Re: Ethics and Morals in Web Design

Fortunately, we're still of a size where the ethics of my wife and myself
guide the company.  Still, I try to avoid being judgmental as much as
possible when dealing with clients, or with prospective clients.

Our guidelines are simple enough:

-- GENERIC --

* We accept no business that is in violation of US law.  I believe we have
managed to avoid taking on business that is criminal within either our own
country, or within the country of the client.  We certainly try..:)

* We accept no hosting business that violates the rules or policies of our
hosting supplier.

-- HIGHLY SUBJECTIVE --

* We accept no business that promotes the use of recreational drugs or
alcohol, including tobacco.  We don't evangelize, but we have personal
reasons to prefer this stance.

* We try to avoid bulk mailing and SPAM services.  It isn't illegal when
handled correctly, but it can be highly irritating to those of us whose
email addresses have been around for years...:).

* We try to watch for companies that may not be servicing their customers in
a manner we consider acceptable (i.e.. "fly-by-night" vendors, etc) and
avoid them.


That's it, offhand.  There are, of course, many, many other issues that are
controversial to people around the world, but not to us.  We don't try to
make all factions happy...or even any factions beyond ourselves, really.

If a we can't work with a prospect, I have no doubt someone else will, and
so there is no injury to that prospect.  Likewise, I'm sure we pick up
clients who were rejected by other designers on ethics-related grounds.  And
so the industry turns.

D

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brandon Coughlin" <bcoughlin(at)urx.com>


What is your opinion on this issue?  Does you or your company have a
statement of ethics, if so can you post it here for us to see?

Thanks - I am hoping this will be a constructive discussion here.

HTML: hwg-business mailing list archives, maintained by Webmasters @ IWA