Now they're full of affiliate links. I didn't even know it had come back to Earth, much less that I could bid for it. Kind of fun nonsense though, because there's lots of other interesting stuff I can type into the search field, like enriched plutonium or spiritual redemption. But the problem is that this nonsense detracts from the image of the search site. It becomes unintentionally amusing, and for a commercial enterprise, that's a dangerous way to be perceived.
Portals play the affiliate game too.
Up to half the space on a portal front page may be taken up by affiliates and adverts. Most visitors will ignore them after a couple of visits. From then on, they become a constant reminder that the aims of the portal and the aims of the visitor are not the same. It's all a matter of degree. Most Web users are aware that advertising and affiliate programs pay the rent.