LJ is messing with your Outbound Links
So here's what happens
You make a post in your blog and you decide to link to a book on Amazon using a URL like below
http://www.amazon.com/Applied-Cryptography-Protocols-Algorithms-Source/dp/0471117099/
As soon as you submit your post to your LJ blog, it alters the link to look like this
http://outboundlink.net/out.php?cid=1111&tr=0&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApplied-Cryptography-Protocols-Algorithms-Source%2Fdp%2F0471117099%2F&ref=http%3A%2F%2Foni-anne.livejournal.com%2F214632.html
This means that LJ is hijacking your content, finding any links to an outside website that are related to its affiliate vendor list, and then altering links to be rerouted through a site called outboundlink.net.
Why is LJ doing this?
Probably to generate extra cash. The tracking code lets LJ earn revenue for driving leads and sales to affiliated vendors.
Why is this bad?
1) they didn't tell their users about it
2) it sometimes alters legitimate web site URLs and redirects them to a affiliated vendor site instead. So the link you intended to post will actually lead your users to a different site altogether. Here's an example:
This is a URL of a business which hires out San Francisco Bay mascot actors
http://www.crittersbythebay.com/
If you create a link out of this URL above, LJ scripts change it to the following after you post to your blog
http://outboundlink.net/out.php?cid=1111&tr=0&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.crittersbythebay.com%2F&ref=http%3A%2F%2Foni-anne.livejournal.com%2F276687.html
This link doesn't lead you to the mascot actors site. It leads you to eBay, which is an affiliate vendor.
3) LJ is still making buck out of your content even if you are a paid member -- which they promised no advertising if you paid.