4 ms·

I remember when this was called cookie stuffing, and eBay even sent a guy to jail for doing it with their affiliate program. That’s the same eBay that owned Pay

I remember when this was called cookie stuffing, and eBay even sent a guy to jail for doing it with their affiliate program. That’s the same eBay that owned PayPal, which now owns Honey…

nightfly 2y ago
Now they can just avoid paying for affiliate links for anyone who has honey installed
AlexandrB 2y ago
Do as I say not as I do.
- gruez 2y ago
  To be fair Paypal got spun out in 2015, far before they bought Honey, so there actually isn't any point in time where eBay was engaged in cookie stuffing.
cyral 2y ago
Interesting, I found an article about it: https://www.businessinsider.com/shawn-hogan-sentenced-in-ebay-affiliate-marketing-scam-2014-5 https://www.businessinsider.com/shawn-hogan-sentenced-in-eba...
- chatmasta 2y ago
  Yeah he was also the owner of DigitalPoint if anyone remembers that forum and era.
stevage 2y ago
Didn't the guy that ran Skeptoid go to jail for similar?
- nadir_ishiguro 2y ago
  I'm sorry what? Skeptoid the podcast? Edit: Yes. In 2014. How did I miss that? Used to listen to that podcast, though probably stopped before that.
  - grumbel 2y ago
    Yes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Dunning_(author)#Wire_fraud_case https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Dunning_(author)#Wire_fr...
    - technothrasher 2y ago
      I remember at the time being less than surprised at the charges. Dunning always felt a little off to me, even though I did enjoy his podcast.
maximus-decimus 2y ago
Considering eBay also had management that harassed people by mailing them live spiders and dead pig fetuses... https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ebay-pay-3-million-employees-sent-live-spiders-funeral-wreath-fetal-pi-rcna133543 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ebay-pay-3-million-empl...
- chris_wot 2y ago
  Wow, the former Senior Director of Safety and Security was sent to prison for 57 months! That's some great work by eBay. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/final-defendant-ebay-cyberstalking-case-sentenced https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/final-defendant-ebay-cybe...
  - runamok 2y ago
    Now share what happened to the CEO. Behind the bastards did a great 2 part series on the insane tale: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-behind-the-bastards-29236323/episode/part-one-that-time-ebays-private-211963285/ https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-behind-the-bastards-29236...
- gorgoiler 2y ago
  Aside, but NBC’s website is way better executed than I was expecting. Perhaps it changed recently, or I just never noticed? I was expecting 100MB with back button abuse and retention dark patterns. Instead, it loads fast, has minimal guff, and the footer scrolled into view ending the page within sight of the end of the actual article. Perhaps this is a reward response to not having to / be able to doom scroll?
  - walthamstow 2y ago
    It's not great without uBlock but still much better than most others. No video!
kevin_thibedeau 2y ago
It's totally different you see. This time the fraud was done by a faceless corporation maximizing shareholder returns so this is just an exercise in free speech by an immortal, in the same vein as running an unlicensed lottery.
- SamuelAdams 2y ago
  Kind of like how most spyware is now called “employee monitoring tools”. This stuff used to be frowned upon but now I guess the narrative has changed.
  - brewtide 2y ago
    It was time to go back to the orifice....
  - chii 2y ago
    if the computer belongs to the company, and you're using it as an employee, you should be told that such spyware is installed and your usage of said machines are monitored. Then there's no qualms about this at all. It's only an invasion of privacy if the monitoring is done in secret.
    - kvlh 2y ago
      |It's only an invasion of privacy if the monitoring is done in secret. Uhhh... that seems very incorrect. If someone pokes their head into your shower session, it's an invasion of privacy - whether or not they let you know they're peepin on ya.
      - thatguy0900 2y ago
        The equivalent here is if it's a company shower, and your supposed to be cleaning an office appliance, not yourself. In that context someone poking their head on to see how it's going is fine.

I remember when this was called cookie stuffing, and eBay even sent a guy to jail for doing it with their affiliate program. That’s the same eBay that owned PayPal, which now owns Honey…

nightfly 2y ago

Now they can just avoid paying for affiliate links for anyone who has honey installed

AlexandrB 2y ago

Do as I say not as I do.

gruez 2y ago
To be fair Paypal got spun out in 2015, far before they bought Honey, so there actually isn't any point in time where eBay was engaged in cookie stuffing.

cyral 2y ago

Interesting, I found an article about it: https://www.businessinsider.com/shawn-hogan-sentenced-in-ebay-affiliate-marketing-scam-2014-5 https://www.businessinsider.com/shawn-hogan-sentenced-in-eba...

chatmasta 2y ago
Yeah he was also the owner of DigitalPoint if anyone remembers that forum and era.

stevage 2y ago

Didn't the guy that ran Skeptoid go to jail for similar?

nadir_ishiguro 2y ago
I'm sorry what? Skeptoid the podcast? Edit: Yes. In 2014. How did I miss that? Used to listen to that podcast, though probably stopped before that.
- grumbel 2y ago
  Yes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Dunning_(author)#Wire_fraud_case https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Dunning_(author)#Wire_fr...
  - technothrasher 2y ago
    I remember at the time being less than surprised at the charges. Dunning always felt a little off to me, even though I did enjoy his podcast.

maximus-decimus 2y ago

Considering eBay also had management that harassed people by mailing them live spiders and dead pig fetuses... https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ebay-pay-3-million-employees-sent-live-spiders-funeral-wreath-fetal-pi-rcna133543 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ebay-pay-3-million-empl...

chris_wot 2y ago
Wow, the former Senior Director of Safety and Security was sent to prison for 57 months! That's some great work by eBay. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/final-defendant-ebay-cyberstalking-case-sentenced https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/final-defendant-ebay-cybe...
- runamok 2y ago
  Now share what happened to the CEO. Behind the bastards did a great 2 part series on the insane tale: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-behind-the-bastards-29236323/episode/part-one-that-time-ebays-private-211963285/ https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-behind-the-bastards-29236...
gorgoiler 2y ago
Aside, but NBC’s website is way better executed than I was expecting. Perhaps it changed recently, or I just never noticed? I was expecting 100MB with back button abuse and retention dark patterns. Instead, it loads fast, has minimal guff, and the footer scrolled into view ending the page within sight of the end of the actual article. Perhaps this is a reward response to not having to / be able to doom scroll?
- walthamstow 2y ago
  It's not great without uBlock but still much better than most others. No video!

kevin_thibedeau 2y ago

It's totally different you see. This time the fraud was done by a faceless corporation maximizing shareholder returns so this is just an exercise in free speech by an immortal, in the same vein as running an unlicensed lottery.

SamuelAdams 2y ago
Kind of like how most spyware is now called “employee monitoring tools”. This stuff used to be frowned upon but now I guess the narrative has changed.
- brewtide 2y ago
  It was time to go back to the orifice....
- chii 2y ago
  if the computer belongs to the company, and you're using it as an employee, you should be told that such spyware is installed and your usage of said machines are monitored. Then there's no qualms about this at all. It's only an invasion of privacy if the monitoring is done in secret.
  - kvlh 2y ago
    |It's only an invasion of privacy if the monitoring is done in secret. Uhhh... that seems very incorrect. If someone pokes their head into your shower session, it's an invasion of privacy - whether or not they let you know they're peepin on ya.
    - thatguy0900 2y ago
      The equivalent here is if it's a company shower, and your supposed to be cleaning an office appliance, not yourself. In that context someone poking their head on to see how it's going is fine.