Props to Hydra for starting to have some communication with affiliates finally on concerns.
Really fucking late in doing so, but better late than never. Mason, keep the communication coming, it's definitely helping.
I do think that there's probably more to this story -- if you look into BTP32's back posts prior to the "Hydra screwed me" thread (as I mentioned
here) you can kind of see the whole thing develop... he asks bout incent, then about quality health offers, and then pre-populating a field, and then potentially not getting paid, and then the hydra screwed me thread...
Again, as many people have said, I think it wasn't the actual paying/not paying problem that made people angry at this forum. It was rather the total lack of communication, of any sort, from anyone at Hydra at all, on the situation. I also understand not wanting to post the specifics of your confidential dealings w/ affiliates -- props for that, but I think it would have been wise to step in and make some responses talking about how you (a) will pay affiliates for normal traffic that falls within the guidelines, (b) are aware of the problem with BTP32 and are working on resolving it with him. Just simple posts like that probably would have calmed the whole situation down.
Most affiliate networks have most of the same offers, and if you're doing any decent volume you can get basically the same payouts and basically the same payout schedules (daily/weekly/bi-weekly, whatever) from most of the good ones (just go to affiliate network X and say "affiliate network Y gives me payout XYZ, if you want to match I can run with you, if not I run with them" and it's up to them if they want to match or not). At the end of the day then, since the service the good networks offer is basically just a commodity, the added value of any given network comes down to trust it has built up (which largely comes from the relationships it offers with the affiliate, which in turn builds trust). I run traffic with the networks I trust the most, which not surprisingly, is the networks that have highly reachable people available when there are problems (and boy AM brings its fair share of constant bullshit/problems, so these people get reached a lot).
Anyways, all this is in the past now, and looks like Hydra has gotten the message.
Which leaves me with one point of clarification that I'd like to know: While I'm no conspiracy theorist, and am already warming up towards Hydra now that there's a face to put on the company name (+rep masonwiley), you do keep saying you didn't sue the OP. Great, good for you, good for him. Perhaps it's just a question of wording, but while you say you didn't *actually* sue him, I'd like to know if Hydra *threatened* to sue him should he not stop posting about the issue? I could see how a threat could be just as effective, while still allowing Hydra to post that they didn't sue. I can see how this could be considered confidential to this particular case, but the reason it's important is because it'd greatly affect the credibility of any post BTP has made or will make in the future about this situtation, effectively eliminating his side of the story.
I've said this before and I'll say it again -- there need to be more detailed terms on the offers, on an offer-by-offer basis, detailing what the affiliate can/should expect in terms of getting paid, traffic, etc. Most of the problems I see come up between affiliates/networks are communication problems, and while it's great to be reachable when a problem crops up, it'd be even better not to have a problem in the first place by an affiliate being able to easily tell that the method of promotion he wants to run won't be considered valid even before he starts promoting that way.
Finally @Jon: I thought you said you'd post a follow-up after all was said and done. Would be nice to hear from a neutral 3rd party once and for all.
Anyways, +rep to masonwiley for finally weighing in on the situtation.
