LoneCoder: Google: Lawful Good or Chaotic Neutral?

[Kihara Muriithi]

Ken,

>I don't see the basis for your glowing praise of Google making the world
>a better place.  "Don't be evil" is no different than what every company

  I do think their electronic books will be very helpful. Sometimes back, I
wanted to buy a relative a gift and since he is doing automotive
engineering, I decided to buy him a hybrid/hydrogen textbook - a strategic
investment on his side. I didn't know any good book and the local book
stores have very limited choices. Searching "hybrid vehicle"  on google
search allowed me to look at a wide range of books, that I can read 2 or 3
pages, appendix and table of content
  I think you are against this, but I don't see anything wrong. I do go to
bookstore and do exertly what google is offering me - in fact, I have read
entire books, leave alone 2 pages right in the book store. Why is this then
being considered evil? Its what Joseph Stiglitz would call reducing
information asymmetry. It really help every body except bad authors.
 As for BMW, look at it from the users point of view for a second. Can you
call their action evil? What would you do if I came and started selling
counterfeit merchandise infront of your house? You would probabily do what
google did, tell me to take my business somewhere else.
 I think we have a problem in the world in that what is ethical varies
between people. Some people sincerely believe the Russian oligarchs were
ethical business people, even with all the miseries they have caused to
Russian. Its very alien to me. But, I will give you a way to differentiate
google with Microsoft. Microsoft issues hurting the weak and invisible man.
Google critism are mainly about disturbing "the way things are done here"
That is why I feel they are bettering the world.



> P.S. Do you mind if I cross-post your message to my Linux Cafe message
> board?


Sorry I responded late, but I wouldn't have minded.

 William
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