GoogleGuy - 10:01 am on Jun 2, 2005 (gmt 0)

union_jack, I think the value you give to users is often proportional to the value add of your site: unique content, a unique service (e.g. comparisons of different cell phone or web hosting plans), or even a unique perspective. Too often though, affiliate sites don't add much value to users.

It's fine for someone to say "the user wanted to book a hotel room, and I let him do that." But if 50 other sites are trying to do the same thing, and those 50 sites end up crowding out good results like the hotel's real home page with an actual phone number, then those 50 affiliate sites are clearly hurting diversity, esp. if all the sites are cookie-cutter/templates or nothing but repackaged feeds.

So my answer would be to think hard about your value-add compared to other affiliate sites in whatever niche you're targeting.