Kevin,
You make an excellent point.
In most industries, companies see their competitors as “The Enemy.”
But the Internet doesn’t work that way. Most successful affiliates are willing to share and learn from each other, trade traffic, and do whatever it takes to increase the effectiveness of their marketing efforts.
That’s because Internet marketing is not a “zero sum game.” In some industries, the only way you can make more money is to take market share away from your competitors. But the Internet is an ever-expanding marketplace. If one affiliate does well, that does not necessarily take business away from another affiliate. If two affiliates work together and share ideas and traffic, it is possible for BOTH of them to make more money, rather than one losing market share to the other.
I don’t know any other industry that operates that way. As I said, the Internet is unique. I have been marketing online since 1997 and I have seen the power of working WITH your “competition” rather than against it. When done properly, EVERYBODY prospers.