Hi Shelley, I've started this off as a thread in its own right rather than piggy back a new one, I think you questions are worth a thread of their own!
As for me, what makes a good affiliate scheme. Well, the first part is the quality of the offering. If a site has a good bonus, great terms and conditions and is actually fun to play at, I find it easy to promote. Personally I like a rev share deal best, and I like to get on with it without lots of emails and requests from the affiliate manager. I don't like links that expire and deals that change. That's me, but I know every other affiliate has different priorities depending on their own business model.