Back in August 2010, I helped install an even more universal solution in the form of VigLink to experiment and see if it would work well for us. These are our recent earnings so far… I think all from Amazon:
Aug 10: $0
Sep 10: $0
Oct 10: $1
Nov 10: $1
Dec 10: $12
Jan 11: $37
Also, I think we actually make more by paying VigLink’s fees since they get paid the top-end volume bonuses by Amazon and then pass that great rate on to us (less their fees). It’s really close though. I’ll worry more about optimizing it when we’re getting more commissions.
It looks like LW’s Amazon affiliate code is “vglnk-c319-20”. I missed it earlier because apparently VigLink doesn’t work if you control-click on a link to open it in a new tab. I’ve written a Chrome/Greasemonkey user script you can install to add the affiliate code to Amazon.com links you click on other web sites, as well as if you go to Amazon.com manually.
Does that mean I should click through from less wrong before all my amazon purchases? Or does it only work if the exact book I’m purchasing was linked from Less Wrong?
Yes, clicking a LW Amazon link before buying things from Amazon is very helpful. It will give ~6.2% of the purchase price on whatever you end up buying back to LW.
As Wei Dai reports, VigLink does not work when you open the link in a new tab or window.
Also, it does not work for me at all in Firefox. I have NoScript installed, but have white listed every script domain on Less Wrong (including viglink.com) except google-analytics.com. It does work for me in IE and Chrome.
If anyone else is wondering about that huge ramp-up, viglink’s faq suggests that it is mainly due to a 90 day delay of actually receiving the money (not special to viglink). Plus affiliate cookies may last 30 days, though I’m surprised that’s relevant to amazon.
This is already being done on Less Wrong!
Back in August 2010, I helped install an even more universal solution in the form of VigLink to experiment and see if it would work well for us. These are our recent earnings so far… I think all from Amazon:
Aug 10: $0 Sep 10: $0 Oct 10: $1 Nov 10: $1 Dec 10: $12 Jan 11: $37
Also, I think we actually make more by paying VigLink’s fees since they get paid the top-end volume bonuses by Amazon and then pass that great rate on to us (less their fees). It’s really close though. I’ll worry more about optimizing it when we’re getting more commissions.
It looks like LW’s Amazon affiliate code is “vglnk-c319-20”. I missed it earlier because apparently VigLink doesn’t work if you control-click on a link to open it in a new tab. I’ve written a Chrome/Greasemonkey user script you can install to add the affiliate code to Amazon.com links you click on other web sites, as well as if you go to Amazon.com manually.
http://www.ibiblio.org/weidai/force_amazon_affiliate.user.js
Does that mean I should click through from less wrong before all my amazon purchases? Or does it only work if the exact book I’m purchasing was linked from Less Wrong?
Yes, clicking a LW Amazon link before buying things from Amazon is very helpful. It will give ~6.2% of the purchase price on whatever you end up buying back to LW.
Right. You don’t need to buy the exact item linked to. Just purchase during that same Amazon visit, an LW will get a cut. Free money for LW!
As Wei Dai reports, VigLink does not work when you open the link in a new tab or window.
Also, it does not work for me at all in Firefox. I have NoScript installed, but have white listed every script domain on Less Wrong (including viglink.com) except google-analytics.com. It does work for me in IE and Chrome.
If anyone else is wondering about that huge ramp-up, viglink’s faq suggests that it is mainly due to a 90 day delay of actually receiving the money (not special to viglink). Plus affiliate cookies may last 30 days, though I’m surprised that’s relevant to amazon.