When you see a bunch of characters past the original address of a published web page, links are tracking back to trace effectiveness of sharing campaigns. Links are becoming increasingly convoluted from the sharing of information on networks and through emails because as they get posted from source to source sometimes tracking is added to the end of the original tracker already on the link. Occasionally one will be so lengthy with multiple trackers, that it will not work correctly in this and other sites' posting frames.
Besides possibly causing a link not to work, I have another reason why I personally like to strip the campaign data before sharing a link. Most of the links are reporting back to Google, Facebook or other services which analyze where an original link ends up being posted. This may or may not be able to be linked to a specific user posting the link but with AI analytic being what it is these days, I wouldn't doubt that there are ways to co-mingle data from the link with ip data stored in the service. Especially Google may be able to do this. Whether it is happening or not, I have zero desire to help anyone find out and analyze their success through Google nor some of the other tracking services that are feeding the overall data mining privacy issues I am so opposed to.
Following I've included examples of links before and after stripping them of the tracking codes so that if you want to strip your links you can better figure out where it is to copy from to avoid picking the trackers up.The most common indicator is a question mark, ?, but there are numerous other things that may start tracking codes and I hope with these examples you can pretty easily figure them out upon a glance. (I will add lesser known examples as I come across them.)
I am leaving the http://www part out of the links so that they will publish here without stripping the very thing I am trying to illustrate.
BEFORE: means a link example with trackers
AFTER: means the same previous link after I strip out the track codes.
The starting track symbol such as ? or # has been bolded and colored.
1. BEFORE: zerohedge.com/political/accused-oath-keeper-denies-all-charges-claims-be-former-fbi-section-chief-whos-held-top?utm_campaign=&utm_content=Zerohedge%3A+The+Durden+Dispatch&utm_medium=email&utm_source=zh_newsletter
1. AFTER: zerohedge.com/political/accused-oath-keeper-denies-all-charges-claims-be-former-fbi-section-chief-whos-held-top
2. BEFORE: wsj.com/articles/bidens-gun-policy-plans-start-to-take-shape-11613135990?mod=politics_lead_pos4
2. AFTER: wsj.com/articles/bidens-gun-policy-plans-start-to-take-shape-11613135990
3. BEFORE: dailywire.com/news/twitter-confirms-ban-on-trump-permanent-even-if-he-runs-in-2024?%3Futm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dwtwitter
3: AFTER: dailywire.com/news/twitter-confirms-ban-on-trump-permanent-even-if-he-runs-in-2024
4. BEFORE: trendingpolitics.com/biden-aims-to-demolish-america-first-cancels-over-65-crucial-trump-executive-orders/#.YCwtmdX5Gt4.twitter
4. AFTER: trendingpolitics.com/biden-aims-to-demolish-america-first-cancels-over-65-crucial-trump-executive-orders/
5. BEFORE: tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/watch-now-state-officials-announce-end-to-federal-unemployment-offer-1-200-incentive-to-return/article_626a4922-b737-11eb-a265-bf25c01920cc.html#utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social
5. AFTER: tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/watch-now-state-officials-announce-end-to-federal-unemployment-offer-1-200-incentive-to-return/article_626a4922-b737-11eb-a265-bf25c01920cc.html
