. That's enough said on this topic. After that the thread should be closed.

She shouldn't be brandished or offered the door "are we to presume that you will never return again lest you be further defiled?"! That mentality rarely helps anyone. And telling someone "they rarely understand" is counterproductive. . She's upset. She's got her information wrong-- but jumping on her is not conducive to good feedback.
 
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T_R_Oglodyte

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While I don't agree with the original poster, it seems that some on this thread are ganging up on her. She should submit the advertiser's name to Brian. That's enough said on this topic. After that the thread should be closed.

She shouldn't be brandished or offered the door "are we to presume that you will never return again lest you be further defiled?"! That mentality rarely helps anyone. And telling something "they rarely understand" is counterproductive. . She's upset. She's got her information wrong but jumping on her is not conducive to good feedback.

If the OP is going to insult people who put in time here, the OP should expect to be upbraided. It's not as if the OP is a newbie or recent arrival. The OP has been around the boards for over three years and has over 750 posts. The OP knows how the board operates and how TUG operates.

My original response to the OP was considerably more harsh. I ultimately decided that if the OP was going to play sanctimonious and accuse others of hypocrisy, then the OP should be held hoisted on the OP's own petard.

If being hoisted on the OP's own petard is a problem for the OP, then the OP should consider changing his or her own behavior.
 
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