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Comment by NathanKP | Hacker News Reader

I couldn't repeat the link copying trick mentioned in the article. When I right clicked on the link and copied it there was just google.com, no affiliate link.

I can see the viglink JavaScript in the source code for the page, though. Yet the dynamic DOM inspector shows that the link href has not been changed, nor is there an onclick handler added. Perhaps it does not work on Safari, or only works for specific users?

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(it works for me)

I've checked Chrome Developer Tools. It does its magic via click event, installing vl_mC function as a listener.

I get the affiliate link when copying in Google Chrome on XP.

Ah, so it may only work on specific browsers. Safari seems immune.

From drivingmenuts comment:

Copied the link and pasted into the address bar in Safari - no change. However if I right-click, and choose Open Link in New Window, it briefly flashes over to VigLink.

The copy link trick only works on certain browsers. I'm using Safari, and copy link copies the actual link, not the affiliate link. Clicking it, however, takes me through the affiliate link.

Seems to me like some browsers take the URL that gets opened through the click event when you copy the link, but Safari does not.

I would guess because a google.com link is not a link to a product, hence, there's no affiliate code for it in viglink databases? Try an amazon link perhaps?

The author of the post specifically says that he can copy the google link and see an affiliate link.

I also got the mangled link, Chrome on Ubuntu 9.10... right click > Copy Link Address.

I got the mangled link. Opera 10.52 on Windows XP.

It didn't work for me in Opera 10.10 on Mac OS X.

No affiliate link for me on Safari on Win XP.

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