The affiliate link / skimlinking issue is pretty interesting. I don't like that Skimlinks changes urls on click, but the basic idea of automating an affiliate n

The affiliate link / skimlinking issue is pretty interesting. I don't like that Skimlinks changes urls on click, but the basic idea of automating an affiliate network is solid. The biggest problem with the web is how to properly pay people who actually creat value, and this moves in that direction. I like your suggestion that Pinterest develop a direct businesses relationship with affiliate linkers, but I think it should be broader. If you force people to pay for the right to post affiliate links, volune will be low. It would be much better to simply add a money layer on top of the existing inspiration network. Here's the idea: Every heavy Pinterest user is an affiliate partner User joins the site, uses it normally. Pinterest skimlinks all their posts, creating revenue when the ser posts something high quality yhat drives purchase behavior. When the user hit a certain level of posts / views, they are invited to opt-in to a revenue sharing deal. The user gets 50% of the skinlink revenue. This incentives more sharing and creates a path for fir-profit pintresting. The biggest challenge here is brand accounts. Brands who don't develop a direct relationship with Pinterest are skimlinked like everyone else, and basically wind up paying Pinterest for revenue-creating links to their own sites. This would probably drive straight affiliate linking clickbaiters off the site, because they can't make as much as they would with a direct affiliate relationship with the target site. I think you'd makr up for the lost posts in higher posting rates by newly incentived power users though. It would encourage people to share actionable links, increasing the overall value of the platform.