That said, beginning December 1, 2009 the FTC requires bloggers to provide disclosures whenever there could be hidden interests or unspoken biases related to recommendations.
Per the FTC rules, if I interview someone and they grab the bill for lunch, I would need to specify this. And the same goes if I use an Amazon link that gets me 8 cents instead of an Amazon link that gets me 0 cents.
To cover myself and preserve your reading experience, please assume that, for every recommendation and link I provide the writer either got fed or got some sweet stuff.