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I really like Derek Sivers' blog but I have an issue about affiliate linking. Maybe it's just my issue but when I see Amazon affiliate links for all of the book

by muhamm 17y ago

I really like Derek Sivers' blog but I have an issue about affiliate linking. Maybe it's just my issue but when I see Amazon affiliate links for all of the books on this list, it makes me hesitant to click them. Call me crazy perhaps.

byrneseyeview 17y ago
Why go to the extra effort to be offended?
- muhamm 17y ago
  Not sure what you mean.
  - byrneseyeview 17y ago
    You'd have to look at the URL to know. It doesn't affect your experience in any way if there's an affiliate link -- unless you choose to look for one, and choose to care. In fact, an affiliate link should make you feel good! At least you know that the link was posted for money, rather than for some base motive like attention or conformism.
    - Ardit20 17y ago
      It doesn't affect your experience in any way if there's an affiliate link Perhaps it is not meant to, but when a scientist has affiliation with say the tobacco industry, I would take his research about the effect of smoking on health with a very suspicious hat on. In fact, I would dismiss it completely. I think the same logic applies here, it may seem like the list is made for the bucks hence eroding goodwill and by buying a book in such a way you might feel cheated at worst or perhaps simply do not want to encourage such conflict of interest at best.
      - cruise02 17y ago
        But books aren't commodity goods, like tobacco. When a blogger recommends a book (or a list of them) he's recommending specific books to read, usually on a narrow topic that his audience is interested. His interest lies in recommending books that his audience will enjoy (or learn from, in this case), so that they trust his recommendations in the future.
      - byrneseyeview 17y ago
        Does it also disturb you that Amazon.com's page about this book is designed to make you want it?
anigbrowl 17y ago
Fully agree - a one liner at the top of the page saying 'you can help support this blog by buying from this link' or so takes only a moment and fully informs the visitor. I did think the list of books would be better described as 'how-to' rather than educational. There are some great choices (and I own a few of them) but educational suggests something a little more intellectual and less of the moment. Re: 'The Obsolete Employee' Very instructive, but also good perspective like how until the industrial revolution, there were no employees: everyone was freelance. Really! Who knew feudal Europe was such an entrepreneurial paradise :)
sivers 17y ago
My old version of that page had a blurb about how I've included the ISBN number for every book there, so you can use your local library, bookmooch.com, or any book-lookup service you want. I took away the blurb because it felt like a lot of "blah blah blah" and giving the ISBN was self-explanatory. But the old blurb is back now. No need to click the Amazon links. That was definitely not the point of the page.
- tjr 17y ago
  I for one find text-based Amazon affiliate links to be just about the most non-intrusive form of making money on the web.

by muhamm 17y ago

byrneseyeview 17y ago

Why go to the extra effort to be offended?

muhamm 17y ago
Not sure what you mean.
- byrneseyeview 17y ago
  You'd have to look at the URL to know. It doesn't affect your experience in any way if there's an affiliate link -- unless you choose to look for one, and choose to care. In fact, an affiliate link should make you feel good! At least you know that the link was posted for money, rather than for some base motive like attention or conformism.
  - Ardit20 17y ago
    It doesn't affect your experience in any way if there's an affiliate link Perhaps it is not meant to, but when a scientist has affiliation with say the tobacco industry, I would take his research about the effect of smoking on health with a very suspicious hat on. In fact, I would dismiss it completely. I think the same logic applies here, it may seem like the list is made for the bucks hence eroding goodwill and by buying a book in such a way you might feel cheated at worst or perhaps simply do not want to encourage such conflict of interest at best.
    - cruise02 17y ago
      But books aren't commodity goods, like tobacco. When a blogger recommends a book (or a list of them) he's recommending specific books to read, usually on a narrow topic that his audience is interested. His interest lies in recommending books that his audience will enjoy (or learn from, in this case), so that they trust his recommendations in the future.
    - byrneseyeview 17y ago
      Does it also disturb you that Amazon.com's page about this book is designed to make you want it?

anigbrowl 17y ago

Fully agree - a one liner at the top of the page saying 'you can help support this blog by buying from this link' or so takes only a moment and fully informs the visitor. I did think the list of books would be better described as 'how-to' rather than educational. There are some great choices (and I own a few of them) but educational suggests something a little more intellectual and less of the moment. Re: 'The Obsolete Employee' Very instructive, but also good perspective like how until the industrial revolution, there were no employees: everyone was freelance. Really! Who knew feudal Europe was such an entrepreneurial paradise :)

sivers 17y ago

My old version of that page had a blurb about how I've included the ISBN number for every book there, so you can use your local library, bookmooch.com, or any book-lookup service you want. I took away the blurb because it felt like a lot of "blah blah blah" and giving the ISBN was self-explanatory. But the old blurb is back now. No need to click the Amazon links. That was definitely not the point of the page.

tjr 17y ago
I for one find text-based Amazon affiliate links to be just about the most non-intrusive form of making money on the web.