amazon-links, VigLink, affiliate

[Geclub]

I am admin and owner of a small European hobby forum.

A while ago I recognized, that links to products from amazon are modified automatically. After posting, the link has a different url than what was posted.
For example, if I post this:

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https://www.amazon.de/-/en/22039000-Technology-Self-Sealing-Connection-Rosette/dp/B00RTG26SW/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=7vOMd&pf_rd_p=6bc32f5e-7d9c-4db1-bdeb-2e2c7fb122e0&pf_rd_r=6BEZ9HHTHH9GBACHXK5W&pd_rd_r=57c0cd42-47b5-4e55-b4c1-df7a83223f9b&pd_rd_wg=pJsli&ref_=pd_gw_hlp13n_t4im

The user is directed to:

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https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00RTG26SW/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_til?tag=&linkCode=w00&linkId=&creativeASIN=B00RTG26SW

For me this looks like an affiliate link. But I don't use any affiliate extensions. And VigLink is deactivated.

So my question is: What setting of the acp or hosting could be responsible for the changing of the links? Or is it just normal and if, why is it normal?
I have phpbb 3.3.1 and php 7.4.12.



And I have a second question in this context:

VigLink is IMO not a bad idea to support phpbb. But I want to make it transparent to the members of the forum. They shall know, that phpbb potentially earns some money with links. And they shouldn't have to simply trust my statement. Is there a way to prove them, that it's not me, who gets the money but phpbb? Does a VigLink-produced affiliate link look different, if phpbb profits or if I profit?

[janus_zonstraal]

Can you provide a url to the post with the changed link?

[david63]

Do all users see these links or is it just you? The reason I ask is that I have seen that type of behaviour in the past and it has been caused by some malicious code that attached itself to the browser.

[Geclub]

Here is an example:
https://hobbybrennen.ch/viewtopic.php?p=9346#p9346
In this post you see an amazon-link to a thermomter. The link directs you to:

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https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00138DLH2/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_til?tag=&linkCode=w00&linkId=&creativeASIN=B00138DLH2

But if I edit or quote this post I see:

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https://www.amazon.de/TFA-Dostmann-Profi-Digitalthermometer-Einstichfühler-Profi-Einsatz/dp/B00138DLH2/ref=sr_1_3?__mk_de_DE=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&dchild=1&keywords=TFA%2B30.1040&qid=1602877759&sr=8-3&th=1

Or here:
https://hobbybrennen.ch/viewtopic.php?p=9840#p9840
The link of the glycerine directs you to:

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https://www.amazon.de/dp/B083ZDNV8L/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_til?tag=&linkCode=w00&linkId=&creativeASIN=B083ZDNV8L

But if I edit or quote this post I see:

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https://www.amazon.de/dp/B083ZDNV8L/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B083ZDNV8L&pd_rd_w=6c3fl&pf_rd_p=403c666b-0b30-4f66-afde-0388ffdf2c39&pd_rd_wg=gQYz6&pf_rd_r=JNKNYE0FNAY3A08Q25YE&pd_rd_r=1f83cd18-787d-4be5-8d7d-b35f793008a6&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExVEtSWEpUN09VMTQwJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzk5MjU3MjJGUVBWNjVXOEc3JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTEwMzE5NzExMTExTzU5NUs4SlFHJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfZGV0YWlsJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

When I log out the links direct me to the same place. Edit: I better rephrase this sentence: I mean, also logged out (visiting the board as a guest user) I get directed to the modified link not to the posted link.

[Geclub]

I now installed an adblocker to my browser (Firefox Adblock Plus) just for testing. Now I neither see the small picture of the amazon-product nor I see the posted or the modified link. Only a free space. This means, posts with links to amazon-products aren't understandable for user with adblockers. Not a good behaviour for a dicussion forum.

Without adblocker:

With adblocker:

[david63]

This means, posts with links to amazon-products aren't understandable for user with adblockers. Not a good behaviour for a dicussion forum.

But none of that has anything to do with phpBB - it is a user's browser configuration.

[Geclub]

The adblock behaviour is not a phpbb function of course.
But that the users without adblocker are directed to a different url than the posted one looks like a phpbb function for me.
I tested it with different browsers. All behave the same.

[david63]

There is nothing that I have ever seen in the core of phpBB that would re-direct a link somewhere else. If that is what is happening then it is being caused by either an extension or some other code.

Just a thought - did you use your hosts "one click" installer from you control panel to install phpBB?

[Geclub]

No, I installed manually 3.2.3 and then regularily upgraded. Now I have 3.3.1.

Here apicture of my extensions in the acp:

Thank you for the autodbbackup by the way.


VigLink would alter links, right? And VigLink is activated by default. You have to switch it off after installation. So every board had an activated VigLink a short time. Perhaps the deactivating process didn't work?

[david63]

So every board had an activated VigLink a short time

No - you have to confirm that you want it enabling when you install phpBB.

[Geclub]

I just deactivated the phpBB Media Embed PlugIn and the board doesn't alter links anymore and doesn't display the amazon links with pictures but only the link.
I thought this extension is for embedding videos and such things. Is this the normal behaviour of this extension?

[david63]

Is this the normal behaviour of this extension?

No idea - it is not an extension that I use.

You should report this behaviour in the support topic for that extension.

[KevC]

Amazon is on the list of supported link types
http://s9etextformatter.readthedocs.io/ ... bed/Sites/
Presumably for the reason you're showing that it will display the item linked.

[Geclub]

I activated the extension again but deselected amazon. So for example youtube videos are embedded but amazon-links are displayed without picture and without modifying the link. Main problem with amazon and the media embed extension for me is, that users or guests with an adblocker don't see the link. But yes, this issue would be something for the extension forum. But for me it's allright this way now. I don't need the picture. I don't think I will sart a new topic about amazon and adblockers there.
Case closed for me. Thank you all for the ideas.

I will activate VigLink to look what it does and how it works.
Noone answered my question, if a user can see, if I or phpbb profits from VigLink. But this ist also a question for the extension forum. Probably I will start a new topic there.
Thanks.