I thought I would use this space to answer some of the questions you’ve been asking me with regularity during this last month.

So, in order, here are your answers…yes, absolutely not, digitally, and shut up I don’t need to be reminded that I picked BC to go all the way.

Question #1: Is affiliate marketing really going to live up to all the hype?

Short and sweet – yes, yes, yes. Research, surveys, anecdotal evidence and nearly every expert I talk to believe that affiliate marketing is still in its early growth stages. The potential is huge and the rewards even greater.

Question #2: Can spyware be stopped?

Unfortunately, the connected world of the Internet will never be free of unscrupulous software that seeks to gather consumer’s personal information or divert sales from legitimate affiliates. Every time an anti-spyware vendor comes out with a new program, the spyware developers find a way around it.

Lawmakers are joining in on the fight and that may go a long way to curb the proliferation of spyware, but there is likely no stopping spyware completely at this stage of the game.

Security and privacy concerns around spyware have changed a lot of consumer habits when it comes to cookies. Jupiter Media just released a report relating to the inaccuracies of cookie based measurements.

The report states 58 percent of online users emptied their cookie cache, with 39 percent doing so on a monthly basis during 2004. If users delete or block cookies, it can be very difficult to gauge consumer behavior. It can also hurt affiliates since consumers tend not to purchase on the first visit to a website. If consumers delete their cookies before making a purchase, the affiliate loses out on the commission.

This is a situation that we’ll be watching closely.

Question #3: How can I get a copy of Revenue magazine in Singapore, Australia England or insert your favorite country outside the U.S. here?

This is actually something I’m asked on a nearly a daily basis. I’m happy to say that Revenue magazine will soon be available to you in digital form through Zinio. It will be the exact same great content and price as the printed hard copy. Stay tuned for the exact date we are launching.

Question #4: Are you elated that North Carolina won the NCAA tournament?

I spent most of March fending off the madness and questions about my predictions for the Final Four. Even though I’m a former sportswriter and big sports fan, I’m not really into college basketball. I prefer my b-ball with big bucks, brighter bling-bling and really bad boys and I spell that N-B-A.

So, when pressured to participate in the office pool, I went with my heart and my hometown team (Boston College) not with any actual stats or knowledge. If I had done any research before filling out my bracket I might have known that the Tar Heels entered the NCAA Tournament ranked No. 2 in the country and were gunning for their fourth NCAA title.

Instead, I succumbed to the pool peer pressure, said (and heard) the word bracket more times in 30 days than the rest of the entire year, exited in the early rounds and lost $20 bucks in the process.

Help make me richer with answers about your affiliate program.