Chris Ferdinandi (whom we admire because he is outstanding in many ways) reflects in today’s newsletter on whether we should stop using a tool if the company behind it, or the people behind the company, fail to meet a minimum ethical standard.
The topic is recurring, and we should never stop asking this and other questions. Who has not liked the work of a singer/band or actor/actress who is also a jerk, and not known what to do with their work? It happens to us with many of them — starting with Woody Allen and Sabina. Everyone will have their own list.
In this case, Chris uses Google and Microsoft as examples: companies that have somehow been involved in political affairs in the United States and have shown support for political decisions that attack people’s dignity — more than enough reason to avoid them and stop using their products. This leads to something like a boycott, similar to the ones so often mentioned around here against food products and commercial brands from a given region for political reasons. In both cases, some will say it is a matter of principle.
But the decision is not always that easy, because there are always nuances. These same companies have products of great value to people, and people benefit from them — but does one thing cancel out the other? Absolutely not. A contract killer who rides a bicycle to avoid contributing to greenhouse-gas emissions is in no way a better person than someone who does not deliberately harm others but uses their own car.
So what do we do?
It is clear: think it through several times, look for alternatives, and choose what makes the most sense for you.
If we are strict, we will probably find plenty of stains on most companies, not only tech ones. In fact, this sector is far from being the worst. And that will lead us to get angry and make the same decision again, because in the end it always turns out that companies have strategic alliances with others we like less, belong to a voracious holding, or are backed by a group of investors with a dubious track record. And the larger they get, the more likely we are to find repulsive characters and reprehensible behaviour. Should we stop using their products? How many of you have stopped using Facebook or Google? If you have not watched ‘The Great Hack’, this is a good moment to do it.
Only you know where your red lines are, and if you have very thin skin and a lot of conscience, you will be outside this system.
Here is the link to the article so you can read it at ease and draw your own conclusions.