Dear HN, I wrote a Firefox extension that strips out google links from adwords | Hacker News Reader

Dear HN, I wrote a Firefox extension that strips out google links from adwords

nayna.org

16 pointssrram20 comments

  Since it goes straight to your destination, 
  Google cannot store data on your behavior.

I think this is a very cool idea and does provide some level of privacy, but it shouldn't be overstated. Google still has your search history (arguably more sensitive than the actual search result clicked), and in many cases can back into your click behavior via Google Analytics/Adsense code which is embedded on many, many sites (unless you're scrubbing referrer data as well).

While I do understand what you're trying to do, I think this might do more harm than good for the advertisers who are paying for these ads. It will probably make it hard for them to track how well their different SEM campaigns are converting and ruin all of the analytics collected by both adwords and programs like google analytics. If the 'google-infested' link (as one person put it) somehow has the campaign tracking query parameters in it (I haven't really looked into it yet) It might be a good idea to keep it as part of the sanitized url so as not to mess with any of the hard work that the advertisers put into their campaigns.

I must have missed where the author mentioned this was intended to do anything in favor of (or harm to) the advertisers who have bought the ads.

Wouldn't it make the click free for the advertiser?

My beef isn't really with their tracking of my links, but it's annoying to me to do a search and not be able to "right click > Copy link location" on a search result. After installing your (otherwise great) plugin, I still get the google-infested link if I right click on it. Worse, the link stays google-infested even if I left-click on it afterwards. If you could fix this, this plugin would become as essential to me as AdBlock.

Shaddi, Could you help me understand? The original google links are gone if you have this installed. That means that if you do a 'copy link location' on a sponsored link, you will get ONLY the sanitized URL. I tried it out, and do not see the behavior you are reporting.. Maybe I am misunderstanding what you are saying?

Yes, that's what I'm describing. Here are my steps to repro:

1) Search something on google.com (for example: unc)

2) Mouseover on a link shows actual address (for instance, http://www.unc.edu); clicking on the link goes directly to page.

3) Right click, copy link location. Paste that link:

- Expected result: http://www.unc.edu

- My example result: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&.... (clipped for brevity)

4) Mouseover on same link or click on it.

- Expected result: http://www.unc.edu (as before)

- My result: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&.... (etc)

If it helps, I'm running FF 3.5.6 on Win7; I can try on Linux and OSX later tonight if that would be useful.

p.s. -- add some contact info to your profile; I'd prefer to email directly rather than pollute this thread with bug reports.

I have added my email address to my profile. Let's take it offline. I have tried to reproduce what you are saying (firefox 3.5.6 on Win 7) and failed. I do not see how what you are saying is possible. If you are going to the actual URL directly, a right click has to result in the same link being copied. That is the behavior I am seeing.

I'm full of fail today -- not seeing your email in your profile (n.b., email field is not public; it must be in your "about" section). Shoot me an email and we'll see if we can figure this out... I don't know why it's happening, I'm just reporting what I'm seeing.

google doesn't always do this, just sometimes. it's not a browser issue. it could only be if you're logged in to your google account. that's why you're having trouble reproducing it.

Why not just a greasemonkey plugin?

Does this then allow you to click on the ads at right without the advertisers paying for the click?

If so, advertisers will be pleased, Google will be pissed.

Speaking in magic unicorn fantasy land terms:

If this were true and Microsoft made that a default feature on IE, what would happen? Assume that Google does not find a way around the issue (like I said, magic unicorn fantast land scenario).

> If this were true and Microsoft made that a default feature on IE, what would happen?

A lawsuit? Microsoft would be altering Google pages without consent from Google and presumably without the consent of the user.

It's not too different from this: what if IE changed Google search results themselves?

umm.. yes. You are right. But this is not too different from adblock, which gets rid of the entire frame. I assume google is not too fond of that either

A disadvantage for the advertiser is that Google sees their ad as ineffective (no-one clicks it) and may discontinue it (at least at one point did they drop ineffective ads) — of course this ineffectiveness would apply equally to all ads (assuming everyone was using this plug-in).

On the other hand, if X% of all surfers make such uncharged clicks, then advertisers will be willing to bid about X% more per click that is charged. So it may not make that big of a difference, in the end, to the monies flowing through Google.

As an adwords user, this is crappy. I do not want free untraceable clicks, and I don't think people should screw Google over.

Just like adblock, I believe that if you don't like something, don't use it. Don't hack it around into something else and just leech the stuff you want. That's hypocritical and dishonest.

Does it just take you to the 'display url'? If so, it's also pretty pointless - most people can type.

Convince Google to take privacy more seriously and you may have a point. Until then we have no choice but to use tools like this to at least attempt to filter what is recorded.

And the "most people can type" comment is silly. Why have links at all then? Let's just type everything.

They do take privacy seriously. What exactly is your worry with them tracking the fact that your IP address clicked on a particular adword advert?

Silly thing is, people spend all this time+effort, when your ISP knows everything you do anyway. Do you trust your ISP?

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