Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

i Editor's Letter: Do no evil

 

Stefano Hatfield
Friday 23 September 2011 19:00 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Can a corporation be evil?

None has “we do evil” in its mission statement the way Google espouses “do no evil”.

However, I am also sure many of us can think of a few companies that should: some banks leap to mind, energy providers, airlines, train and care-home operators, fast-food and supermarket chains.

But let’s say - hypothetically – a giant ticket-selling organisation had mastered its competition such that its name was synonymous with buying tickets.

Let’s imagine that the masterful ticket-seller also owns a ticket-exchange subsidiary, where you can buy and sell tickets legally for those same events, and “it” gets a cut.

A hypothetical i reader wants to buy tickets to Coldplay at the O2 Arena. That reader would be mindful of their failure to get tickets to – hypothetically - the Red Hot Chili Peppers, despite going online at the designated time on the ticket-seller’s site, with credit cards and passwords ready and going through the squiggly security words nonsense at 9.30am exactly, only to find dozens of tickets at the ticket-exchange subsidiary for twice face value at 9.33am exactly.

That i reader - having been even more prepared this time round, being simultaneously on their laptop and iPad at 9.30am, and going through the same false-hope squiggly codeword nonsense – might be forgiven for becoming suspicious at having no luck at all only to find tickets at twice face value again on the exchange site at 9.33am. They might wonder if this isn’t just legalised touting.

On behalf of all i readers I’d like to ask the real ticket-selling plc to explain to i just why readers shouldn’t think this; what they should do to be able to buy tickets at face value at the designated time; and why the whole ticket-selling process isn’t actually evil?

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in