Doctorow: Rivalry Keeps Google From Doing Evil

An anonymous reader writes "Writer and activist Cory Doctorow says competition keeps Google behaving ethically because it believes there are benefits to be had. However, as it moves into sectors where it faces fewer rivals this may not always be the case. 'It actually seems to be a quality metric. They believe they can attract customers, independent software vendors, resellers and an ecosystem around them by not being evil,' he says. 'Where they operate in narrower, less competitive markets — like where they’ve become an Internet service provider, for example — they abandon those commitments.'"

Comments

Except when it comes to China.

[sethstorm]

Unless they get hurt, they'll deal with anyone and anything evil - China being the prime example.

*facepalm*

[girlintraining]

"Writer and activist Cory Doctorow says competition keeps Google behaving ethically because...

Because the paid shill has conveniently omitted the possibility of collusion and/or conspiracy. And there have been plenty of examples where corporations in this industry have colluded with each other to price fix. In fact, during the analog to digital TV transition, the prices were over double what they should have been. The government is, you know, thinking about, maybe, possibly, getting around to investigating that, you know, someday. Don't hold your breath.

I don't think you'll find very many people here that believe that the government and large corporations aren't in bed with each other. Money talks. So, I gotta ask, Mr. Doctorow... how much did they pay you to talk about how Google can't possibly be evil, when the evidence for your position is so pathetically underwelming? Perhaps Google is a special little snowflake that somehow wouldn't engage in the kinds of unethical behavior that almost every other Fortune 500 company did? Perhaps you believe that mass-collusion between corporations and the government isn't possible... and there's another explanation for the current global recession?

Because if you can, step forward and collect your Nobel prize on economics. Otherwise, the door is on your left. Don't let your paid-off ass hit it on the way out.

Communist argues for free markets

[hessian]

Known Communist Cory Doctorow, who has spent most of his life misleading people about the threats they face and been proven wrong almost every time, now channels Ron Paul and tells us the markets prevent evils.

Yep, credible.