I know I for one always hover over links before I click on them to see if they're affiliate links, and I can't remember the last time I clicked on an ad on Google or elsewhere.
Do you do this because you are curious, or because you don't want to click the link if it is an affiliate link? If the latter is the case, it seems strange you would not want to support the tech blogs you read, at no extra cost to yourself, if you already intend to purchase the item linked.
(I can recall a few death-of-blog posts where the author didn't say as much, but the content of the post made it clear enough that they had decided they better make some money if they are going to continue writing the blog and apparently the link loaded final post failed to make money)
Maybe a lot of the folks doing this are the ones that used to see ads before they started using Adblock, and they still have a memory of ads leaving a bad taste in their mouth. Of course all of this is questioning the model of an ad-supported Internet. This is something I'm still conflicted about -- I really don't want to see ads on Google et al., I mean I really don't, I really wish I could give Google $50/month and tell them hey just focus on the experience, don't show me ads, and I'll be your customer. I'd do this for a whole array of sites on which I begrudgingly use Adblock and other extensions that prevent affiliate links from appearing.
I turned on the affiliates links as an experiment and haven't changed my style - though I always try to find at least something positive about a book. I'll probably revisit it in the future and decide if the (thus far) meager income is worth dealing with the reader-trust issues.
But if, after due diligence, you decide to purchase the item, you'll pay the same amount either way. The only question is whether you want some of the purchase amount to be shared with the blogger or whether you want to make sure that Amazon won't have to share any of it.
Simple economics come into play, however, and the less Amazon has to pay to bloggers and other feeds, the more they can cut their prices.
Oh I know it is. The blog in question is essentially one giant Amazon ad pitch (I have never seen that many affiliate links on one page). However if the argument is "well the person just wanted to review the book anyways, and why not them get the money instead of it padding Bezo's pockets", the position falls apart: If they aren't being incentivized by the affiliate links, then Amazon might as well save that money.
But of course we all know that such blogs are heavily incentivized by such affiliate commissions. When Atwood decides to pitch a particular product that what do you know he can cover with an affiliate link...it isn't accidental.
They'll charge as much as you'll pay regardless of what they are paying to bloggers.
FYI. The Amazon affiliate program does not allow you to purchase items via your own referrals. To do so is a contract violation and they will terminate your affiliate account.