Clearing cookies set by other sites

[Notspot]

I absolutely think it should be the last cookie the player downloaded that should be paid. Two reasons.

1. Assuming it's a level playing field and no-one cookie stuffs - as in all other areas of sales and promotion closing the deal is key. The last site was the one that gave the player a reason to finally sign up - they should get the sale.

2. Knowing that cookie stuffing does go on then there's even more reason for the last site the player downloaded a cookie from to get the sale. They prob visited the evil cookie stuffers site and left without clicking anything but they are now carrying a collection of different site's cookies. They then visit a quality site and like the review, bonus, rakeback, whatever, of a poker room, they then click the link and sign up. It's obvious who made the sale and who should get the credit - the last place they visited.

If cookies were automatically overwritten with each new click then not only would it be fairer, but it would be one in the eye for the cookie stuffers and they would lose alot of their business overnight.

It IS fair and right that if a site has a deal that the player wants, then they should be able to give that player advice as to how to ensure they get the deal they want. I know this from experience - when I first started out as a poker player I wanted a 'free gift' of some software from a well known site - I happily signed up at a room I had never heard of at that time and started playing, waiting for my gift. I later found out I had been cookie stuffed and I was under another affiliate and there was nothing that could now be done (up until that point I had no idea about cookies / affiliates). I carried on playing there 'cos I loved it, but it was that free software that made me sign up - they should have got the sale and I should have got my software. Wish I knew who it was!

[edmc]

I cannot see a logical reason for not having a cookie last collecting the sale. When I was working a stall, the stall next to me was struggling to make a sale. She took an hour for lunch & I sold all the stuff she couldnt shift. Obviously she never made the sale. She just had a busy stall and didnt know how to capitalize on in. All I did was rearranged the presentation & had a laugh with anyone that got within 5 yards of her stall.

PS, I did give her the money, we were only covering breaks but I sold the exact same product in a different manner, just like a small site who puts a lot of thought into the presentation. Buyers buy ideas, window shoppers click. Its the ideas that sell.

[corpfan1]

Sounds like it is time for another blog post about THIS TOPIC at jeremyenke.com.

[LadyHoldem]

I don't think we ever actually got to the original question..

Is it possible to automate, with the user just agreeing? A script that requires the user to say yes.

Also, is it possible to have one cookie, delete other like cookies? So a Full tilt that overrights other Full Tilt cookies, an AP cookie that deletes other AP cookies, Vics Bingo that deletes Vics Bingo ...etc.. and .. blah blah blah ..

I think both sides of the debate are pretty well covered, now .. for those that DO want the capability (those that will still have to get permission specifically from each room anyway.. ) Can it be done? and How?

[PPP]

Originally Posted by Notspot

I absolutely think it should be the last cookie the player downloaded that should be paid.

If this is the way cardrooms wanted to do it, then that would be reasonable.

It would however cost affiliates as a group tens of millions of dollars a year.

A very common scenario is for a player to visit somepokersite.com, go to Fulltilt, look at things, and then close their browser. Then an hour or a day later think, "I'll try that Tilt site", and type in Google "tilt poker site" or something similar. They then click on the search result link. To many people's thinking here it was Google who "sold" that player (or Fulltilt search marketing).

Unlike now when somepokersite.com would get (valid) credit, no affiliate would be paid since the referal came from Google... and no, you can't have it both ways. The cardrooms won't say, "Last referal gets the player, except for Google, Yahoo or MSN, the marketing for which we spend millions on."

The bottom line is last referal would cost affiliates as a group maybe 25% of their income as all affiliates would lose out on later search engine convenience returns (and direct type ins probably too).

[Aidan]

Originally Posted by PPP

A very common scenario is for a player to visit somepokersite.com, go to Fulltilt, look at things, and then close their browser. Then an hour or a day later think, "I'll try that Tilt site", and type in Google "tilt poker site" or something similar. They then click on the search result link. To many people's thinking here it was Google who "sold" that player (or Fulltilt search marketing).

This is a very likely scenario, which makes me agree quite a bit with PPP.

However, I can definitely seen the reasoning behind the "cookie doomsday button" if a player wanted to receive rakeback or some other cool promotion that the previous affiliate didn't have. Because it should be the players choice in some way as to who gets credit and what deal the player would like. But this is why we should all use bonus codes.

I don't think there will ever be a way to work with cookies in this business that will make everyone happy. There will be flaws in every system.......

[edmc]

Originally Posted by PPP

If this is the way cardrooms wanted to do it, then that would be reasonable.

It would however cost affiliates as a group tens of millions of dollars a year.

A very common scenario is for a player to visit somepokersite.com, go to Fulltilt, look at things, and then close their browser. Then an hour or a day later think, "I'll try that Tilt site", and type in Google "tilt poker site" or something similar. They then click on the search result link. To many people's thinking here it was Google who "sold" that player (or Fulltilt search marketing).

Unlike now when somepokersite.com would get (valid) credit, no affiliate would be paid since the referal came from Google... and no, you can't have it both ways. The cardrooms won't say, "Last referal gets the player, except for Google, Yahoo or MSN, the marketing for which we spend millions on."

The bottom line is last referal would cost affiliates as a group maybe 25% of their income as all affiliates would lose out on later search engine convenience returns (and direct type ins probably too).

Ok Fair enough but Google do not have a cookie attatched to the site when fulltiltpoker.com is typed into the browser, so it will still go to the last referral. If it was a large site, fine, they made the sale. No one is disputing that. Now if the player goes back to the google & types in a keyword, the chances are it will go to a larger site anyway. Maybe that is your grey area, but that works itself out in the serps.

The problem is cookies can be set for months, the original click never made the sale, maybe came close but their sales pitch just didnt cut the mustard. Offers are updated on a regular basis so if it went to someone a week or a month ago it would be a false sale.

As for automating clearing cookies i dont think it is right but a description as to why is fine. ie. clear your cookies to collect our bonus & show how

[PPP]

Originally Posted by Aidan

This is a very likely scenario, which makes me agree quite a bit with PPP.

I don't think there will ever be a way to work with cookies in this business that will make everyone happy. There will be flaws in every system.......

Clear your cookies.
type carbonpoker.com in the address bar...
poof, you get a carbon poker "first cookie".

If people want the last referal, the result will be just as I said above.
Someone (after visiting an affilaite early that day) will seach for 'that poker carbon site' on google, click the Google link, go to carbon and, poof, get a last carbon cookie.

The cardrooms are not total idiots. There is no way around this. They will never give up rights to getting players themselves, and the reality is the MOST LIKELY site a player will go to first is the cardroom itself... that is, carbonpoker.com will generate the most "first cookies"... AND carbonpoker.com will generate the most "last cookies".

There are advantages and disadvantages to first or last cookies, but last cookies will take millions from the affiliate industry, while first cookies make it so if a site really and truly turns on a player to a cardroom first the only way they can lose that referal (short of a screwup) is by ANOTHER AFFILIATE getting the referal due to a bonus code.

I like the cardrooms, but I don't really want to give them millions from the pockets of affiliates, in a relatively random way to boot (just because somebody closed their browser and typed in or used a search engine to find the site again).

((I may be wrong that last cookies would give more money to cardrooms since the cardrooms choose first cookies after all, but at the very least having last cookies makes it so random, trivial loss of players from the affiliates to the cardrooms is far, far more likely.))

[haynesey]

Originally Posted by PPP

Clear your cookies.
type carbonpoker.com in the address bar...
poof, you get a carbon poker "first cookie".

If people want the last referal, the result will be just as I said above.
Someone (after visiting an affilaite early that day) will seach for 'that poker carbon site' on google, click the Google link, go to carbon and, poof, get a last carbon cookie.

I didn't know about that one.

[RakeAway]

@PPP: What you are saying is, if you visit carbonpoker.com directly, the affiliate id is reset to blank? If so, that's absolutely ridiculous from them imo. Carbon is then an exception here, rather than the rule.
Your other point about Google earning money by being the last affiliate, however, is complete and utter crap to put it bluntly. Google is not an affiliate and will never include affiliate links in its search results. The old cookie stands. Google will therefore never get paid for the 'conversion' if you could call it that, but the affiliate whose cookie is stored will.

The only last-cookie-counts site that I know of is TowerGaming. If you visit using my link, then leave, then come back, my cookie is still there. If you then visit via a different site, then their cookie is dropped. If the player signs up, then that affiliate will get paid, not me. That is 100% fair imo, since they converted, not me.