When I started learning SEO, forums and IM conversations were the “textbooks” we used to learn Internet marketing. But that was a decade ago and we were a much smaller community then and the information was much more consolidated. Gems were a bit easier to find, ######## was a bit easier to spot and it was a bit easier to find who knew their #### and make friends to discuss all your newfound knowledge and experimentation with. Blogs and today’s version of “social media” were non-existent and it was harder for people who couldn’t earn their keep to be given a public platform to spout theory rather than experience.