When I first joined it seemed that most noobs had a basic understanding of SEO, making money or business. We had come here to expand our knowledge.
Now most noobs seem to know nothing about SEO or have any experience with anything, I really think it absurd that they try Blackhat SEO before even understanding SEO in general.
This x 1000
It is embarrassing to look back on my earlier posts. Fuck, even my posts from 18 months ago or so.
BUT, when I joined back in what, 2011? I was expected to have a base understanding/knowledge of SEO. I didn't and had to learn it before I could really communicate on the forum. It forced me to shape up, really, if I wanted to join in on the discussion. That base understanding/knowledge was more than what most "SEO Professionals" locally knew... but it was the base level expected at BHW.
Now, the barrier to entry is really low. The forum has swelled and is obviously now filled with people that know nothing. This is what happens when a forum grows.
I'm not mad or anything. I give no fucks about BHW anymore. Its just how it is.
But really. Apparently, people claim, they used to have BH loopholes and such that let them make money in a churn-and-burn way. All of that stuff, is way less likely to happen now. For SEO, algorithms are smarter. For CPA type things, the companies are tighter, and sharper, and pay closer attention to traffic. There is a tonne of money to be made, but it's all in really basic ideas surrounding building businesses, and lists, and content, and value, and sales pitches, etc. None of that information can be "shared" there isn't some thread you can create as a big "share" what you really need is a course. And, shock horror, lots of courses exist out there for this sort of thing.
And so even if you were to provide a piece of this, it wouldn't look glamorous, it wouldn't look exciting, and you'd get very few thanks, and so no one is going to bother to create a thread detailing how to create a one-time-offer page or whatever. IMHO this is why shares are down. Its now about building a sustainable business, it's no longer about churn/and/burn because that money is gone.