
Google’s ‘Don’t Be Evil’ Becomes Alphabet’s ‘Do the Right Thing’ - jeo1234
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/10/02/as-google-becomes-alphabet-dont-be-evil-vanishes/
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alexandercrohde
"Do the right thing" defined as “– follow the law, act honorably, and treat
each other with respect,” just doesn't feel the same.

"Don't Be Evil" appeals to a force above the law, sometimes the law is evil
(Nazi Germany).

"Do the right thing," implies there is a single right thing which is woefully
out of touch with the vast array of choices we have each day that fall all
along the moral spectrum. It's cliche; I have trouble not immediately writing
it off.

~~~
Florin_Andrei
No, that's "do the lawful thing".

"Do the right thing" falls under ethics.

~~~
mhuffman
Maybe there is supposed to be an implied, "... for stockholders", at the end
...

~~~
Florin_Andrei
Then it's filed under "objectivism".

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luketych
You guys are forgetting that "Don't be evil" is interpreted by a part of the
brain as "Be Evil." That was a terrible slogan. "Do the right thing" is much
better.

When we hear "Don't Be Evil" there is a part of our brains that interprets the
part about being evil, the concept of what evil is, and then the logic brain
has to jump in and say, "Now don't you do that." It's well known that telling
people to "Not smoke" again and again will give them the urge to smoke. And
telling your child to not do something will make them want to do it. Why? We
believe it's because on an MRI scan most of the brain will light up when
interpreting the "Smoke" part (because the brain is conceptualizing what
smoking is), whereas only a small part of the brain will light up when trying
to apply the negation "Don't" to that concept. If I told you to not picture a
white bear....aha, you pictured a white bear!

If you want someone to do something, simply keep telling them not to do it.

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huntleydavis
I liked 'Don't Be Evil'. It felt like it was a constant reminder to fight
becoming a cliche evil corporation. 'Do the right thing' adds little to no
value in terms of being a moral compass to use when expanding the company.

~~~
Spooky23
Do the right thing is more ambiguous. Righteousness is in the eyes of the
beholder.

~~~
icebraining
So is evilness.

------
huac
Philosophically, I like the focus on 'doing,' purposefully doing things
because they are 'right,' rather than not doing things because they are
'evil.' Spinoza, Deleuze, and a few others are pretty good on this.

Action will always prevail.

------
hackuser
There are many non-paywalled articles we could use in the link. For example,

[http://www.cnet.com/au/news/googles-new-holding-company-
drop...](http://www.cnet.com/au/news/googles-new-holding-company-drops-dont-
be-evil/)

------
Oletros
Google's motto is still "Don't be evil"

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eridius
> _follow the law_

It's kind of depressing that companies feel they need to put this in their
code of conduct.

~~~
ocdtrekkie
Seems like they're starting off with this new statement on a sour note since
half the major governments in the world are investigating them right now for
violating antitrust law.

~~~
jameshart
Follow which law? The EU law about preventing access to private data? The US
law about permitting government agency access to data? The Chinese law about
preventing access to certain opinions?

~~~
ocdtrekkie
Well, if Google purports to uphold the law, all of the above. It has to
operate legally in every country it wants to do business. In this case, I was
speaking of antitrust though, where Google has used contracts that cross the
line to exert control over the industry.

------
rocketraman
Every time I hear this, I think "Be a man!" :
[https://youtu.be/-qtrAMK7_Qk](https://youtu.be/-qtrAMK7_Qk)

------
cwhy
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nal3-qRocJI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nal3-qRocJI)

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outside1234
Actions speak louder than words.

~~~
toomuchtodo
Self-driving cars, sparked by Google, are going to save a million lives a
year. Those are actions.

~~~
RodericDay
Man, the corporate fanboyism on HN always gets me.

~~~
toomuchtodo
I'm not a corporate fanboy, I'm a passionate leftist socialist who gives
credit where credit due.

------
Havoc
Watered down slogan to go with their watered down attitude towards users/"the
product".

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bashinator
Can't read the article because of the paywall, but if they're literally using,
"Do the Right Thing", that's super super ironic. It's been a while since I've
seen it, but if I recall correctly; a major premise of the movie was that
characters did not know what the Right Thing was, or whether they were Doing
It.

~~~
Mz
Excerpt:

 _Alphabet’s code doesn’t include that phrase. Instead, it says employees of
Alphabet and its subsidiaries “should do the right thing – follow the law, act
honorably, and treat each other with respect.”_

~~~
Raphmedia
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't "Don't be evil" the same? Not official,
but respected?

~~~
Mz
Sorry, "Doesn't include that phrase" refers to "Don't be evil", not "Do the
right thing." I think you are misinterpreting the quote out of context.

Edit: Fuller quote:

 _Google’s code of conduct, of course, is best-known for its first line, which
was also included in Google’s 2004 filing for its initial public offering:
“Don’t be evil.”

Alphabet’s code doesn’t include that phrase. Instead, it says employees of
Alphabet and its subsidiaries “should do the right thing – follow the law, act
honorably, and treat each other with respect.”_

