Shawn Hogan recently  laid out his side of the Ebay story, telling of his role as an affiliate going way back to 2004. If Shawn is innocent then it is good hear him put up some type of defense.  So many people are quick to convict without caring about the details. On first read, I was able to say that the story is plausible. You have to remember that Shawn was a smart kid that made some innovative decisions (mostly on the technical side).  It is not as if he was a head of a giant corporation with a bunch of advisers.

On the other hand, some of the story is a little hard to believe. Based on the story, we should probably nominate Shawn for a Nobel prize. It will be interesting to see if the story can stand up to cross-examination. Ebay’s reputation will take a hit if even part of it can be proven in court.  I get the feeling that we will get a better idea of how they conducted business.

Read his post on the DigitalPoint blog

Note to self: I finally understand why Google cracked down on the rankings of affiliate sites. The affiliates could do the dirty work without the main site risking Google penalties.

Some Background Info:

June 24, 2010 – Shawn Hogan indicted by the FBI with wire fraud and criminal forfeiture.  Here is a copy of the indictment.  He has  been released on bail.

Aug 25, 2008 – Ebay files lawsuit. See Digitalpoint Forum and Shawn Hogan Sued by EBay for Cookie Stuffing