Because GoTo was the only major pay per click directory never to participate in any of the ScumWare scams, they were the obvious choice to head the list of ScumWare Heros. They certainly deserve it. We have come to expect this kind of ethical professionalism from the staff and management of GoTo.

It is important for market leaders to set the standard for how ebusiness should be done. To make mis-steps like those made by their competitors creates an unbridgeable gap between those who are ethical by nature and those who act ethically when the pressure is applied to them.

Sadly, all of the other PPC directories required varying degrees of pressure mostly applied by their advertisers who were canceling accounts at an alarming rate before seeing the damage they were doing to their clients and to their own reputations.

While we applaud them for finally making the right decisions, we would have preferred to have them on our side from the beginning based on their position to do business ethically.

Some, like FindWhat recognized the error of their ways early in the account exodus game, while others like Kanoodle and myGeek stayed until even their ScumWare partner had given up the ghost of their failed business model.

Here's a mighty "Well done!" for GoTo's staff and management.