Hacker News Reader

Comment by sssparkkk | Hacker News Reader

"You can usually identify affiliate links pretty easily just by scanning the URL."

The problem is that most people barely know what an affiliate link is, let alone spot one. This fact makes producing biased reviews attractive and that's why I think the answer to nate's question should be: generally they are.

Personally I don't trust a review when I see an affiliate link. A 'sponsored link' disclaimer would reestablish my trust though.

View on HN

I would argue that people with the capability to recognize an affiliate link should also have the intelligence/judgment necessary to determine whether a review is unbiased or not. In effect, I think a "sponsored link" disclaimer is pointless. Personally, when I see a such a disclaimer, I practically assume that the article will be slanted. I would rather make that judgment myself.

Furthermore, as I pointed out it's not only affiliate links that can slant a review. I'm taking any review I read with a grain of salt, and my estimation of the author's or publication's integrity is a large factor in how much faith I have in a review. This is why it is such a big deal when stories come out like the TechCrunch author who demanded merchandise in exchange for reviews.

I agree - if I saw "sponsored link" in a review, I would assume that the review itself was somehow sponsored.

Perhaps some other type of notice would be more appropriate, but I can't think of what that would be.

To me a statement which is somewhat prominent on the page, always in the same place, stating that we always use affiliate links in our reviews, explaining what affiliate links are and that, if you are interested in buying the book, you can help support the blog/magazine by buying it via their link, would be a good thing.

I agree, but I'm not so sure that it has to be prominent. I think it would be perfectly acceptable to be in the footer, as long as the footer is visible at the end of a typical review. I also feel like it would make sense for some sites to have a "How do we make money?" page. Not only does it promote openness and integrity, but as a satisfied visitor to such a site I would probably try to do what I could to help that site make money. That could mean turning off adblocker for that site, buying a recommended product through an affiliate link, or even giving a direct donation. Call me crazy, but I think people who appreciate and get value from a company are willing to do what they can to help that company out.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com