MoT's WDF

A thread to report any strange link behavior, such as Amazon links redirecting to bizrate or Walmart. We have checked the server and there does not appear to be a server-side issue or plugin that would cause this. Further, not all users are experiencing issues, which may indicate a client-side issue such as a piece of local malware or similar. I want to help our members get to the bottom of it. Please include:

1) the link that was clicked
2) the web address and/or screenshot where you were redirected
3) try it 2-3 times to see if the issue recurs consistently...does it redirect every time you click the link? Does it always take you to the same address in #2, or do the redirects change?

I have tried the Amazon links reported in the Head’s Up thread, and for me all go directly to the correct page on Amazon. I have tried with Tapatalk, Safari from my Iphone, my Ipad, and my MacBook, Chrome from my MacBook and IE from my PC. I tried each one 10 times, and in all cases the link opens Amazon, not Walmart. In short, I am unable to replicate the issue.

The post with the links: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=123&start=8370#p23322

Randomly, here's a thread from head-fi last year where something similar was happening and apparently viglink was the culprit:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-dea ... /page-1725

uvalaw2005 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 11, 2019 5:41 pm Randomly, here's a thread from head-fi last year where something similar was happening and apparently viglink was the culprit:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-dea ... /page-1725

I tweaked some settings earlier today that I think solved it.

I had to shut off an option to redirect redirected links.

I do find it odd, however, that only a small few Amazon links were affected.

I've seen the strange link redirection on post https://manontime.com/viewtopic.php?f=3 ... 270#p25742. The message text says it's an ebay link to watchgooroo's Eterna stock, but for me goes to Ashford's Eterna page.

For me, there are two links in that post both of which are redirects via vigilink. Both of them have the same key and insertId. The full link (with spaces added so the forum software doesn't render it as a link) is below and shows that the redirection is indeed meant to go to Ashford.

http:// i.viglink.com/ ?key=497d277c0ad2ce597529a92a048e4867&insertId=c94a4626d5038eaa&type=L&exp=-1%3Ana%3A0&libId=jxmer9340102thc1000DAp3ma1s78&loc=https%3A%2F%2Fmanontime.com%2Fviewtopic.php%3Ff%3D3%26t%3D123%26start%3D9270&v=1&iid=c94a4626d5038eaa&out=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ashford.com%2Fus%2Fwatches%2Feterna%2Fcat1210178.cid%3Fpn%3Dbrand&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fmanontime.com%2Fviewforum.php%3Ff%3D1&title=Heads%20Up!%20I%20Saw%20A%20Bargain%20Here!%202019%20-%20Page%20619%20-%20MoT%27s%20Watch%20Deal%20Forum&txt=%3Cspan%3EEterna%3C%2Fspan%3E

I've also noticed that my references to Eterna have been automatically turned into Ashford links in my post preview.

This site uses viglink to generate revenue for operations. Sometimes links inadvertently get changed.

The links you're referencing all go to their intended destination for me on multiple devices. Could you post a screen-shot showing the highlighted links?

Screen shot below.

patrolmi didn't put links in their post. Those links were added by the VigLink plug-in. It works by converting key-words into links to a retailer website. This site then receives a small incentive per click that I use to keep the lights on, as it were. I have intentionally set VigLink so that it won't alter existing links. That is the issue we were having before.