I was reading something the other day in a marketing magazine where there tends to be a moving shift into consumers interest into business that have an ethical basis. It was saying that fast becoming some of the more common questions before "how much can you do it for?" are questions like: "is it environmentally friendly", "Is your business affiliated with any sort of charity". I have always felt that the way Microsoft has been developed has been one of "all is fair in business" by kicking down anybody who might want to share the spotlight. However the Google brand to me has always come across to me to being more ethical and cooperative with the broader community... I dont have much to back this up but by the general feeling of the bran I have gotten seeing it grow over the years.
Does anybody else have an opinion on this sort form of marketing (does it influence you) and how do you think these to companies stand up (from an ethical stand point at least)?
Of course Bill Gates isn't Microsoft, but he is a big part of it:
| Quote: |
Philanthropy is also important to Gates. He and his wife, Melinda, have endowed a foundation with more than $28.8 billion (as of January 2005) to support philanthropic initiatives in the areas of global health and learning, with the hope that in the 21st century, advances in these critical areas will be available for all people. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has committed more than $3.6 billion to organizations working in global health; more than $2 billion to improve learning opportunities, including the Gates Library Initiative to bring computers, Internet Access and training to public libraries in low-income communities in the United States and Canada; more than $477 million to community projects in the Pacific Northwest; and more than $488 million to special projects and annual giving campaigns.
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Yes, Microsoft plays it hard. But a lot of the money they got out of it is being used for charity and improving the world.
And is Google really 'doing no evil'? What about their pact with China to activily help censoring the internet for billions of chinese people? What about their link-farm-sites on which they put the ads of smaller advertisers, which is... well.. at least strange.. And their recent decesion to cut off sites with not enough traffic from some of their advertising-programs simply because it didn't make Google enough money?
Is there really something like ethics in bussiness? And should there be? By playing it hard and making your company succesfull also means you're helping the economy and creating jobs for people. I definitely see where mclaren's coming from, and it's not just consumers and it's not just marketing. The set of values and career aspirations held by Generation Y are so drastically different from those of their parents and siblings that this sort of shift is being dealt with on managerial fronts as well.
Google is the type of organization that will hire you and allow you to walk around in shorts and sandals. At the same time, it's on the cutting edge of creative development, and rewards forward-thinking, motivated employees. This doesn't necessarily describe a moral "ethic," but it does paint a pretty good picture of the company's work "ethic" and its appeal to Gen Y.
But back to the issue of morality, it's simply an issue of where the Information Age is taking consumers. Society as a whole is becoming more and more "open source" friendly, and people genuinely like digital products that can be personalized to suit their needs. I think Google's main advantage is that it tapped into that mindset early and frequently, whereas Microsoft did not. The actual level of philanthropic work either company involves in is not as relevant.
I guess peoples opinions on a particular company/brand can be manipulated by a slick branding campaign. With the right campaign a product can relate to you or you may feel that brand represents you, your subculture or your philosophy. Its interesting because as MrBlueSky said Microsoft may be involved in just as much or even more ethical busines than Google... However as said by deStructuralized because of the bias picture I have painted in my own head (possibly because of the way the brand relates to me and my culture... such as open source and customization and free software products) I am somehow developed this idea that one company is more ethical than the other... just because I feel one represents me better.
funny that!
Google is definetly Evil.
It records your searches, and keeps it on their database for at least 12 months, other search engines like MSN also do this.
Also, look at Google Mail. It reads through your personal emails to find appropriate sponsorships for them. It also stores this information in a database.
| ThePolemistis wrote: |
Google is definetly Evil.
It records your searches, and keeps it on their database for at least 12 months, other search engines like MSN also do this.
Also, look at Google Mail. It reads through your personal emails to find appropriate sponsorships for them. It also stores this information in a database. |
Google doesn't read through your emails, a computer searches for keywords to display appropiate ads. It records your searches to be able to improve.Google and Microsoft? I hate them both, they're all monopolist. They're unfair to their competitors and only wants our money to be theirs. 
| LostOverThere wrote: |
| ThePolemistis wrote: | Google is definetly Evil.
It records your searches, and keeps it on their database for at least 12 months, other search engines like MSN also do this.
Also, look at Google Mail. It reads through your personal emails to find appropriate sponsorships for them. It also stores this information in a database. |
Google doesn't read through your emails, a computer searches for keywords to display appropiate ads. It records your searches to be able to improve. |
Google Mail does. When you log into Gmail, your private emails are checked and appropraite ads are placed on the page based on the contents of your email. This is recorded in a database.
With regards to google searches, based on your ip it records the searches which is also saved on a database for 12 months.
It may achieve a more appropriate ad. But thats not the point -- it is an infrigement of our privacy. No one should have the write to view your personal emails and exploit its use, byproviding ads based on the contents of your email, and also store keywords in your email in a database.
The Post service (royal mail) stores and delievers our mails (letters etc). But do they have the right to read our mails and then deliever it to us, even if it is in the name of marketing. No they do not, then why should Google have the right???They're both evil. But they somehow provide some pretty good services. Google is free for the users but our privacy is on the lines. Microsoft is all about the money. 
Although I don't like Google and Microsoft much more, but, however I never thought that Google and Microsoft are all monopolist, the true is they have a lot of competitors too, but most of them(their competitors) have not enough ability to force them(Google and Microsoft). This is not the crime of both Google and Microsoft, we should think twice... How can they done that? How much money, times and effort they spent before they reach this status? O.K. may be we've spent some of our money to them but how much benefit we've gotten from them? So I think, the word "evil" is seem too strong language that unfair to them.
That my opinion.
what a success story google has got!!!!!!!!! i salute it, admire it........ i think google is in for a real comptetition with microsoft............ i wonder why microsoft people are not doing much........ may be bill gates no longer holds the desire to be number one
| edzofcit wrote: |
| Google and Microsoft? I hate them both, they're all monopolist. They're unfair to their competitors and only wants our money to be theirs. |
Thats what business essentially is...They say power corrupts... and google is really powerful these days:
1. They have all the lobbyists in DC in their pockets
2. Their stock is pushing $600 - flush with $$$
3. They basically control information on the internet
4. They can see you! (thanks to street views)
No wonder you hear about stories like:
http://google.blognewschannel.com/index.php/archives/2005/07/26/former-employee-sues-google-for-discrimination/
But then the lawsuit world is weird... check this one:
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070919/041030.shtml I hate microsoft for playing all these competitive game with other. they just put their nose on anything they see profitable. they are first of all a biggest thieves who steals idea and puts them together..
and when that product starts loosing th charm they compromise with the original creator.
I think all those multi- billion companies are not really "nice", but if we as consumers require them to be charitable, they will be, as this is the law of our economy. Right now, I don't think there is a huge difference: Both try to stay in front, subdue any competitors and that's it. However, Google did a really clever job in still seeming to be the little silicon valley start-up, which they are definitely not anymore.
I think too much marketing is ridiculous. people are getting annoyed with too much banners and texts on their personal services such as emails
too much in marketing thinking and they have too much darn time. google is darn smart, theya re all about open source and free this and free that, of course people like them, microsoft charges for almost anythign, people think they are evil, i dont know but i think all corps are after oen thing. it's money, they love money, everyone loves money, as far as etchical,there are tons of companies out there are very ethical. tech companies arent them. There are also tons of companies that aren't ethical, they are crazy!!!! darn, so you need to just pick the company you like and run with it. marketing, there is a lot to it, i am in marketing, sometimes companies hire these marketing companies to do research like this to make them look like they love mother nature!!!
I think Google and Microsoft both have sufficient sense of CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
Btu more will always be welcome
Anyone heard about Microsoft's 44 billion dollar bid to buy Yahoo? Microsoft is desperate to compete with Google is dominating the internet with web search and other services.
this deserves a new topic! I'll post it up, but yes, wow, tension!
| dickyzin wrote: |
| They're both evil. But they somehow provide some pretty good services. Google is free for the users but our privacy is on the lines. Microsoft is all about the money. |
I have to nod on that. Google makes money under they cover of free services and being friendly and encouraging to small ideas. And Microsoft is making money with even less cover of charity or free services. But what can we say about that? They are commercial firms to make money, pay their employees and survive on the market. To run a website or develop a software may be just a matter of your own interest. However, to run a company especially a business company, the aim is only to make money. Of course all the money comes from the users' side and the only thing different to different companies is that how much profit they want out of their products or services. | ThePolemistis wrote: |
| LostOverThere wrote: | | ThePolemistis wrote: | Google is definetly Evil.
It records your searches, and keeps it on their database for at least 12 months, other search engines like MSN also do this.
Also, look at Google Mail. It reads through your personal emails to find appropriate sponsorships for them. It also stores this information in a database. |
Google doesn't read through your emails, a computer searches for keywords to display appropiate ads. It records your searches to be able to improve. |
Google Mail does. When you log into Gmail, your private emails are checked and appropraite ads are placed on the page based on the contents of your email. This is recorded in a database.
With regards to google searches, based on your ip it records the searches which is also saved on a database for 12 months.
It may achieve a more appropriate ad. But thats not the point -- it is an infrigement of our privacy. No one should have the write to view your personal emails and exploit its use, byproviding ads based on the contents of your email, and also store keywords in your email in a database.
The Post service (royal mail) stores and delievers our mails (letters etc). But do they have the right to read our mails and then deliever it to us, even if it is in the name of marketing. No they do not, then why should Google have the right??? |
Because you get over 6.5 GIGABYTES of storage AND a fantastic spam filtering system, so i dont care what they do with my personal information. Also, because it is relatively new, unlike hotmail etc, There actually are many available addresses. Is this really even a question. Google wins in every category against Microsoft. Google has shown that you can treat people right and give away your product and still be successful. Microsoft has shown us that you can be greedy and deceptive and still be successful. I choose the one where you are at least helping people.
nah, microsoft office > google docs
and microsoft vista > linux.
But yeah, I suppose everyone has to hate microsoft, don't we?
| LostOverThere wrote: |
| ThePolemistis wrote: | Google is definetly Evil.
It records your searches, and keeps it on their database for at least 12 months, other search engines like MSN also do this.
Also, look at Google Mail. It reads through your personal emails to find appropriate sponsorships for them. It also stores this information in a database. |
Google doesn't read through your emails, a computer searches for keywords to display appropiate ads. It records your searches to be able to improve. |
This has been proved worng !!!! I believe this was a false information that was communicated in a different way 
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