While it seems that Rubel is talking about dirty tricks and
black hat tactics, he actually doesn't discriminate--insisting that any SEOs who work to manipulate communities like Digg and StumbleUpon, or advise clients to comment on blogs and discussion boards
with driving traffic or boosting conversions as their primary goal, is a "danger to the fabric of the community."
"SEO, like word of mouth, should be a byproduct outcome, not a primary objective," Rubel says. "Any brand that plays in this space should be aiming to create value. Do that and the other stuff will follow."