Wow does that last paragraph open a can of worms!

So, by that measure, Microsoft should be, by far, the most admired tech company. They are one of the more economically successful. What does that get us idelogically or philosophically? Do you *want* to use Microsoft's operating system? Are their business tactics (particularly during their most fiscally successful years) something to be emulated? Where does that approach leave the software industry in 10 years? Back where we were 10 years ago - a gaggle of propreitary vendors, selling either way too expensive non-compatible solutions (a la Sun, IBM, et al.) or selling "bottom basement" quality code to consumers held together by smoke and mirrors because it was developed in the least expensive method possible and barely QA'ed to save money.

Honestly, as someone with some influence in a large corporation's vendor selection, I'd much rather do business with a company that I would consider "ethical" - a company more interested in meeting my long-term needs, forming a partnership, creating a quality product, and making a reasonable profit in the process. That's a company I'm more likely to be pleased doing business with in the long-term, and that's a company that will better meet my needs. And, market forces-willing, be financial viable over time.

Of course, the arguement could be made that poor quality software and typically associated underhanded busniess tactics can lead to even more fiscal incentives - through the sales of "fixes," "patches," and "upgrades." But that's just going to leave the customer base less and less satisified - and push them even more to find a better solution, from a competitor.

Microsoft has made a lot of money. (And I don't mean to single them out as a "whipping boy," they've actually make inroads in cleaning up their corporate act in recent years - but they were the poster children for Questionable Business Ethics in Software a few years back. What, I believe, made them change that tune was the customer departure effect I allude to...) Enron was a very successful and profitable company until recently, too.

But, I, for one, would rather not do business with a "successful" company becoming so by screwing its customers and/or employees to get there. Like an arguementative marriage based on lies - it's bound to fail down the road.

Matt, You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

I prefer to make friends, sales will come. Some of our best project refers come from company projects we didn't get, they appreciate our honest and open sales approach aka the "soft sell" over the hard sell, aka Oracle sales.