[grecy]

I have to wonder what "moral considerations aside" even means.

In the US, at least, if something is not illegal and will make money, then corporations are legally required to take that path - morals and ethics simply don't come into play.

As our ever increasing need for profit increases, I can only see this trend continuing more and more. The reality is if I'm not willing to make such a site on "moral" grounds, someone else will, and they'll get all the money for doing it.

[hollerith]

>In the US, at least, if something is not illegal and will make money, then corporations are legally required to take that path

Although this assertion gets repeated over and over on the internet, I think it is a gross distortion of American laws on the fiduciary responsibilities of corporate officers to say that corporations are legally required not to have moral standards that have not been codified as laws or governmental regulations.

Google for example cited ethical reasons for pulling out of the Chinese market. Did any of Google's shareholders sue Google over that decision?

Did any shareholders sue Apple over their recent decision to tighten up its oversight of its Chinese manufacturer's treatment of factory workers?

[drewrv]

> Did any shareholders sue Apple over their recent decision to tighten up its oversight of its Chinese manufacturer's treatment of factory workers?

Bad publicity has the potential to hurt profits.

[BillSaysThis]

@grecy: IANAL I think you seriously misstate American corporate law; if you can cite specific statutes please enlighten me.

Contra-example 1: Apple, Google and Microsoft all have significant cash reserves, far more than are necessary for foreseeable needs, and probably earn much less on them than on cash invested in the business, but it isn't illegal for them to hold large reserves. Outside observers have said that these companies resist paying out more of the reserves as, say, dividends because of the tax consequences to the controlling shareholders but, under US law, this is not illegal.

Contra-example 2: Many companies are 'going green' to some degree of green. Often this is more expensive than less environmentally friendly options. However companies are not being charged with violating some law that requires them to make all decisions based on direct profit maximization.

[noahrsg]

"The reality is if I'm not willing to make such a site on "moral" grounds, someone else will, and they'll get all the money for doing it."

Luckily most of the entrepreneurs I know are taking a different route and creating businesses that solve problems instead of creating them. Nothing is wrong with making money, but I can think of 1000 other ways than extortion.

[grecy]

It's interesting you use the word "extortion".

This is not illegal, so it's not "extortion".

(I'm just playing devil's advocate here, trying to better understand our collective reasoning)