I use technology throughout the process of creating Meaning in Giving, including artificial intelligence. If you are curious about the person making those decisions, you can read more on About A Quiet Giver.
I do not hide that because it would give readers the wrong picture of how this site is made. AI is a powerful assistant in my work, but it does not get to invent my experiences or make every decision for me.
I also use product images differently from many websites. I would rather show something real and relevant than add a generic stock photo simply to make a page look prettier.
Here is how those choices work in practice.
How I use AI
When an article comes from something I have experienced, I usually begin with my own rough thoughts.
They are not polished writing. They may be scattered notes, memories, questions, mistakes, or details I think are worth sharing.
AI helps me organize those thoughts and turn them into clearer content.
I also use it to research questions, compare information, find weaknesses, and challenge what I have written. Important factual claims should still be checked against reliable sources rather than accepted because AI produced a convincing answer.
There is also a boundary I do not want technology to cross.
AI cannot have an experience for me.
When something comes from my experience, I want it presented as experience. When it comes from research, I want readers to be able to recognize that difference.
AI can help me work.
Responsibility for what I publish remains mine.
Why I use product images instead of decorative stock photos
Images matter to me, but I do not want them added merely because an article is supposed to have pictures.
A generic stock photograph can be beautiful while telling the reader almost nothing.
I would often rather show a real product connected to the subject being discussed.
If I am writing about keeping several small gifts together, seeing an actual organizer can make the idea more concrete. If I discuss comfort, storage, accessibility, or another practical detail, a relevant product can help illustrate what I mean.
I think of these images much like illustrations in a useful book.
They give the reader something real to look at while supporting the surrounding discussion.
They also serve another simple purpose: they give the eyes a break.
Long pages made entirely of text can become tiring. A well-placed image creates a natural visual pause before the reader continues.
That does not mean I want a product image after every few paragraphs.
The image still needs a reason to be there.
Sometimes an article benefits from several visual examples. Another may need only one or two.
I prefer that variation to forcing every article into the same pattern.
Every product image is also an affiliate link
I want to be completely clear about this.
Every product image I use on Meaning in Giving links to a merchant through an affiliate link.
If you click one of those images and make a qualifying purchase, I may earn a commission. This helps give me an opportunity to earn income from the work and helps support the continued operation of the site.
There is no reason for me to disguise that relationship.
The same image can do two useful jobs.
For the article, it can provide a real visual example and a welcome break from continuous text.
For the site, it can create an opportunity to earn income when a reader becomes interested enough to visit the product.
I am comfortable with both.
What I do not want is to reverse the process by inserting an unrelated product simply because it creates another affiliate link.
The product should first make sense as an illustration where it appears.
The affiliate relationship comes with it.
Why my captions do more than name the product
Because I use product images as illustrations, I want the caption to contribute something useful too.
Repeating a marketplace title underneath an image does not accomplish much.
For example, a caption such as:
“Premium storage box with multiple compartments.”
mostly describes a product.
I would rather write something like:
“Separate compartments keep several small gifts together without turning them into a loose collection inside the box.”
Now the caption explains why the image belongs beside that part of the article.
That is the standard I try to follow.
The caption is not there to advertise the product. It should point out a practical detail, limitation, or use that helps explain the surrounding content.
I do not ask AI to guess what an image shows
There is one more detail that matters when product photographs are involved.
A product title does not always describe everything visible in its photograph.
For that reason, I do not want AI generating specific image descriptions from catalog information alone and pretending it has seen something it has not.
When I add descriptive alt text or a specific visual caption, it should reflect the actual image.
This is a small example of a larger principle I use throughout the site:
I would rather use technology within its limits than ask it to sound certain beyond them.
What finally gets published
Technology can help one person research, organize, compare, edit, and publish far more efficiently than before.
That is exactly why I use it.
But faster production is not the final goal.
Before publishing, I still need to decide whether an article says what I intended, whether factual information has enough support, and whether the products genuinely illustrate the surrounding discussion.
I also remove things.
A paragraph can be well written and still be unnecessary. A product can be relevant to the topic and still be unnecessary at that particular point.
The final page should not show everything technology allowed me to produce. It should show what I decided was worth keeping.
That is how I use AI and affiliate products on Meaning in Giving. For the story behind the site and what I hope to share here, visit About Meaning in Giving.
– A Quiet Giver