Adding URL when a user copies content

[coder]

This is a little tricky to explain but I have been on websites and copied content from the website to paste it into an email. When I paste the content into an email the url of the page I copied from was also added to the paste.

For instance if I copy this.
sample content sample content sample content sample content

The paste will be
sample content sample content sample content sample content
Source: www.samplecontentwebsite.com

So the question is how is this accomplished? I googled the topic and am thinking that it is with jquery but can't get specifics.

Anyone know the specifics?

Thanks

[weegillis]

Not an answer, but another question: Have you tried this in different browsers? Is it a browser related feature, or is it unique to the website you are copying from?

[coder]

Tested and it works in most browsers. I think I also found the answer and it is free which is even better.
http://www.tynt.com/

After digging around on their website it looks like you have to setup an account, add some javascript and the script does everything else. I want to try this on a couple websites and see if there is any truth to the claim that traffic will increase.

Also, there is the security aspect of this script. We do have some private pages that I don't want to give tynt access to. I doubt they read what people copy and paste but the potential for abuse could be there.

[coder]

Here is an example of the script in action. Copy a section of the content using ie and paste it into an email - it should add the source link.
http://www.businessinsider.com/exclusive-the-im-conversation-in-which-19-year-old-zuckerberg-decided-to-build-facebook-this-years-100-billion-ipo-2012-1

[weegillis]

Now that you point it out, I have seen this on news sites in the past. Didn't trace it to the source, though. Glad to see you got your OP resolved.

[weegillis]

I've given the script a whirl and found the setup process a breeze. Of course I wasn't very pleased to discover that my AJAX mini-site doesn't support the script. All it returns is a blank content section in the page (not the script's fault, but the way my content is called in). The script creates a hash value which is affixed to the URL of the page. In my case, however, the URI of the page content is simply a text file in the same folder and the folder index defaults to one of them. The hash value throws everything off, so I'll have to figure how to overcome this. The two systems are totally incompatible because of my design.

One needs to be aware that every time a user copies something, information is going to and coming from tynt.com servers, and they share with third parties. Not a bad thing--no PII and only aggregated data that does not give away detail as to actual publisher site traffic--but third parties are piggy-backing this service, all the same. It is, after all, about targeted advertising.

[HTMLBasicTutor]

FYI: It doesn't work if the user has scripting turned off. Try it yourself with NoScript installed in FF.

[coder]

I installed it on a couple of my sites and am still undecided if I am going to keep it or not. Probably give it 30 days and see if it has generated any additional back links or additional site activity. Not a fan of the hash tag but the canonical tag will take care of that.

[coder]

Even after 1 day of using tynt I am a huge fan. I didn't realize the amount of content that people were actually copying, 647 pieces of content copied from 1 site in 1 day.

Now this is the really interesting part about tynt that they don't really mention the benefits of, they list the top 20 keywords that people leave the site to search for. So if I know what people are leaving my site to search for, then I can base that information to create new and compelling content.

Also generated 66 new links although I'm not sure what they base that on. Realistically I only received 4 new visitors from using tynt but if that is only from 1 day of usage I'm kind of curious to see how much additional traffic that can grow into.

After today I'm adding this code to the rest of my public websites. Definitely a must have tool in any SEO toolbag.

[chrisJumbo]

Hmm, that is pretty interesting. What would stop someone from just deleting the URL before they send the email? Please keep us updated. I may well give this a try.

cd :O)

[Rocketman1]

OK - just TYNT added to our e commerce website - we have a lot of content - tossed the code into the global footer (3dcart) seems not to have negatively impacted the store template - we'll test drive for a few days -

[coder]

Hmm, that is pretty interesting. What would stop someone from just deleting the URL before they send the email? Please keep us updated. I may well give this a try.

cd :O)
Of course the user can delete the url, I typically do depending on who I am sending the email to. Then again there are a lot of people who do not delete the appended url.

[briguy]

This is a little tricky to explain but I have been on websites and copied content from the website to paste it into an email. When I paste the content into an email the url of the page I copied from was also added to the paste.

For instance if I copy this.
sample content sample content sample content sample content

The paste will be
sample content sample content sample content sample content
Source: www.samplecontentwebsite.com

So the question is how is this accomplished? I googled the topic and am thinking that it is with jquery but can't get specifics.

Anyone know the specifics?

Thanks I haven seen done on the major lyrics sites. Always figured it was just the URL coded (html span tag) to the color of the page background. Interesting to read that it is a more advanced code.

[HTMLBasicTutor]

Hmm, that is pretty interesting. What would stop someone from just deleting the URL before they send the email? Please keep us updated. I may well give this a try.

cd :O)
Nothing.

Just like when one copies a bit to quote somewhere and provides their own source link (as in the legit link referencing the article as a whole opposed to the anchored link created by the script).

The other annoying thing is when you read an article and want to tweet about it. You have to fix the link and text of your tweet.

[Rocketman1]

One small issue is a tracking code is appended to your URL - I didn't like the look of it so I pulled the code from the site and opened a ticket. TYNT did respond - you can deactivate the appended code or create an vanity code to append to your URL

[weegillis]

Not everyone is happy about Tynt: Tynt, the Copy/Paste Jerks (http://daringfireball.net/2010/05/tynt_copy_paste_jerks)

The above, re-examined: Tynt breaks copy and paste, but only if you let it (http://news.cnet.com/8301-19882_3-20011011-250.html)

The long and short of it: FAQ | Tynt (http://www.tynt.com/support/faq#axzz1le6Ctdyl)

It's really that simple.