Hi thresher!
When you click on these links, you may find that the pages they take
you to all share something in common - namely, they are all sites
owned and operated by CNET Networks.
Here's a listing of CNET's sites:
CNET Networks
http://www.cnet.com/aboutcnet/0-13611.html?tag=ft
"clickthru.online" URLs are used throughout CNET Networks as
"re-directs", in order to help balance server loads. Articles exist
on multiple servers, so if you hit one server with the re-direct and
it's too busy to allow you access to the article, it will send you to
another (less busy) server so you can access the content there.
These URLs are not ad related and are not tracking your surfing
habits, they are only pointing you to the content.
This is cursorily mentioned in two CNET FAQs:
"Q: Page gets stuck on some "clickthru.online.com" URL!
A: If, when you click on a URL, the page tends to hang indefinitely on
a clickthru.online.com URL, we might be experiencing load problems
with our servers."
ZDNet Anchordesk
http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/filters/help/0,13817,6020458,00.html
"If, when you click on a URL, the page tends to hang indefinitely on a
clickthru.online.com URL, then it could simply be that we are
experiencing problems with our servers, in which case you should try
the link again later. However, if this problem continues to occur
frequently, then it might be that your ISP has difficulty interpreting
our URLs."
CNET Support FAQ
http://hothardware.cnet.com/cnetsupport/0-8628095-8-8603944-9.html
E-mails to CNET support asking for a more detailed explanation for you
have been met with refusals to explain further, only reassurances that
these are not ad or tracking related URLs.
I hope this helps!
--Missy |
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