To respond to the commenters…
Yes, when you link to Amazon via Locus, I do get credit for all the purchases you make on that visit. I get a quarterly report listing in exhaustive detail everything purchased via the locusmag.com links (including videos, garden equipment, etc.; lots of stuff that isn’t linked directly). I do certainly appreciate those purchases. Much revenue? It amounts to $200-$400 per quarter, i.e. every three months. A nice check (or gift certificate, now) when it comes, enough to cover some of what I spend on books, but hardly rent money (or mortgage payment).
I find wipeovers annoying too, but I’m not going to rule anything out. What if 20th Century Fox offers big bucks to promote their latest flick? And big bucks for Locus Online would be a miniscule drop in their bucket. Let’s put it another way: increased ad revenue will finance additional content on Locus Online, mainly reviews and essays. What kind of ads are visitors willing to endure to pay for that content?
Meanwhile, after my irate post last month concerning viruses and worms, I was amused to see this piece today in Slate.
