Just a thought on Search Engine Optimization...
We know there are the groups out there that are "Black Hat" and there are "White Hatters" too. The practices definitely exist and there's clearly a divide in logic / goals. I think it will always be this way as long as there's search engines, or systems in general. Think government. Think financial world. Etcetera.
I dont know that the semantics are still relevant, but I think they are titles we can use to sum up the practices. I think of it as good guys and bad guys personally and I also hope that Google, or whoever the industry leader is in time, will devote sufficient resources to making sure the good guys win.
I do believe in the end, building sites for humans and providing great content thats accessible will always outrank the quick buck guys. Sales / eyeballs can be won by cheap tactics, but a happy and sustainable customer / patron is what keeps them coming back... When a company / site establishes itself as an authority and resource, it transcends the web / organic search and enters word of mouth, social marketing, and in general, the "real world."
