[thelist] Link Masking?

[James Hardy]

Rob Smith wrote:
> Hey,
> 
> One of my clients came to me last night asking about link masking. Either I
> don't get out much, or this such a new topic, that there are "10 programs
> already out on link masking, It has to be real.", my client. She's very
> protective of her affiliate links and doesn't want anyone to steal them.
> 
> Now, what I envision "Link Masking" as is:
> <a href="#" onMouseOver="window.status='Hello World'">Link</a>
> ...thus hiding the link in the status bar in some cases
> 
> What she's afraid of is her competitors taking her link, making their link
> look like hers, and before the visitor goes off to the affiliate site, it
> gets switched. 
> 
> In another related story, there is a Bug in Internet Explorer that allows
> you to simulate this:
> 
> <a href="http://www.microsoft.com">
>  <table>
>   <tr>
>    <td>
>     <a href="http://www.google.com">  <--- Bait and Switch here
>      Microsoft 
>    </td>
>   </tr>
>  </table> 
> </a>
> 
> The link says Microsoft, the status bar shows Microsoft. But, in IE, it goes
> to Google. Firefox and NS both show Google as the end destination in the
> status bar.
> 
> So what's up with Link Masking?
> 
> Rob Smith

I would think that it is a bad idea in general. Even if you sucessfully 
change the status bar, anyone who actually wants to find out the url can 
just right click the link and select copy url location (or equivalent)
(I know right-click can be "disabled" as well but in my opinion that 
all-too-common hijacking of the user interface is one of the most 
convincing arguments for the reintroduction capital punishment!)

To be honest I don't quite understand what she wants to be prevented. 
Are these "affiliate" links into her site that she pays a commision on, 
or links to other sites that she receives a commision on. Either way, I 
fail to see why she should object to people copying the links - case 1, 
she gets more links in; case 2, she receives more commision.

-- 
James Hardy