You can do affiliate networking for free, or you can do it while spending money, neither of them is correct while other is wrong, both of them are valid reasons and ways of approaching affiliate marketing. Just because someone spends hundreds of dollars on marketing doesn't mean someone who does it free is wrong, or just because someone can do it free doesn't mean the one spending money is wrong.
When you do it for free you do not spend anything but you also have to either work harder for it, or smarter for it and sometimes you do not get that many people in return as well, you still spent something which is your time but if you do not work too much, you do not spend any money and you still get a lot of people that is very lucky and successful for you, whereas someone who spends money could get affiliates right away very quickly, sometimes make a lot of money in return if they are lucky or maybe not get much at all if they are unlucky.
As you can see both methods could make you money or could cause you to not get anything, equally possible for both options.
Exactly, just because of the option that is equaly possible to get something or nothing, people usually choose the easier way. Why would they work and they hard if they don't need to? Who actually cares if people are happy with the service and if they'll get back?
It's very similar with affiliate programs, they are not usualy designed that anyone have some big advantage of it, except for owners. I.don't really know anyone who managed to get real use of it so I don't bother with affiliate programs.
