Hi Jacob – thank you for reading my post, though I’m sorry to hear it was not helpful for your project. While I do not appreciate your accusation about my intentions, I do want to address your questions in case other readers have similar questions.
First – transparency – I do agree that transparency is paramount in publishing both on and offline. I have a full paragraph within the introduction (I think you may have missed it) that explicitly calls out my disclosure and relationships. Additionally, on desktop view, there is another disclosure in the sidebar beside the content. On mobile devices, the box has to move to the bottom.
Second – “affiliate marketers” – I agree that referral fees or “commissions” can have an inherent conflict of interest. However, the business model also allows me to invest in long-form, well-researched posts without overlaying tons of garish pop-ups ads on my site. It also allows to offer content for free without a subscription fee. Additionally, I think that the potential conflict of interest can be balanced by taking a long-term view and only writing about products that I actually use (or work with clients on). Sure, there are plenty of publishers (or “affiliate marketers”) who sell their ratings to the top bidder. I don’t do that. If you don’t believe me, I’m sorry to hear but that’s cool and I wish you all the best – and hopefully you’ll find the right provider for your project.
Third – “announcing ‘winners’ and ‘best choices'” – I disagree with you here. There are too many variables with providers – and too many potential goals & priorities among readers. With every company I look at – I try to think who they would be a good fit for. This approach is how all high consideration purchases work. You (or your realtor, lawyer, consultant, etc) work through your budget, goals, priorities, experience, etc and try to find the best fit. For example, I’d argue that no one looks at a table of houses and sorts the “best” house. Instead, they say choose a neighborhood that fits their family and work with a realtor to decide how to balance tradeoffs. I try to replicate that approach in narrative form. It’s difficult, and I don’t always do it well – but that’s what I’m trying to do at least.
Hopefully, that clarifies your points.