Earlier this week Brian Littleton, of ShareASale, announced the new, proposed toolbar policy.  You will probably recall that about two weeks ago there was a conference call on this issue. The proposed policy took into account many of the concerns and opinions expressed during that call. You can read the proposed policy at SAS Blog – Proposed Toolbar Policy and at ABW SAS Proposed Toolbar Policy- Discussion and Poll The discussion at ABestWeb is very open and spirited and I suggest everyone read through it.  If you have questions or concerns, post them and after considering everything cast your vote.

When I read through the proposed policy I was very relieved to see that most toolbars will not be permitted.  Still,  I do have concerns and I expressed them to Brian. My first is the problem of monitoring the behavior of toolbars that are allowed in and the potential for those toolbars to escalate behavior at any time. Though the details cannot be shared, Brian did indicate that they will use a variety of techniques to monitor and test toolbar affiliates on an ongoing basis. It is clear that the proposed policy is more defined than current one. Certain behaviors that are parasitic will result in the toolbar affiliate being terminated.

My second concern was the ability of affiliates to easily identify which merchants permit toolbar affiliates and that we are also informed of a change in a merchant’s stance. Just as merchants need to know if an affiliate utilizes a toolbar, affiliates need to know if a merchant allows  toolbar affiliates. It is important that we all make informed decisions about who to partner with. Brian has indicated that he is all for the disclosure.

As I read through the policy it is clear that Brian does indeed have the best interests of all in mind.  One can also tell that he did consider every one’s input. Brian welcomes opinions and discussion.

While I prefer a no toolbar policy, the proposed policy is more defined than the current one. Please read through the proposed policy and the discussion at ABestWeb. Read the proposed policy, educate yourself on the issue and make an informed decision. Voice your concerns and opinions.

This week Brian Littleton, CEO and founder of ShareASale announced that he will be holding a round table discussion at 3pm central Tuesday, February 3, regarding the acceptance of toolbar affiliates into the ShareASale network. In the past, ShareAsale has not allowed affiliates who utilize toolbars or reminder software to participate in their network. That stance has apparently been softened.

The purpose of the the conference call on Tuesday is to explain what toolbars will be allowed and the conditions. It is also to allow for discussion. There is a long thread at AbestWeb, SAS and Toolbars, and reading through it will give you a good idea of the many concerns expressed by affiliates, merchants and program managers.

I have to admit, I am very concerned about this development; I am also a bit shocked. For me, one of the appeals of ShareASale has been its ethics and its stance against parasites and toolbars. Brian and ShareASale have always been fair and ethical and I am looking forward to the round table for clarification of the new stance on toolbars. Once I have all the information I can make a more definitive opinion. I will hold my final decision until then. My biggest concern is the monitoring and enforcement of the standards, it is a very difficult task.

I appreciate that Brian has kept communication open, he has been answering many tough questions the past few days. In recent months, others have not done this; they chose a different path – a path of silence. For now, though nervous, I am keeping an open mind.

If you would like to participate in the round table conference call  visit Brian’s post at the ShareASale blog at ShareASale and Toolbars. You need to request to participate and the RSVP information is there.

As technology and the industry advance, we must address new issues. Be sure that your voice is heard. If you are an affiliate, merchant or program manager RSVP to participate in the conference call. Hope to see you there.

The One Cause toolbar is still a hot and active issue. As several videos have shown, cookies continue to be overwritten. Affiliates and merchants are losing money every day. Many affiliates have been contacting various merchants seeking answers on this issue. Some merchants have responded and are addressing concerns, some have taken action by removing the toolbar affiliate. Others have yet to act.

According to a post on their blog on November 19, LinkShare says there was/is a glitch in  the toolbar programming that caused the unethical activity of overwriting affiliate cookies and gave credit to One Cause where it was/is not due. Supposedly, they say the updated version of the toolbar works according to Code of Conduct. Unfortunately, several videos are showing that affiliates and merchants are still losing money. Either the programming hasn’t been completed or the remote update of previously existing toolbars didn’t work.

One Cause is not the only toolbar or plug-in that we have to be concerned about.  Scott Jangro is doing a series of posts on how loyalty browsers work so be sure to check out his blog. He has several posts on the whole issue including Affiliate Networks Allow Plugins to OverWrite Links

I urge everyone to keep reading up on this issue, it affects both affiliates and merchants. Education is important. Toolbars that do not conform to Code of Conduct affect everyone, at every network. It is not just limited to this instance. The original thread at ABW is located at One Cause/Linkshare. It is must reading for everyone in the affiliate industry.