The other day I saw someone throwing links around for a website (this one:  http://www.ihateyoujulia.com/ ).  Basically the guy has set up a system to show you pictures of his ex girlfriend.  The catch?  He only shows you all of them as you send more visitors to a special link he gives you.

From a programming point of view it looks quite simple.  You land at his page he sets a cookie with a random value inside it.  He also creates a text file or a database entry that corrosponds to that random value.

When someone comes to your url it pings that database or updates the text file with another hit — but only if THEY don’t have a cookie on their pc as well.

(for newer programmers:  database is really the only way to do this – that many text files would be a huge thing after a bit).

I’ve got a few ideas running through my head (sorry nothing so racey as julia there).  But I see a couple ways to take this idea and turn it into something cool… or to twist it nicely.

Would you get me 60 links for a free membership into NSS 2?  I’d scrape yahoo for your unique url and when It hit 60 results I’d send you your membership automatically?

Would you refer 60 people to get something free?
Want to be a real “ass hat” and tell people if they refer 5 people they will have a chance to win a free ps3 or something…. then send them to a CPA offer for a ps3 so you make money that way

I guess my point is that you can do lot’s of things with this concept. So enjoy the idea – and let me know if you do anything with it.