Cookie Life

Is there a thread somewhere on the web that lists the cookie life of prominent Sponsors?

While waiting for the 2012 election to get over, so customers can get back to having time and attention to buy our on-line entertainment, I'm housekeeping Sponsors that I am an Affiliate of.

I've read here over the years that most Sponsor cookies have limited life. It's obvious when I go over my Affiliate tracking over the past 7 years, and see peaks and valleys. While it is a nice advertising slogan that as an Affiliate I can have members for life, what is the measure of that life?

"for life" ... I doubt there is consistency across the programs Nick on how that's interpreted and would require you to INquire on a per sponsor basis. Can't say I've seen a cookie duration listing, but is certainly another piece of info to add on the sponsor directory sites.

I've heard for years that some prominent program sponsors have Cookies that last for 3 days. When a surfer finds your blog, and clicks on a link you have to a Sponsor - with your Affiliate code - the Sponsor tracks that click, but if the surfer doesn't buy something within 3 days, you don't get credit.

I did hack around Safari to "read" a cookie from one of my partners that sells my products, to read the contents of the cookie.

In that cookie, I found a values within the cookie ranging to "session", to one-year.

I think a while back there was a forum or site that had a round up of cookie duration information? It has been discussed quite a bit over the years.

Opera browser lets you look at all the cookie data: Tools > Advanced > Cookies

Is "for life" not about rebills? I'd say that the life time of cookies is more influenced by people cleaning their browsers when they switch off their computer. I'm more worried about all this "safe surfing" and stuff that costs us probably more sales than any time limited sponsor cookie. I'd think that the majority of porn surfers take good care that their machines are clean of any leftovers from websites when they are done.

This is why I like sites that give an ID that is in the link. If it gets bookmarked you still get the sale.

But I seriously doubt that a majority of surfers delete all cookies after every session.