[steve-benjamins]

Instead of criticizing my article, you’re criticizing me.

Does the content of my article seem dishonest?

I agree affiliate content should be read skeptically but you also have to be realistic: why would anyone go to all this work if not for some financial incentive?

[wwweston]

Their comment seems much more directed at the incentives and outcomes of affiliate/content marketing than it does at you personally, so it’s weird to pretend it’s a personal attack.

Especially when you underscore the incentive issues with your closing question: if the only reason you can imagine going to the effort of a substantial review is financial incentive, that in itself is a pretty good criticism.

[steve-benjamins]

He’s not criticizing me he’s criticizing my incentives. Sure. You’re being pedantic, but sure.

I’m suggesting a more productive argument would criticize the substance of my article — not my incentives.

[blackqueeriroh]

Most people don’t make reviews for a living because they can’t afford to do so.

[pembrook]

I wasn’t criticizing you specifically, but yes, your article does seem dishonest.

Your evaluation criteria was downright silly (1), you didn’t actually try most of these tools, and your “top pick” has the highest affiliate payout (and longest affiliate window) on the list.

In fact, I have no idea how this article hasn’t been flagged since low quality affiliate listicles generally don’t make the front page here.

(1) Strict pricing models and not supporting web fonts like Inter are features, not bugs. Cheap platforms have crap quality shared IPs and 70%+ of inboxes (including most Gmail/outlook clients) don’t support web fonts at all. You’re designing something nobody will see correctly: https://www.caniemail.com/features/css-at-font-face/

[steve-benjamins]

This is an article outlining my subjective experience. My criteria is not silly — it’s based off of my experience with Mailchimp.

I don’t want an email marking tool that:

• Charged overage fees • Uses dark patterns to charge me more

[resource_waste]

>why would anyone go to all this work if not for some financial incentive?

People die for altruistic causes. I don't think its unheard of for people to run websites for fun or fame.

[blackqueeriroh]

This is silly. Do you have a job where you make a paycheck? Would you spend the same amount of time doing what you do at your job for the company that employs you if they didn’t pay you?

If not, then you also would not put in a bunch of work on anything simply for fun or fame

[steve-benjamins]

You’re suggesting a realistic outcome is people running software review sites for fun or fame?

[plufz]

He does not critize you. He criticizes making reviews financed by affiliate links.

[steve-benjamins]

I made a review with affiliate links.