
An open letter to Maria Popova: affiliate ads and morality - flyingyeti
http://on-advertising.tumblr.com/post/42994773187/maria-popova-have-you-made-1m-on-affiliate-ads-while
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flocial
Footer probably added after article:

"Brain Pickings participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an
affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn
commissions by linking to Amazon. In more human terms, this means that
whenever you buy a book on Amazon from a link on here, I get a small
percentage of its price. That helps support Brain Pickings by offsetting a
fraction of what it takes to maintain the site, and is very much appreciated."

However, the language is probably still deceptive if the author's back of the
envelope calculations are even in the general ballpark, since the site could
probably be hosted very cheaply.

It certainly raises an interesting question about ethics and journalistic
standards when the publisher is also the editor and writer. In this case, not
only is the site making more money from affiliate links than alluded but also
tracking user preferences by proxy which is used to upsell more affiliate
links.

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josh2600
It's hard to wade into the middle of this. Blissful ignorance only goes so
far; if there are Amazon ad links and they're in every article they're there
because they generate money. You can be blissfully ignorant all you want until
your bank account starts lighting up and you start spending it.

I don't have a problem with people making money from their writing, but it's
one thing to decry the foul nature of journalism while simultaneously filling
your articles with Affiliate links.

What a weird situation, after reading that I feel very distanced from the
whole situation. It just doesn't sit well.

