I didn't think you need to disguise your sub id, and I usually run a bit paraniod. What's your reason to do this? Maybe installing proper202 or using the already hosted tracking202 will take care of "hiding" the subid (as in just having a random number for the subid). Would be curious for more info about why you want to do this.

I think everybody should do it (for better stats) but it's not something that is absolutely necessary. The good thing about using subids is that you can go back and see exactly where all your clicks/sales are coming from when you're running campaigns with multiple traffic sources/keywords etc.

In most of the cases nobody will steal your keywords because nobody (including yourself!) knows them when you don't use a proper tracking solution....

Yeah, with a tracking solution they will absolutely be hidden from the network. That's the best solution. I wouldn't get too paranoid as they're prally not gonna go through the hassle of stealing your keywords unless you are really making bank. Regardless you'll get a lot of benefits from a tracking solution, highly recommended!

Unlike many of the above responses, I think it is absolutely necessary to hide your keywords. You can have a campaign with thousands of keywords but only a handful that are making you good money. Reveal them and there goes your whole campaign and all the work that went into it.

Think about an affiliate manager seeing you making many sales a day for a long time off the same few keywords (they can tell if your subids are your keywords). What's gonna stop him from going home after work, copycatting, and making the easiest $200/day of his life?

Your best bet is to always keep your keywords (good and bad) to yourself

or share the good ones with me...hehe just playin

Even some networks will steal your keywords. I know a guy it happened to. I cloak every single one of my links. It is just better to do it anyways, you never know what can happen. It takes a good five seconds so why not?

Hmmm. If you are using PPC resp. AdWords NOBODY will see the keyword unless you put the placeholder {keyword} in your destination url. With PPV (media traffic, clicksor, adon,...) it's same: Unless you put the placeholder in the destination url nobody will see which keyword has your ad triggered...

So it's very important to use subids for TRACKING not for cloaking.... (unless you are using your keywords as subids - but this is an absolute "no-go")