I was surfing Craigslist this morning and I clicked on the Jobs section to see what’s happening in the computing world lately. I often use job listings to help me keep a handle on “what’s hot”, etc. And what presented itself to me? A WARNING statement talking about Affiliate Scammers!
Well, that’s okay. There’s alot of less than reputable people posting bogus affiliate offers on Craigslist. But the link they have to the phrase Affiliate Scammers is to the Wikipedia entry for Affiliate Marketing!
Here, look for yourself (Check the linkrel at the bottom left of the image:
See it? Not a link to online scams, etc. A link to Affiliate Marketing! That Wikipedia page has links to very reputable companies, people, references, etc. to the larger respectable and legitimate use of Affiliate Marketing. It’s not a page about online deception, scams, or lawless behavior.
I understand Craigslist’s position. I really do. I know there is a ton of scamming happening there. Just look at the “Rent a Minion” websites where people are outsourcing Craigslist Postings, account creation, etc. So the notice doesn’t bother me. The inference that all Affiliate Programs and Affiliate Marketers being disreputable scammers is insulting, however. Rather thoughtless and lazy of Craigslist I do believe.
Which is one of the reasons I think we should all be calling ourselves Performance Marketers, Performance Marketing Affiliates, etc. Because I’m seeing examples such as this more frequently. Where legitimate Affiliate Marketers are being grouped with scam artists.
Craigslist… Shame on you for not thinking, researching, acting more responsibly and actively engaging with the Affiliate Marketing community to help yourselves out. Affiliate Marketers, shame on us for not helping to raise our industry beyond this misconception.
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