pamelahazelton

It sounds like you’re publishing posts before they’re ready (i.e. complete with the proper assigned image for sharing).

Since they didn’t answer… Every site install test I’ve run has certain monetization settings turned on by default.

@seobilbao, I’m not sure what you’re referring to. I’m referring to the Analytics.

@acmdesigns, it’s listed under Analytics settings. It’s a checkbox with the words “Use trusted third party data services”. You want to uncheck that.

Also turn off Third Party Tracking.

You need to go into your settings and turn off the advertising all together. This is done under “Monetization” in the latest version of the plugin. You also should create an account to configure everything else to ensure ad scripts and third-party analytics aren’t running (if you don’t want to see them). They turned these features ON by default.

The complaints are that when they released new features, such as affiliate links (which rewrite links in your posts if they can be monetized) they turned it ON by default for all users. It was not “opt-in”. This app overwrote my own branded links with an affiliate link that provides me very little and prevents new clients from being able to use the services I provide because they did not sign up under the branding.

Mary Anne:

With all due respect – because I know you don’t have control over how offerings are rolled out – the issue many users have is that the feature was turned on by default. This isn’t really hard to understand – don’t turn features on for your users – let THEM make the decision.

A “site profile” and an “account” are logically separate. You can see those site profiles because you’ve claimed them (unknowingly). Once you unclaim them, you won’t have access to them again, unless you claim them again.

Ahh, but they were never “claimed” in the first place. You simply associated them by default.

I recently ran a full-on test of how this happens, and how I can actually hijack my clients’ (even one-time clients) social followers, possibly indefinitely because many of them would never notice.

I posted my findings at my site. #transparency

Do you have an email address linked with your Shareaholic account? — and have you given us permission to email you with updates? This is defaulted to yes when you sign up, maybe you changed it? Maybe the email made it to your spam box?

I must, as my Twitter account is associated and, according to your site, I can’t do that without getting an account. Site is pamelahazelton.com – please resend the email – hopefully with original send timestamp attached.

I do not use a spam filter. Every single email sits in the inbox and is either read, filed or left there for reference.

Our intention was never to violate your trust. The intention was to help monetize outbound links for you which you would not have been monetized otherwise ie. it’s “found money” or extra income for you. Also, if you manually link to something with your own affiliate link, our intention is to leave the link untouched. This obviously wasn’t the case for you.

I disagree, and it’s not “found money”. You assume I wanted to monetize links on the site, which I don’t unless *I* specifically set it up. Your system rewrite my partner link to Constant Contact, and then I did a push campaign to drive thousands to the page. I got credit for ZERO accounts.

You guys are a smart bunch of folk (I really mean that), and I can’t believe during your meetings noone brought up the possibility of users being angry over your toggling on a setting without their knowledge for a feature the plugin never advertised.

I sincerely apologize for the heartache caused. It was certainly not our intention…!

Heartache? No. In fact, I didn’t take it personally. My reasons behind anything I’ve said was to A) get you to change your methods and B) inform users that there’s a violation of trust. They signed up for a service that incorporated social sharing and related content.

Technicblu – might you have a reference for previous bans?

Thank you for your feedback, technicblu – I’ve found a few more things and am working on a new post!

My apologies. Won’t happen again.

Dear “Shareaholic Member”:

Actually, you’re incorrect. Even right now I can see three other sites. I can toggle switches and they will have effect.

It doesn’t matter what consultants “prefer” – this actually happened without MY knowledge, and without my client’s knowledge. Just because I configure something within someone’s WordPress admin, I should not outright have access to those tools.

If you believe in Transparency, why didn’t you send out a bulk email to users explaining 1) The ad placements you launched in the post-share box and 2) Affiliate Linking. If you believe in transparency, why did you automatically turn a feature ON? Because it’s easier? I agree that plenty of users would want a way to monetize that required no work on their part, but majority doesn’t win here. You violated trust.

Feel free to read the post at my own site. You cost me time and you cost me money – because you decided that *I* would want you to rewrite my links.

Hi, Mary Anne,

Yes, I now thoroughly understand how this works – and it’s BAD for business. Once I’ve worked on someone’s site I should not have control over anything, nor should I see their account. It is ILLOGICAL that one should have to LOG OUT of shareaholic.com in order to ensure this doesn’t happen.

Sorry, but “super easy to remove” doesn’t cut it. I had to contact my clients today and tell them this happened. That’s transparency. They are all now ditching the plugin.

Thanks for the share-out. I can’t imagine how many unsuspecting users there are…