This week seems to have stirred thoughts within me and passions that I had when I first started my internet business. I usually do a teaching lesson with my blogs but this one will be my own unadulterated opinion. So be forewarned and judge my comments for yourself.

We had a great open discussion this past Thursday night in the GJW conference room on the subject of downline integrity and how it relates to the traffic exchange industry. Many of the notable traffic exchange owners were there and voiced their opinions on the subject. There were good opinions and bad and I learned a lot from listening to the comments of those I disagreed with.

One owner who was there made a statement about downline building being a total waste of time and energy. He also stated that having a person strictly build their list and attract people to it should be the sole activity of people working the traffic exchanges.

If you know me, you will know that I think nothing could be further from the truth. Many of the people who team up with me often come with few or little resources when they get started with their businesses and if you were to believe those statements, these people should just fold up their tents and call it quits. Downline building is an integral part of list building and often the two work hand in hand. Many of those who have wound up being on my teams in afilliate programs and in my traffic exchange teams often came through the process of downline building.

I do advocate list building but I believe that it has its place in relation to downline building. There are tons of ways to build lists the most effective being the use of lead capture pages. The major argument I have is with owners who use their membership list as a launching base for signing them up for other afilliate programs, traffic exchanges and such through email. The concept is simple: why would I send people on my list to an owner who is going to bombard them with links in their email to programs I am trying to promote in that same exchange?

Also there is the issue of insuring that I get credit for people that I bring to that program. Without an assurance that my efforts to bring people to a program will be properly rewarded, I am simply working as a tool to enrich the owner without any benefits to myself and my business. In other words, I am chasing my tail when I advertise or promote such sites.

Owners who use and abuse their members and build their programs on the backs of their members are simply unfair. No amount of money they could possibly earn by raping their members in this manner makes it right. And it's our job as members of these programs to demand honesty and fairness from their owners.

That's why I support Rob Gehring and Juli Norwood in their efforts to bring back honesty and fairness to an industry that has gone amok and forgotten its roots. To the owners who have joined the Downline Integrity Brigade and taken the initiative  to listen to their members, I say thanks. To the other owners who are listening to these arguments, I give the advice: listen to your members and treat them as you would want to be treated.

Also know that team building is alive and well and kicking. The internet is a big place and we all need friends and to build relationships with those we do business dealings with. A smile, a simple hello once in a while and "Happy Birthday" when appropiate are all signs of having a good relationship with those you are in business with.

Speaking of which, a big "Happy Birthday' goes out to Chris Wysocki and DiveForIncome, 50 and 2 years old, on November 13th in that order. Without DiveForIncome, I can say a lot of my list building efforts would fall very short of where they are now. Thanks Chris for bringing us the internet's greatest downline and team builder of them all.

If I made you mad, so be it. It's time for the traffic exchange industry to realize it's in the service business and the ultimate power belongs to the members. Members take note and use your power to surf where it benefits you and your team. That's my 2 cents so take the time to spend them well and have a great week!

E, king of nye

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