Sponsorship and Affiliate Disclosure
At EarthWeb, we’re not just another tech site cranking out articles. We’re your pit crew in the chaotic race of digital life, here to help you dodge scams, decode privacy policies, and stay safe online without the eye-roll-inducing buzzwords.
Transparency isn’t just a buzzword for us. To keep our guides free (and our lights on), we occasionally partner with brands you see on our site. But—and this is a big but—we call the shots on what gets published; we never let affiliates or advertisers hijack our opinions. Our reviews are brutally honest, our tutorials are untangled, and our loyalty stays with you.
Think of it like this: Would you trust a restaurant critic who gets paid to give five-star reviews? Neither would we. That’s why every partnership goes through our “no-nonsense” filter. We only work with brands that pass our real-world testing (no lab-coat fantasies).
We almost never accept any ads or sponsorships, out of all the revenue generation methods, the one that’s deployed on our website is affiliate marketing. Some of our posts can have affiliate links. If we ever have an ad, ads are clearly labeled. If EarthWeb publishes any sponsorship content (that happens with proper labeling if it ever happens), sponsored content has to teach you something useful (not just sell you something).
Why should you care? Because sketchy backroom deals ruin the internet for everyone. We’d rather eat a USB drive than sell your trust.
Want to advertise with us? Cool – but know this upfront: We’re pickier than a cat at a buffet. If your product doesn’t benefit our readers, we’ll say “hard pass” faster than you can say “blockchain.”
What Counts as Sponsored Content?
Again, we don’t publish such content actively. For explanation, think of sponsored content like the guest at a party–they’re welcome, as long as they play by our rules, which include:
- Ads that blend in (but are clearly labeled–we’ll never sneak them in on you)
- Press releases about new tech breakthroughs sometimes
- Collaborations where we create something with brand partners (but only if it actually helps you)
Why do we tell you this? Because we are picky. If a brand-related message feels off-brand or too much like selling or marketing, we will close it down faster than you see a pop-up ad.
Our Ironclad Rules
We don’t mess around with sketchy content. Here’s our filter:
- No hate speech, bullying, or discrimination – period.
- We don’t tolerate lies or clickbait. If it feels fishy, we won’t run it.
- One link per sponsor. We don’t allow backdoor SEO games.
“But what if a brand’s landing page goes down?” We’re glad you asked! We check links like overprotective parents. If it’s broken or shady, it goes on the pile.
How We Vet Partners
Picture a nightclub bouncer with a PhD in ethics – that’s us. Before any brand gets our seal of approval, we:
- Dig into their reputations (Google deep dives included)
- Fact-check claims like it’s our job (because it is)
- Reserve the right to tell them “Sorry, we don’t like your vibe” any time, no reasons needed
We will often give brands an opportunity to fix flops – but not with malware or shady vibes.
Affiliate links – The reality
Ever come across those “Best VPN, Best Proxy” lists? We may earn a coffee’s worth of commission if you click through any links (at no extra cost to you). But the truth is: We only recommend things we have stress-tested (yes, that means we actually use the product for weeks, not just skim the spec sheets).
The Fine Print You’ll Actually Read
- Affiliation ≠ endorsed. In the event we get paid by a mattress company to test their product, we’ll still tell you if it’s lumpier than a 13-year-old’s first pancake.
- We label everything clearly. If it has a tag like [Ad] or [Sponsored], that’s what it is – no smoke or mirrors here. On pages where we may have affiliate links present, we always have a note on them – usually before the content starts.
- Brands foot their own bills. If the product fails? That’s on them, not our responsibility.
Finally, we are not selling your trust, we are loyal to you – in a world full of digital snake oil, the person who is reading deserves facts.