Originally Posted by
ClueByFour
It's one thing to do this in the actual URL, so that the user knows what they are about to click on. It's something else to slap in in javascript so they don't see it until after the fact.
Indeed:
Originally Posted by http://SkimLinks.com/faq
Why do traditional affiliate links offer a poor user experience?
Traditional affiliate links appear in the browser status bar when a user is about to click on them. They tend to look ugly and suspicious, and may make a user less likely to click on them.
What is the difference with skimlinks?
SkimLinks lets the normal link appear, and adds the affiliate link only when the user clicks on the link. This makes users trust your site more, and increases the likelihood they will click on the affiliate link. Repeat users and more revenue - sounds good, right?
But to give them at least some credit, their TOS also state that:
Originally Posted by http://SkimLinks.com/register
16.5 In order to promote ethical and transparent use of the service, publishers are required to disclose use of affiliate marketing in their content. This must be displayed in a publicly accessible area of their site such as a Privacy Policy or About Us section.