Apparently not internet savvy (re: Freep links, "print" versions)

Submitted by CarrIsMyHomeboy on

Hey guys. I'm just looking for exactly one response, and--for that--I apologize for being a dolt, but...

Apparently, I am not an aboverage internetter. Can someone please explain to me (and, sadly, I bet the explanation is very simple) how to transform a freep.com link for which the paper receives advertising money into one in which they don't?

I believe it has something to do with printing "/print" in the URL but I'm not sure where--nor am I sure if this is even right.

aaamichfan

March 26th, 2010 at 2:03 PM ^

Near the title of the article, there should be a "Print" link. Click on that, and it will open a new window.

CarrIsMyHomeboy

March 26th, 2010 at 2:10 PM ^

If I do that, then it strikes me that--even though my friends' clicks on the URL[s] I henceforth copy and paste in message board posts/emails will be sans advertising moolah--I will have had to singularly provide them advertising moolah (via my original click, an original sin of sorts) in order to keep a large number of people from doing so.

I imagine there's a way to bypass that step. Right? Shouldn't I be able to modify the URL all old-school-like? For instance, with my keyboard and without my mouse?

I don't know what I'm talking about, do I? I worry I might not know what I'm talking about. At all. I'm eager to figure this out, though, in case that breed of perseverance counts for anything.

octal9

March 26th, 2010 at 2:27 PM ^

Well, you need the url of the article in the first place to do it.

Every freep url will look like this:

http://www.[thewebsite].com/article/[numbers1]/[section of paper]/[numbers2]/[numbers3]/[article title]

basically you paste that url and replace parts of it:

http://www.[thewebsite].com/print/article/[numbers1]/[section of paper]/[numbers2]/[article title]

Notable changes: "print" was added, and [numbers3] was removed.

I need to use a solid reference here, sorry:
http://www.freep.com/article/20100326/BUSINESS06/3260336/1320/Mich.-cit…-
same link, print-ified:
http://www.freep.com/print/article/20100326/BUSINESS06/3260336/Royal-Oa…

octal9

March 26th, 2010 at 2:39 PM ^

sure, for the freep's overall stats.

You won't register hits for the advertisements, all of which are either a) tracked by their origination point (ie, not on the freep domain) or b) sitting in one of freeps subdomains or folders and unaccessed by the page.

Regardless, I don't bother with the freep. Somebody asked a question and I answered it.

joeyb

March 26th, 2010 at 2:41 PM ^

Cookies are not going to matter. Usually, once the page is loaded, javascript or flash code used to load the ads reports a hit back to the advertiser. If the freep were to keep track of their own hits for advertising revenue purposes, it would be done based on the number of requests as opposed to the number of times that they were able to successfully check if you had been to the site before.

joeyb

March 26th, 2010 at 3:07 PM ^

The site knows you hit the page. Whenever you request data, they log it for personal records, like "Wow, every time we criticize UM even when its not true, we get 3x as many people visiting the site". The advertisers keep a separate tally from this for revenue purposes because they don't want to give money to the site if the ads are never even loaded.

All cookies do is store information from visit to visit. Usually it is just a session key and when they request that key from your browser, they can look up your user information in the database. That's what keeps you logged in or tells you the last time that you viewed the site. They could be used to tell you how many times you have visited the site, but they would never be used for statistical purposes because you can clear it out or never allow cookies.

jcgary

March 26th, 2010 at 2:24 PM ^

If you are worried about giving freep dot com internet revenue by linking to the freep then I have a solution for you. . .

Don't link to the freep or even better how about don't read the freep at all!!!

AMazinBlue

March 26th, 2010 at 2:42 PM ^

I'm not trying to be the grammar police, but it's a huge pet peeve of mine.

The question is "where is your head?" NOT "Where is your head at?"

There is no need for "at" i.e. Where are you?, Where is the car?

Just sayin'

4godkingandwol…

March 26th, 2010 at 7:07 PM ^

They sell advertising on their Print Page too, it appears. I get this weird "Kodak" printer type product placement on the print page feature. No doubt they are selling that. Just stop reading that rag, please.