signor_john - 5:05 pm on Sep 14, 2009 (gmt 0)

Google does not like affiliates from the perspective that the site has been created with affiliate business in mind. So Tedster's claim stands that you have a site about something you "love" or "do", and then you figure you could put affiliate links onto it.

Remember when a Dutch guy leaked Google's manual for quality evaluators a few years ago? The manual used examples of sites with and without affiliate links, and some of the sites with affiliate links were used as examples of useful, non-spammy sites. That was in line with what Google spokespeople such as GoogleGuy have said here and elsewhere: "thin affiliates" don't get much respect from Google, but affiliate links per se aren't a no-no.