Rob,
IF you're referring to the definition of affiliates... I believe affiliates are those affiliated with a company, marketing for a company... hence affiliate marketers.
Merchants are those that have the product, and they are allowing affiliates to market their product...
Is that what you mean? The terminology can be confusing... I had a hard time with that when I was writing the software because I wanted the verbiage right... not really sure if I got it completely correct.
I know the web site name (and software name) is a bit contradictory in terms... look at my affiliates would probably mean I have a lot of affiliates listed on my site, however, the software is really for keeping a listing of merchants you are affiliated with.... but I wanted affiliates in the name...
Perhaps I should have called the software " Look at the merchants I am an affiliate for"
Who knows... sometimes naming a website or a piece of software is one of the hardest parts.
My video rental software has had 4 names during its lifetime.
As far as putting stuff in software besides normal copy protection that causes a program to spy and/or transmit data without the users express permission, should be on a black list somewhere. I have been making a good living for 25 years writing and selling software, and I have never degraded myself to the kind of lows that some of these programmers are lowering themselves to in effort to make more money.
In the long run they'll lose... because even though I sell most of my software nationwide, you still get a reputation... some people think they only have to worry about a reputation when they sell locally, or provide a service locally... but word gets around in the niche that you're in. I love it when someone has talked to someone that already has my software, because I know I'll get the sale.
Well, I could go on and on... but my main point is that programmers must be honest! And I think most programmers are honest... I think because if you love your craft, you'll create a good work and you don't need to resort to sneaky code... nor will you want to.