And the “ref” portion is their internal tracking to determine how you arrived at that page. Looks like the “tag” variable is what makes it a referral. I’ll edit my reply above.
Good policy. I took one for the team here. I don’t even like that discourse puts URLs behind a preview when you paste them in, I wish it would just show the url. As it is I have to mouseover, look at the url in the bottom of the browser, and then make a decision.
I have a couple of virtual linux machine images that I boot from new every time when I need to check out stuff I am unsure of. I’ve worked in IT Security since the 90’s.
My sister also asked me to print a name tag for her robot vacuum. I did this one a little different by printing the text with color and then cutting it out with an outline. here are the results! Lol
You did nothing wrong. I don’t know what people are afraid of clicking on an Amazon link that might let Amazon know you… clicked on an Amazon link. It’s obviously only one step away from all of us being harvested and turned into battery arrays to keep Jeff Bezos immortal.
[Edit: I don’t know why I woke up sarcastic this morning. Leaving this up because I like my Matrix joke, but I hope it’s not too mean-spirited. Everyone’s welcome to protect their privacy in any ways they want.]
For me, working in IT security, I’m kind of a little bit concerned at how our activity is harvested and sold.
The worst example is a year or more ago I was participating in a discussion about a certain shot in the movie Quigley Down Under (where he shoots the bucket out on a hill.) The site, firearms related, is secure - https and all that. A day or so later I opened Netflix on my TV, and guess which movie was the top recommendation.
I have completely abandoned social media of any kind, with the exception of having to maintain a failbook account because that’s the only official way the US Army communicates with family of those in-service. That’s the only thing I look for, and do not post/participate there.
Oh, and I did figure out how Netflix got the info to make that movie recommendation. It’s probably outside the scope of this discussion.
If I could remember which forum the discussion was on, all you would have to do is click on that thread and it would be picked up. Depends on your ISP, though, as to whether that would be sold on and harvested by Netflix and others…