Why is the jpoc web site not in any affiliate programs?

I thought long and hard about this but, in the end, I decided that I would not join any affiliate programs.

There is a simple reason for this. My opinions are mine and they are not beholden to anyone else. How could I ask you to believe my review of a book if I then gave you a link on which to click so that you could buy the book and feed me some money?

That same thing applies to any other affiliate program that is out there. In addition, I think that most people who sign on to affiliate programs then go and publicise them in a rather tacky manner. You know the sort of thing. You see a posting in a newsgroup or on a mailing list from somebody who breathlessly announces that they have just found a really great new service for some product and they invite you to click a link to go off and learn more. Generally without having the decency to say that they are really selling something rather than recommending it.

Well, OK, that may work for some folks but it's not jpoc.

Also, I feel that I would be somehow beholden to my readers if they clicked on an affiliate link and then their purchase went sour. I do not want that so there is another reason for me to keep this site affiliate free. I know that I'd not have any legal liability but I'd feel a moral one.