4 ms·

While it's a mildly useful site, all diskprices' links are affiliate links, and I've not found an opt-out. I don't think we should share that stuff here on HN,

While it's a mildly useful site, all diskprices' links are affiliate links, and I've not found an opt-out. I don't think we should share that stuff here on HN, it's a cancer on the web.

hervature 4y ago
You don't think someone providing a free service should receive compensation? I would gladly give them their cut for a useful service. This isn't some shady website writing bogus blogposts or best of listicles.
- alexhsamuel 4y ago
  Absolutely not! That would be an oxymoron. Someone providing a service is entitled to seek compensation; the amount and means of compensation should be listed clearly next to the service. But it ain't free.
  - gtirloni 4y ago
    Would you have paid to read these reviews in the first place?
- logifail 4y ago
  > You don't think someone providing a free service should receive compensation? It's an LLC not a charity. How about they follow the (GDPR and affiliate marketing and opt-in) rules like everyone else has to?
  - phh 4y ago
    GPDR is about private data, how does a static affiliate link breaches private data?
actually_a_dog 4y ago
Would you rather they make money on ads instead?
LeoPanthera 4y ago
Affiliate links cost me nothing and if it keeps the site in business I am more than happy for them to take a few cents from Amazon.
- runnr_az 4y ago
  Agreed. Super clever little niche they found.
dpacmittal 4y ago
Why is it cancer? I don't see them spamming their affiliate links anywhere. They're providing a useful service and in return they get a commission from Amazon, it's not like I'm paying the extra from my own pocket
NavinF 4y ago
Disagreed. diskprices.com is a well known and invaluable resource in direct contrast to the "Best hard drives of 2022" affiliate spam that'll show up if you search for a website that does what they do. Affiliate links are indeed cancer, but that battle was lost years ago. Even reputable reviewers use affiliate links today.
- jfengel 4y ago
  Reputable reviewers were the target for the invention of affiliate links. It's hard to remember that there is any use except spam.
spoonjim 4y ago
PCPartPicker also uses affiliate links and it's probably the single most useful site I use.
codingdave 4y ago
Affiliate programs are one of the few win-win monetization strategies online. Sure, it gets abused by blogspam. I don't want to minimize that abuse because it does suck. But when you look at the good affiliates, someone who truly offers valuable advice that can help you find what you need to buy, and gets a few pennies for it... is that not exactly the type of paid content that we want from the internet?

While it's a mildly useful site, all diskprices' links are affiliate links, and I've not found an opt-out. I don't think we should share that stuff here on HN, it's a cancer on the web.

hervature 4y ago

You don't think someone providing a free service should receive compensation? I would gladly give them their cut for a useful service. This isn't some shady website writing bogus blogposts or best of listicles.

alexhsamuel 4y ago
Absolutely not! That would be an oxymoron. Someone providing a service is entitled to seek compensation; the amount and means of compensation should be listed clearly next to the service. But it ain't free.
- gtirloni 4y ago
  Would you have paid to read these reviews in the first place?
logifail 4y ago
> You don't think someone providing a free service should receive compensation? It's an LLC not a charity. How about they follow the (GDPR and affiliate marketing and opt-in) rules like everyone else has to?
- phh 4y ago
  GPDR is about private data, how does a static affiliate link breaches private data?

actually_a_dog 4y ago

Would you rather they make money on ads instead?

LeoPanthera 4y ago

Affiliate links cost me nothing and if it keeps the site in business I am more than happy for them to take a few cents from Amazon.

runnr_az 4y ago
Agreed. Super clever little niche they found.

dpacmittal 4y ago

Why is it cancer? I don't see them spamming their affiliate links anywhere. They're providing a useful service and in return they get a commission from Amazon, it's not like I'm paying the extra from my own pocket

NavinF 4y ago

Disagreed. diskprices.com is a well known and invaluable resource in direct contrast to the "Best hard drives of 2022" affiliate spam that'll show up if you search for a website that does what they do. Affiliate links are indeed cancer, but that battle was lost years ago. Even reputable reviewers use affiliate links today.

jfengel 4y ago
Reputable reviewers were the target for the invention of affiliate links. It's hard to remember that there is any use except spam.

spoonjim 4y ago

PCPartPicker also uses affiliate links and it's probably the single most useful site I use.

codingdave 4y ago

Affiliate programs are one of the few win-win monetization strategies online. Sure, it gets abused by blogspam. I don't want to minimize that abuse because it does suck. But when you look at the good affiliates, someone who truly offers valuable advice that can help you find what you need to buy, and gets a few pennies for it... is that not exactly the type of paid content that we want from the internet?