Entering This Business Today...Better or worse than when you started?

when I started back in 97 it was easier to sell with very little work (at least for me), but now there are many more options for newbies and it can still be easy to sell if you take it seriously. Free hosting provided by sponsors, loads of free sponsor content to use, paid hosting is way cheaper than it was back then, domains are like $60+ cheaper than they were when I bought my first domains and the list goes on.

I would have to say that if I started now it would be fairly easy. Not as easy to generate traffic as it used to be, but that can be learned. Sure, before you could get listed on the big TGPs/MGPs for free.. no partner accounts were required or even existed, but with all the options a newbie has they can make money without any real expense by using the free hosting provided by sponsors, the free content and all that. When they make some cash they can use some of it to get paid partner accounts IF that's the area they are playing with. Same goes with paid hosting. They can get some when they start making good enough cash.

It's only an uphill battle if you make it that way. If you really want to make $ you will take it more seriously.

so I would say it's better now in terms of the options that are available. Back in the day had its pros though.

Agreed 100%

You still need a brain...

The only difference is that now there is more info and it is more readily available to you.

much harder I would say

This translates simply to more affiliate programs chasing signups, but in a way, it is more opportunity for noobs.

That's inevitable... the industry has matured a lot since the 90's. The people who established themselves ten years or more are still around now. The number of noobs who have come and gone in that time is massive.

Ja CWeb, the main thing that keeps me going is it's so cheap to self produce my content. If I had to pay someone to do it, it would cost a fortune. The guys who fall off have so much overhead costs and paperwork it must be a headache.