Brain Storm: Don't Be Evil

“Bullshit.” That’s what Steve Jobs of Apple think of Google’s “Don’t Be Evil” motto. But I think it’s brilliant. Google’s early employees came up with that and it is very much just an informal principle that Google follows. Google was smart to come up with this for many reasons. The motto is extremely broad and can cover many issues like Google’s approach to doing business and within Google’s rules for its employees. The motto is catchy. Despite not being in the Google’s official ten principles, many consumers know about it. It is high profile enough to make Steve Jobs call it bullshit. The motto being informal means Google cannot be attacked frontally for not following it and Google can twist its meaning when there is a need.

It’s amazing how Google is tackling the world by not being evil. The informal motto took roots and helped Google to rise to where it is. By keeping most of its services and products free, it managed to benefit many yet grow larger as a company by day. When I first heard of Google’s “Don’t Be Evil” motto, I was intrigued by how it really fits into all that Google is doing, despite the motto sounding totally delusional. I felt the idea was a wild dream and sounded like a perfectionist. Yet the idea of Google trying to be nice to me, and the fact that it really is doing so, made the concept of “Don’t Be Evil” like a dream come true for both Google and the consumers. The solution that Google came up with to target enterprise rather than consumers was a good one. Although I knew that such a solution probably only worked for an advertising company, the concept was attractive and showed that nothing is really impossible.

The idea of not being evil encountered many issues. In order to be nice to consumers the Google way, it is natural that copyright laws will soon be infringed, since Google’s goal is to organise all the information in the world. When the concept was challenged, Google started fighting against corporations. While one may think that it is evil to change laws and override rules through sheer force and influence, I think that as a consumer I do see it as a compromise that has to be made if the consumers are to benefit. With Google and its ideals, many old, outdated laws met revisions. The way Google tackled problems and insisting that it is the “good” party opened my mind. Out in the world, there is no real evil or good organisation, we only categorise them under helping the consumers or taking advantage of them. Therefore as long as the consumers speak, the corporations listen and we don’t feel cheated, I think we win, and that’s being not evil. Google’s “Don’t Be Evil” makes people want Google to be around, so much so that it is not far fetched to think that Google may take over the world soon, in a way, though that does sound evil.

When Google went against its “Don’t Be Evil” policy to go into the China market with censored search results, it argued that the real evil is to rob the Chinese of any chance of the Google goodness. While I agree with that, it also makes me think of how long this idealist concept can keep up with the world and the pace which Google is growing. Still, I would like to believe that it is possible. And thus my dream is to join Google one day, and continue its “Don’t Be Evil” legacy.

I hope I didn't write out of point...