You don't have to be a sociopath to fall for this. "Make online learning material about stuff you know" doesn't seem like a shady endeavour. It is a very reco

You don't have to be a sociopath to fall for this. "Make online learning material about stuff you know" doesn't seem like a shady endeavour. It is a very recommendable activity, especially if you happen to like teaching. But I would never bet on getting rich from doing it. I think it's only borderline scammy; game-theoretically you can say that it's a losing game for certain parties, but I don't think that makers of the kinds of learning material that is profitable are evil, just because it's profitable for recursive reasons. From their perspective they're just having luck because everyone wants to know how to make videos, how to talk, how to structure things, and what sites pay well. It's like drop-shipping: This is a great idea if it weren't because the profit margins get eradicated by everone doing it. Some cities arose around healing springs; the traffic alone could sustain roadside businesses that eventually formed cities. Maybe the spring didn't cure cancer, but does that make the roadside hotdog vendor shady?