If someone clicks on your link but doesn't post books at that time,  will he automatically be sent to your link if he comes back another time and posts then?

Also, I tried clicking on my link and I get the "no results found" message....  why??   I sent that link to about 30 ppl already about a month ago and now I don't know if they ever got to my page...    grr    I got the web address (link) from spread the word, took it from the tell friend letter and added to my email signature,  Hotmail doesn't support the signature so I just added the web address on my own.

Now I am depressed...

If I click my Spread-The-Word link I arrive at this URL:  www.paperbackswap.com/index.php?n=3&r_by=pvc

Staying within the same browser, then Googleing paperbackswap and clicking that link I arrive at this address: www.paperbackswap.com/index.php

So I believe the link is lost unless they signup (become a member, not post books) at the first link.

Maybe you broke the link when you changed it for email?

Dan (for Marilyn)

Well on second thought they could set a cookie with that number and id (n=3&r_by=pvc) and remember a referral that way.  So I really don't know.  If I were being referred I clear cookies when I close my browser so it couldn't remember my information.

ok, when i click on

www.paperbackswap.com/index.php?n=3&r_by=pvc

I get the same no results message...

so confused

Adrienne;

I intentionally removed the HTTP:// from that link so that you could see the address,  otherwise the Forum would turn it into a blue Link like this: http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php?n=4&r_by=pvc

This is a test to see if my link works here in the forum.  This is the complete link copied as-is from Spread-the-word.

<a href="http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php?n=4&r_by=pvc" title="PaperBackSwap.com - Our online book club offers free books when you swap, trade, or exchange your used books with other book club members for free."><img alt="PaperBackSwap.com - Our online book club offers free books when you swap, trade, or exchange your used books with other book club members for free." src="http://www.paperbackswap.com/images/icons/weblog_icon_XS2.gif" width="86" height="27"></a>

Nope, it doesn't work here in the forums.  However it does isolate the www.paperbackswap.com/index.php?n=3&r_by=pvc (with HTTP:// in front) and created the blue Link

My email client has a toolbar button that lets me add a Hyperlink so I press that button and then paste www.paperbackswap.com/index.php?n=3&r_by=pvc (with HTTP:// in front which I am intentionally removing here so you can see the URL).  That sends a clickable link in my email.  Though without the cute Paperbackswap pictures.

so confused

Okay let's try some Pictures.  This is with Gmail (Google Mail)

Before HyperLink Picture

Click inside the text box to mark where to place the link

Click the Hyperlink tool (See #1 in the Before HyperLink picture)

Paste the URL into the popup window (See #2 in the Before HyperLink picture)

Click the OK button on thr popup window to create the Hyperlink

After HyperLink Picture

Oh I forgot to mention that I also typed "Adrienne this is a link" into the popup window.

Can't do that with firefox.  Firefox does not support the link.

What happens when you do it in Firefox?  I use Firefox and I can link in Hotmail.  Here's more pictures -

Open a new e-mail and type what you want to say.  Picture Go copy the link from PBS and come back to your e-mail.  Try using Ctrl-C instead of right clicking.  Highlight the words that you want to be a link. Picture Click the icon for links (the global with a chain link on it).  A little box pops up. Picture Notice that it already says http:// in the box.  Paste your link in the box.  Picture  Scroll to the beginning of the box.  If it has http:// in the beginning twice, delete the first one.  Click OK and the text will turn into a link. Picture  As a test, send the e-mail to yourself first.  Hotmail will allow you to type your own e-mail address in the To field.  The text should be a link.  Picture Click on it and see what happens.  I used the link Dan posted earlier, and when I click it opens to My Account page on PBS because I'm already signed in.  But up on the Address Bar, the ?n=3&r_by=pvc part is at the end.

Attagirl Jenna! That was great presentation.  I verified in Hotmail/Firefox that it works as you said.  I want to add this.

At the bottom of this post is the complete personalized link taken as-is from the Spread-the-word page (only I changed Http to Xttp so that this forum doesn't turn it into a blue Link).  I believe those Spread-the-word personalized links are intended for Web Pages.  When you want to create an email Hyperlink then use only the URL.  This part:  Xttp://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php?n=4&r_by=pvc

<a href="Xttp://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php?n=4&r_by=pvc" title="PaperBackSwap.com - Our online book club offers free books when you swap, trade, or exchange your used books with other book club members for free."><img alt="PaperBackSwap.com - Our online book club offers free books when you swap, trade, or exchange your used books with other book club members for free." src="Xttp://www.paperbackswap.com/images/icons/weblog_icon_XS2.gif" width="86" height="27"></a>

That "r_by=<your nickname>" at the end of the spread the word link just pre-fills in the "referred by" box on the second page of the registration form.

When I logout of my account and then use Marilyn's link, I get taken to the site homepage. I click on Sign Up and fill out the first page of the reg form which asks for an email address, password, and a secret question and answer. Then it takes me to the second page of the reg form which asks for my name, address, who referred me, etc. The referred by box says "pvc" because that's what was in the link I used. I can type over it if I want to and say someone else referred me.

It will record the referral information when I register, but it won't give the credit until I post 10 books. You can see if anyone you sent the link to in the past signed up but just hasn't posted their books yet on your My Referrals page.

If someone did not sign up but bookmarked the link that has your referrer information in it, then when they use that link to come back it will again pre-fill the referred by box.

If they don't bookmark your link, and they just come back later by typing www.paperbackswap.com and register, then you won't get a referral credit unless they manually fill out the referred by box. If they didn't put your nickname in when they registered, they can still give you a referral credit by writing to the contact us link at the bottom of the page. I think they have to give your name and city, the exact instructions are in the Help Center.