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Comment by ngoldbaum | Hacker News Reader

The four-way test doesn't seem archaic at all. Why do you say that?

Because your average business today doesn't seem to give a shit about truth (see: almost everyone's marketing), fairness (especially to employees), goodwill (externality? what's an externality?) and benefiting all concerned (a third of the companies out there would probably not exist if their founders gave a rat's ass about their effect on society).

Call me cynical, but I get the feeling that morality and honor got sacrificed for competitiveness. Internet businesses are a special case here, they can afford to be fair to the employees and to care in a way, and yet there are still lots of them that are harmful to the society.

> … your average business today doesn't seem to give a shit about truth…, fairness…, goodwill … and benefiting all concerned (a third of the companies out there would probably not exist if their founders gave a rat's ass about their effect on society). Call me cynical, but I get the feeling that morality and honor got sacrificed for competitiveness. Internet businesses are a special case…

I thought you were talking about internet businesses!

Trust me, it's much worse out there, in the off-line world.

That's always been true. Look at Standard Oil for an example.

> Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

I'd like to promote activities that are detrimental to some institutions and beneficial to others because I believe there are institutions that should be dismantled.

definitely nitpicking, but if those institutions should actually be dismantled, it might be beneficial to those wrapped up in the institution in the long run (while detrimental to the institution itself)

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