Obviously I don't post often, but this is pretty disgusting.
Please read
this post in full for the whole story.
This is the very very short version here:
Basically, if you post a link (like for Amazon or Ebay) from your own personal LJ account, TPTB at LiveJournal have created a script that will automatically alter your link so their affiliation number will be added to it. So they're making money from a link you've put in your own LJ without your permission.
If you want to set up your account so that affiliation number can't be added, do this:
go to the
LJ admin console (bet you didn't even know that existed!) and copy/paste this line into the box:
set opt_exclude_stats 1
Then hit 'execute'.
It rankles when I pay a fee so I don't have to see ads and LJ decides that's not enough for them.