Are affiliate links unethical without disclosure?

Shouldn’t your ongoing credibility (or lack thereof) carry the most weight with your Twitter followers?

Time to break out our ethic sticks!

Jeremiah Owyang says that when it comes to affiliate links on Twitter it’s all about intent. To make sure you’re playing inside the lines of what’s “ethical” in social media, you need to exercise of strategy of disclosure, full transparency and yet even more disclosure. Over at Econsultancy, Patricio Robles agrees, dropping the words “disclosure” and “transparency” a dozen or so more times for good measure. Personally, I don’t care what they think. I want to know what you think.

How do you feel about affiliate links in blog and Twitter posts? Do you want full disclosure that the link-dropper is getting something out of it, or is your trust in the person enough?

My thoughts? If you don’t trust me, then you can unfollow me and unsubscribe right now. Go ahead, I’ll wait.