In compliance with new FTC regulations, I must reveal that I have financial ties, in some cases involving being paid to blog, to all five Arkane Systems divisions (me), Caustic Curios (me), and the Not-So-Vast Libertarian Conspiracy (also me).
It is possible that paying myself to endorse myself, my opinions, and my products may have influenced my opinion of myself to be more positive than it might have been otherwise. On the other hand, given my splendidly high opinion of myself, it just might not have. Who knows?
"In the case of books, Cleland saw no problem with a blogger receiving a book, provided there wasn't a linked advertisement to buy the book and that the blogger did not keep the book after he had finished reviewing it. Keeping the book would, from Cleland's standpoint, count as 'compensation' and require a disclosure."
Well, I do receive free books sometimes, through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program, and I do link 'advertisements' to buy the book from Amazon, for my readers convenience, and I so keep the book afterwards, because I don't believe in disposing of books (and, more importantly, believe some mighty harsh things about people who do). Consider this my disclosure.
Anyone who believes this changes my book reviews, on the other hand, is an idiot, because (a) a free book once in a while is not enough to buy my soul, and (b) a free turd, however polished, is still a turd.
