Please clarify what this means?

[scalamedia]

In my efforts to better understand this business I have stumbled across a lot of new terminology. Most of it I get but this one has me a little confused "masked URL forwarding". Any simplified terms would be great!

[Dave Zan]

I think an example will best explain this.

URL Forwarding:

1. User types your domain name on their browser.

2. URL forwarding redirects the domain name to another web address.

3. User sees actual web address on their browser instead of the domain name.

Masked URL Forwarding:

1. User types your domain name on their browser.

2. URL forwarding redirects the domain name to another web address.

3. User sees domain name on their browser instead of the actual web address.

Network Solutions offers both plain and masked URL forwarding, for example.

[scalamedia]

So is this sometimes used to trick a person to visit a site other than what they are looking for or just a way to get things done? I am wondering if this is what happens when say you end up at an adult that you had no intention of visiting?

[LyricB]

Thanks for clearing this one up. I knew this sort of thing existed but didn't know the terminology for it.

[Plumley]

scalamedia Wrote:So is this sometimes used to trick a person to visit a site other than what they are looking for or just a way to get things done? I am wondering if this is what happens when say you end up at an adult that you had no intention of visiting?

With adult sites and the like, you could be talking about a plain old redirect but mostly those are pop up consoles.

You'd use masked URL forwarding if you owned a catchy domain name but your site was actually somewhere like a free site. You'd want your visitors to see http://catchyname.com rather than http://freesites.cheaphosting.com/username. That's what masked url forwarding does.

[scalamedia]

Plumley, thanks that makes a lot more sense to me and doesn't seem as sneaky as I thought. I can understand why someone would use this in the case you describe.

[Ladybecklyn]

interesting, thanks for the clarification. I was wondering the same thing.

[echos]

Yes ,Thank You for the clairifcation. I am so confused most of the time. This is a very informative forum and one can learn lots, Echos