I’m a fan of the increasingly popular practice of bloggers proactively disclosing any financial arrangements that might influence their objectivity. Independent bloggers have to make a living like everyone else, and reasonable people disagree about which types of financial arrangements compromise a blogger’s objectivity. The good thing about transparency is that it allows readers to see what potential conflicts exist and decide for themselves which ones they’re comfortable with.
So here is my disclosure statement. The thumbnail version is as follows: No one pays me to write this blog or exercizes any editorial control over it. My income over the last 18 months has come from a mixture of freelance writing income, a grad school stipend, web development, and a fellowship from a libertarian-leaning organization called IHS. I do no lobbying or PR work, and none of my income sources limit my freedom to say what I please on this blog.
