In reply to NottsRich:
I think we're supposed to call them advertorials. Alan probably needs a new washing machine......
To be fair, though, the advertising on here is way less intrusive than on other sites, better geared towards the demographic and more likely to be genuinely educational. (Plus, as I've been liberally smearing and dousing nikwax on for years, I'm kind of relieved that it turns out I'm not going to die from it)