You're right. Imagine how different things might be today if 90% of affiliates cut out the scoundrels back in 2007 and sent the message that if you advertise on pirate forums or pirate tubes you won't have affiliates and everyone on the forums will call you a scumbag while you end up on two dozen public blacklists?
Many in the industry don't have any formal business education. That's not always necessary but many of these same people have don't have any consideration for long term consequences either. It's not just affiliates, it's also the owners and some of the reps who are baked on cocaine and act like a bunch of frat boys. Things aren't ran like a business, it's ran like some kind of cocaine induced party.
"$300 PPS, hit me up man."
"We buy pre checked hidden X-sales, hit me up bro"
"Check out the new landing pages, they convert at 1:3! Honest!"
"Buying prepaid spots at surfer forums contact
[email protected]"
"Time to buy a list of 10 million surfer emails to send out some unsolicited spam which isn't even legal."
"Screw these affiliates sending us 500 honest hits a day, we do business with the Pirate fucking Bay!"
"Another month another PAR-TAY, who wants a drink bro?!"
"(hushed tone) You sale list of 10,000 surfer credit cards? Time to go banging, we be big pimpin' now!"
Come on. That's not honest business it's a fucking joke. Don't fool yourself. I really wish something would happen to get these clowns out of the industry and back into scamming little old ladies or something. We'd all be better off.
And just because you have money doesn't mean you have any class or real business sense.