"Don't Be Evil." "Do the right thing."

It sounds silly and naive. Trite. It presumes that people have a conscience. That they reflexively know right from wrong. How cute.

Does Google really expect us to believe that a $50 billion global corporation can conduct its affairs according to some inborn moral compass? Is "Don't Be Evil" just a catchy but ultimately meaningless slogan?

I believe that there is more to the "Don't Be Evil" philosophy than a cute mantra. It's about cultivating trust even when you could make a quick buck by compromising your principles. It's about not selling out.

"Don't Be Evil" applies to people who hold a position of power over others who are more vulnerable. It recognizes that with great power comes great responsibility. "Don't Be Evil" is about eliminating conflicts of interest.

People trust their doctors to put the patient's health ahead of the doctor's personal financial interest. When HMOs pay secret bonuses to encourage doctors to limit costly treatment, that requires the doctor to act against his or her own interests to help the patient. Many ethical physicians would be challenged to do the right thing in this system.

When newspapers and television media allow advertising dollars or political favors to influence news reporting, they reap short-term profits but destroy their franchise of trust and respect in the long run.

Stock analysts represent themselves as unbiased experts, but make stock recommendations in return for secret fees from their corporate clients. In the short term the analysts got rich -- but they destroyed their trust among investors and ultimately paid billions in restitution.

Travel sites such as Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz allow payments from hotels and airlines to bias their search results (see WSJ article, subscription required). Hotels that haven't paid for preferred placement may not show up at all, or may show as sold out even when rooms are available. This may pump up Expedia's profits, but won't their long-term prospects be damaged when consumers figure out they're not getting accurate information?

Google's "Don't Be Evil" business model recognizes potential conflicts of interest up front. Search results are the best and most relevant they can provide, not corrupted by bribes or kickbacks. Ads are clearly labeled as such so the user can make an informed choice -- they're not hidden or deceptive.

In an age of free markets, free information and an increasingly educated population, a "Don't Be Evil" business model has much greater potential than the opportunistic rape-and-pillage approaches of too many myopic companies.