Right then. You’d better sit down for this. Though I assume that most of you are already sitting, since you’re probably reading this on a computer or a tablet somewhere. And if you’re reading it on a phone and walking, I worry for your safety. So you should sit down most of all.
Anyway: here’s the deal. The world isn’t ending. But Twice Cooked is changing. A little. As in, if you look over to the right of your browser window, you’ll see that we are not quite the advertisement-free haven that you’ve come to know (and love) over the past year. I’ve taken the step — emboldened in no small part by your stalwart patronage — of adding a very limited number of (hopefully) tastefully-displayed mini-banners on the sidebar of the blog.
Basically, it comes to this: I’ve joined the Browncoats Stormcloaks Amazon Affiliate Program.
Before you ask, no. I didn’t do it because I hate you. Nor because I’ve been possessed by some kind of Internet vampire out to bleed from you your hard-earned cash. Rather, I did it because web space costs, and content of this (impeccably high) quality takes time to produce, and while I have no illusions about funding my lavish grad-student lifestyle on a blogger’s pittance, I’d at least like to break even. Or get close. Or recoup some small fraction of my costs.
So here’s how it works: if you (dear readers!) click through this site to Amazon, anything you buy once there goes in part to help with the care and feeding of Twice Cooked. It’s that simple. If you like this site, and you need a book (or a blender), then click. And shop. And you’ll win. And Twice Cooked will win, too.
Over the next couple of weeks, you’ll see a couple of other subtle ad-related “enhancements.” You’ll find that from now on, whenever I link to something that can be bought, that link will be through Amazon. And you’ll see, pretty soon, that I’ll be adding a tab at the top of the page of products that Twice Cooked recommends. It will be filled with things that I actually use and recommend. I won’t shill it if I don’t love it.
My point, all told, is for this (small, evolutionary) change to be as non-disruptive as possible. Twice Cooked isn’t moving to a hard-sell format. I’m not adding flashing signs and banners at the top of the page. I’m going to keep on doing what I’ve been doing. And hopefully, you’ll keep on showing up to read. And if you get the itch to support this site by doing those Internet things you always do — that’s great! If not, I don’t think I’ll be shedding any tears.
Onward, friends, toward the undiscovered country!