i stopped IM and SEO after panda or penguin was released. I remember that many seo networks had trouble with google. Do people still use seo networks ?
I know how you feel. I stopped last year after Penguin in April but learned about expired domains later that year and worked on building out my own private networks for link building. They work great but it's a lot of work to make sure they pass manual review etc so it has to be worth the time and money for your particular niche. The people who use private networks done correctly are still doing SEO and making money with IM.