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Hello: author here! I honestly have no idea what that tracking tag is, but 07/20 was the date I started writing this story! Guessing it's just Amazon tracking t

by mcwm 9y ago

Hello: author here! I honestly have no idea what that tracking tag is, but 07/20 was the date I started writing this story! Guessing it's just Amazon tracking to see where traffic is coming from. But if you have any other questions about the story or my journalistic integrity, I'm here to answer them!

RyJones 9y ago
Small Parts used to be an independent store - it was acquired in 2005[0]. I wonder how many of the other brands came in via purchase? Not that it matters; it's been 12 years, I'd expect Small Parts to be fully integrated. [0] https://www.geekwire.com/2012/amazoncom-push-nuts-bolts/ https://www.geekwire.com/2012/amazoncom-push-nuts-bolts/
nnutter 9y ago
How would Amazon know the date you started writing the article?
- mcwm 9y ago
  I'm honestly not sure ! It could've been a CMS thing — will need to enquire.
callumlocke 9y ago
That tracking tag is an affiliate ID allowing Quartz to receive a small cut whenever someone clicks through and buys something. Most likely it was added automatically by the Quartz CMS, as is common practice. Probably just ignore the guy questioning your journalistic integrity.
nnutter 9y ago
Confirmed through several sources that `tag=` links are definitely referral links.
taco_emoji 9y ago
How would Amazon change the URLs on your article? More likely, if you didn't do it on purpose, is that Quartz's CMS automagically appends that tag into any Amazon.com links.
- komali2 9y ago
  Likely the writer is just that - a writer. He has demonstrated (harmless) ignorance of how tracking tags work. The other posters betting on the website he writes for automatically adding affiliate tags to amazon links is the most likely guess here.
  - popinman322 9y ago
    Or Amazon may have added the tags as the writer was copying the URLs. Honestly, it doesn't seem like something to fault the writer for.
33W 9y ago
Hi Mike - can you clarify this sentence from near the end of the article? I'm only seeing two payments to Amazon. It’s now gotten to the point where it’s quite easy to pay Amazon three times in one order: for shipping, which you get access to through Prime, and for a product that’s actually just an Amazon-made product.
- mcwm 9y ago
  Depends on how you're shipping, but if you do overnight/expedited shipping, you still have to pay for that on top of the cost of your Prime membership.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- romwell 9y ago
  The way I understand it is that Prime membership doesn't just pay for shipping (even if many people only use it for that).
JoblessWonder 9y ago
As others have mentioned, this was likely added automatically by Quartz to get a few extra cents/dollars from any story linking to an Amazon product/page. Quartz probably has a page somewhere disclaiming their affiliate linking policy (which is likely: "we have affiliate links. They are separate and do not change the content of a story.") You can see an example of Wired's policy here: https://www.wired.com/2015/11/affiliate-link-policy/ https://www.wired.com/2015/11/affiliate-link-policy/

by mcwm 9y ago

RyJones 9y ago

Small Parts used to be an independent store - it was acquired in 2005[0]. I wonder how many of the other brands came in via purchase? Not that it matters; it's been 12 years, I'd expect Small Parts to be fully integrated. [0] https://www.geekwire.com/2012/amazoncom-push-nuts-bolts/ https://www.geekwire.com/2012/amazoncom-push-nuts-bolts/

nnutter 9y ago

How would Amazon know the date you started writing the article?

mcwm 9y ago
I'm honestly not sure ! It could've been a CMS thing — will need to enquire.

callumlocke 9y ago

That tracking tag is an affiliate ID allowing Quartz to receive a small cut whenever someone clicks through and buys something. Most likely it was added automatically by the Quartz CMS, as is common practice. Probably just ignore the guy questioning your journalistic integrity.

nnutter 9y ago

Confirmed through several sources that `tag=` links are definitely referral links.

taco_emoji 9y ago

How would Amazon change the URLs on your article? More likely, if you didn't do it on purpose, is that Quartz's CMS automagically appends that tag into any Amazon.com links.

komali2 9y ago
Likely the writer is just that - a writer. He has demonstrated (harmless) ignorance of how tracking tags work. The other posters betting on the website he writes for automatically adding affiliate tags to amazon links is the most likely guess here.
- popinman322 9y ago
  Or Amazon may have added the tags as the writer was copying the URLs. Honestly, it doesn't seem like something to fault the writer for.

33W 9y ago

Hi Mike - can you clarify this sentence from near the end of the article? I'm only seeing two payments to Amazon. It’s now gotten to the point where it’s quite easy to pay Amazon three times in one order: for shipping, which you get access to through Prime, and for a product that’s actually just an Amazon-made product.

mcwm 9y ago
Depends on how you're shipping, but if you do overnight/expedited shipping, you still have to pay for that on top of the cost of your Prime membership.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
romwell 9y ago
The way I understand it is that Prime membership doesn't just pay for shipping (even if many people only use it for that).

JoblessWonder 9y ago

As others have mentioned, this was likely added automatically by Quartz to get a few extra cents/dollars from any story linking to an Amazon product/page. Quartz probably has a page somewhere disclaiming their affiliate linking policy (which is likely: "we have affiliate links. They are separate and do not change the content of a story.") You can see an example of Wired's policy here: https://www.wired.com/2015/11/affiliate-link-policy/ https://www.wired.com/2015/11/affiliate-link-policy/