Ten years ago, I wrote an ebook entitled, “Kickin' Butt & Takin' Names." It was about the shady business practices I was seeing online - and some, even off line.

Since Day 1, I've never hesitated to name names when writing about sleazy internet marketing tactics. It got me into a lot of trouble. Not real trouble - just a lot of back-biting and put-downs for it.

I was nobody, and these were hot-shot internet marketers, and who did I think I was to have an opinion - much LESS judge?

Well, I'll tell you who I was. I had maturity and real life business experience, and I had done something more than deliver pizzas, or work at Thom McCann, before I came online!

I took a stand and refused to have anything to do with the marketers who even waivered in their integrity. Many times, they'd pat some sleaze-ball on the butt simply because that marketer made so much money.

Money was the gauge. I saw it time, after time, after time.

About three years ago, I read "Internet Marketing Sins" by Sylvie Fortin. I loved the report and even said, at one time, I wished I had written it. The only difference would have been that I would have named names. Sylvie didn't.

And, yet, she STILL caught flack from some internet marketers! Some even argued with her - as if they were denying what she wrote. HA! Deny all day long, Jack-leg. The lady wrote the truth!

Last week, Ryan Healy wrote about some internet low-life on his blog and he DID name names. People are pounding him on the back, telling him what a good and courageous guy he is, as if this has never been done before.

It even caused Sylvie and her husband, Michel Fortin, to explain WHY Sylvie had kept names to herself - as if they'd done a bad thing! It was really quite simple. They were trying to teach the consumer what to look for and what to avoid. They were NOT trying to put anyone on a cross.

Me? I like crosses. If you're being unethical, you deserve to be outed. But, that's just MY opinion.

As I mentioned to a friend last week, I've even opened my mouth and inserted my foot. But, when I do, those of you who have read me for years know I apologize, clean up any mess - and we all move on.

Then, there's the problem of libel. PPFFFFFTT! Any marketer would be a fool to try to sue someone who wrote about exactly what the marketer is doing - and can prove it. Not only that, they'd have to be able to prove exactly how much money the writer cost them.

Otherwise, no decent attorney would touch it - knowing it couldn't be won. Of course, we also have the shysters who would take the case just to make the hourly fees for a nuisance suit.

Them, I know how to handle - but I digress ...

We all have different ways of doing things. We all have different motivations for what we do. We may have certain knowledge that determines how far we can go. That doesn't make any of us wrong, or stupid or uninformed. Just different.

I am glad to see someone besides me finally find their cojones. But, I'll also add ... Be very careful naming names unless you know exactly what you're doing - and how to do it!

It's an unfortunate fact that, when times get economically tough, more people than usual come out of the woodwork to take advantage of others.

I'm sure you've heard the statement, "Silence is acceptance." I think they use it on the anti-drug commercials. And, I'm pretty sure they stole it from me. But, that's okay. At least I know I could be sitting on Madison Avenue instead of in front of this lousy computer.

Ever think about that statement? Ever think about how many things it could apply to in our lives? Ever really think about the number of things we accept by our silence simply because we don't want to make waves? Hey! What's a little wave?

Let's look at it another way. Ever think about the really mammoth size waves we create by our silence? I'm talking tsunami here!

Someone may not want to make waves over the suspicion that a kid is using drugs. What kind of a wave do they have when the kid ODs? Tsunami? You bet! That's what silence will get us.

A tsunami is exactly what is sweeping the Internet. We have a wave of unprofessional businesses drowning the rest of us in the murky water of their race to get-rich-quick. It's a wave of online companies with no concern for the customer other than how to get their money in the quickest way possible.

It isn't just the new online business owner - who may still be an inexperienced amateur. It's even the giant corporations. In the past, they handled their business professionally. They bent over backward to make customer service a top priority. I guess when you can market to the whole world you don't need to bother to take care of the individual customer, eh?

How did this become a tsunami? How did it get out of hand? You guessed it! We've gone along with it - especially if we were new to the Internet - because we didn't want to make waves! We've accepted it by our silence.

Every business owner on the Internet is also a customer on the Internet. If you're struggling to run a professional company, I know darn well you keep running into service - or product - providers who don't appreciate your business. They often act like they don't even need the customer in order to their keep their company afloat.

Fair enough. If that's what they think - let's tell other potential customers about it. These companies will no doubt thank us when they NEVER have to think about another customer!

It's time to stop staying silent. In fact, it's past time! Let's spread the word. Maybe a little pressure will push back that tsunami that's threatening to drown us all. Maybe a little pressure will encourage some of these people to start running their companies in a more professional manner.

We have several ways to do that ...

First, we need to pay attention. Never mind what their PR says - never mind what their affiliates say - are you getting what you're paying for? And, are you being treated like a VALUED customer, as you should be?

If not, we can begin - by stopping. STOP accepting unacceptable treatment from online companies. STOP doing business with those who promise one thing and deliver something less. STOP doing business with those who have no regard for considerate customer service.

And finally, we can start. START realizing that silence truly is acceptance! START telling everyone you know why you stopped doing business with these companies.

Here's where they think they have us. They think we're afraid to do anything other than stay silent. Me? I knew years ago that silence is acceptance. It's time we all made some noise!