Ethics Statement

I adhere to the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. In addition to those principles, I also obey the following rules of conduct for all content on this site:

  • I do not accept preconditions for coverage, or give the subjects of my reporting any kind of preview or approval of stories before publication.
  • I do not accept payments, fees, honorariums, travel, or accommodations from the people and companies I cover, or from their agents.
  • I may occasionally allow a source to provide me with food or drink over the course of a working meeting, but never anything worth more than $50. I always pick up the tab if possible.
  • I may occasionally accept “swag” promotional merchandise such as t-shirts or stickers, but nothing valued more than $50. I never solicit these items.

When I accept physical or digital products for review purposes, I only do so under the following criteria:

  • I accept books, downloadable media, and review codes for products that I cover, but I purchase my own copy if I want to use the product outside of professional activities.
  • When I receive hardware for review, I return it to the vendor after the review is complete.
  • I always disclose if a company has provided a product for review, as opposed to purchasing it myself.

Ludo Ergo is an independent publication that strives to keep its reporting free from the pressures endemic in for-profit media:

  • Ludo Ergo does publish paid or sponsored content.
  • Ludo Ergo does not run ads.
  • Ludo Ergo may sometimes use referral codes in direct links to products on ecommerce sites, but will always label them as such. These links provide the site with a small commission; for instance, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases on that site.
  • Ludo Ergo follows the Federal Trade Commissions’ Endorsement Guidelines.

In the unlikely event that any of these standards change, this page will be updated to explain what changed and why. Any change to the page, even those that do not reflect new standards, will be noted in the changelog below.

SEP 13 2024 v. 1.0