Hostile clicks - geek/talk: Web publishing business discussion

Tristraim · 03-20-1999, 01:43 AM

Hi there,
What happens if some malevolent person / competitor keeps clicking on banners on your page in order to make you CTR striking high and suspicious, in order to get you look like fraudulent and at last, in order to have your banner agency terminate your account?

What would you tell to your advertiser? Anyway, they would not believe you!

Any thoughts?

Regards,

Tristram

Questy · 03-20-1999, 06:50 PM

Tristraim,

While your question on one hand is quite simple, on another hand, it has many answers.

The easy answer, almost all folks trading or selling clicks on banners have ways of knowing whether or not the click is a new, or unique visitor, or someone who has just returned.

The complete answer, and the part that bothers me a bit, (as a technical person, from a technical perspective,) is that there is not an easy fool proof way to keep people honest.

There are cookies, a small file that's left on your hard drive that tells the browser you've been here before.

You'll also see talk of IP tracking, this is another way that folks use to see if you are a new, or unique visitor, or one that's been here before. The trouble with IP numbers, they are the address that you are visiting from, and it basically tells what neighborhood you are visiting from, but not necessarily exactly who you are.

Most folks have some technology in place to at least do a fair job of preventing such mischief. And on the policy side, most folks have a policy in place to deal with rascals and mischief makers.

Over the next few years you will see tremendous strides in the ability to know exactly who clicked on what. As the level of technology increases, you will also see the amount of people screaming about invasion of privacy issues.

Good question, with many answers!

------------------
Regards,
Questy

The small business and technology guru,
It's not just a job, it's an addiction!
www.computerguru.net

[This message has been edited by Questy (edited 03-20-99).]

mattm · 04-10-1999, 04:18 PM

It happened to me today. Someone ran a robot against my site generating hundreds of fake clickthroughs that CentralAd Pro unfortunetly recorded...

------------------
http://www.webmaster-resources.com
FREE stuff for webmasters!

Questy · 04-11-1999, 10:50 AM

mattm,

I assume your server log shows this was done by a single site? The robot you speak of?

I am not familiar with CentralAd Pro, have you discussed it with them?

03-20-1999, 01:43 AM	#1
Tristraim Registered User Join Date: Mar 1999 Location: Funny City, Fiji Islands Posts: 1	Hostile clicks Hi there, What happens if some malevolent person / competitor keeps clicking on banners on your page in order to make you CTR striking high and suspicious, in order to get you look like fraudulent and at last, in order to have your banner agency terminate your account? What would you tell to your advertiser? Anyway, they would not believe you! Any thoughts? Regards, Tristram

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03-20-1999, 06:50 PM	#2
Questy Registered User Join Date: Jan 1999 Location: Slower Lower Delaware, USA Posts: 868	Tristraim, While your question on one hand is quite simple, on another hand, it has many answers. The easy answer, almost all folks trading or selling clicks on banners have ways of knowing whether or not the click is a new, or unique visitor, or someone who has just returned. The complete answer, and the part that bothers me a bit, (as a technical person, from a technical perspective,) is that there is not an easy fool proof way to keep people honest. There are cookies, a small file that's left on your hard drive that tells the browser you've been here before. You'll also see talk of IP tracking, this is another way that folks use to see if you are a new, or unique visitor, or one that's been here before. The trouble with IP numbers, they are the address that you are visiting from, and it basically tells what neighborhood you are visiting from, but not necessarily exactly who you are. Most folks have some technology in place to at least do a fair job of preventing such mischief. And on the policy side, most folks have a policy in place to deal with rascals and mischief makers. Over the next few years you will see tremendous strides in the ability to know exactly who clicked on what. As the level of technology increases, you will also see the amount of people screaming about invasion of privacy issues. Good question, with many answers! ------------------ Regards, Questy The small business and technology guru, It's not just a job, it's an addiction! www.computerguru.net [This message has been edited by Questy (edited 03-20-99).]

04-10-1999, 04:18 PM	#3
mattm Registered User Join Date: Apr 1999 Posts: 6	It happened to me today. Someone ran a robot against my site generating hundreds of fake clickthroughs that CentralAd Pro unfortunetly recorded... ------------------ http://www.webmaster-resources.com FREE stuff for webmasters!

04-11-1999, 10:50 AM	#4
Questy Registered User Join Date: Jan 1999 Location: Slower Lower Delaware, USA Posts: 868	mattm, I assume your server log shows this was done by a single site? The robot you speak of? I am not familiar with CentralAd Pro, have you discussed it with them?