CJ Backs Down on LMI - HTML Links are Back!

[Linda Buquet]

Kudos to Scott Jangro, all the bloggers and forum posters that pushed the FORCED LMI initiative back where it belongs. They just announced that JavaScript links are simply an optional way to create links and removed JS as the default link format.

I'd give Commission Junction kudos for listening, except they put everyone through too much hell for too long with this badly thought out initiative. They are now calling HTML links what they are, as opposed to calling them by their LMI term "Legacy" links. So without admitting how much they blew it on this one, they are quietly trying to go back to business as usual. I always feel a company can gain so much more favor and credibility in bad situations like this to just openly admit they made a mistake, listened to the people, thank them for their feedback and then correct it instead of just trying to subtely sweep the mistake under the riug.

I feel pretty certain that the main impetus for them changing and finally backing down is the upcoming CJU convention. CJU typically sells out in days. Here we are with less than a month to go and the convention has still not sold out. I think they got everyone's message loud and clear and realized if they didn't back down quick, the whole conference would be focused on how stupid and wrong the entire LMI mess was.

If you go past the announcement on the home page and dig into the FAQ the bright orange changes clearly spell things out.

"How are JavaScript links impacted with the August 30, 2006 release of LMI? Now in the Get Links area of the CJ Account Manager, there is no longer a default to JavaScript links; publishers can choose the format they prefer to work with, whether it is HTML or JavaScript."

"Advertisers will also have the ability to designate any link (except Keyword Links) as JavaScript-only. This feature was added in response to some advertisers who have particular concerns with legal and regulatory compliance, such as an interest rate advertised by a financial institution. We recommend that advertisers only use this feature as needed, and to continue to support both JavaScript and HTML, to accommodate the varied needs of publishers. To reiterate there are no plans to remove support for HTML links."

What do you guys think?
Did you breathe a big sigh of relief when you heard about this???

[Rugman.com]

I got this from a thread I picked up on ValueClick's Q2 2006 earnings conference call transcript from August 1st, 2006.

Let me speak to link management, this is in reference to commission junction. What we have started to do is try and get our publishers to move their tags over to their JavaScript, because we believe that over time that it is going to be demanded more and more on the advertiser side. We are not mandating it, however, and it could take a considerable amount of time to do such a migration.

We got a response loud and clear from our publisher that they are not willing to do this on a wholesale basis, but we believe that over time, maybe it takes a year or two, that this will be the way that the market will go. So we are going to be patient with it. Right now, we are just working with our publisher on a one-to-one basis, and eventually I would anticipate that we will get there over time.

The entire transcript is here http://internet.seekingalpha.com/article/14792

[Rob_TID]

I dropped all my CJ stuff. I won't pick them up again either.

There are too many good networks that are interested in working WITH their affiliates.

[StephenR]

Big smile on my face over this one. I'm impressed CJ swallowed their pride and listened to the community. I would have had to modify a lot of my sites code if they got rid of legacy permanently.

[Oregon Coast Guy]

I'm happy they went back to HTML links. The javascript was such a pain in the arse.