Moral Choices

[eurabia]

Maybe my question is kind of dumb but it's something I've been thinking about lately.

Here are some examples:

1) A competing site has a Gay section but I don't feel right having it on my site. I'm probably losing money. I have nothing against gays, it just doesn't feel right to me, there's nothing I can do.

2) A competing site promotes Ashley Madison but I don't feel right promoting infidelity on my site. I'm probably losing money.

Has anyone ever run into having to make choices like that and how do you deal with them? Do you just pick what feels right to you and what doesn't and act accordingly?

Thanks.

[Coup]

i did read any of your post because odds are it's stupid

[jackknoff]

It depends what's more important to you, your morals or making money. Look, this is just a business, it's not like we're eating babies n stuff. Go ahead, promote the buttlove, it's ok! Because if you don't, someone else will and make the potential commissions you could've earned.


Spanx!
Jack

[EliteWebmaster]

Ashley Madison is a waste of time converting

[ottopottomouse]

Allegedly money can't buy happiness but over time you will find it definitely whacks morals on the head with a big stick.

[The Heron]

This has nothing to do with morals, you are a moron.

[suesheboy]

Do what only feels right.

Money is not worth selling your ideal for.

[area51 - BANNED FOR LIFE]

Originally Posted by Coup

i did read any of your post because odds are it's stupid

[CaptainHowdy]

"Moral" is basically when it goes against your stupid interests... dunno if they apply to those situations.

[Bomberoso]

Ashleymadison i've made $800 off SE traffic from them..
Morals? Come on man do you want money or not. fuck.

[woj]

This is business, as long as you are not ripping anyone off, what's the problem?

[seeandsee]

it's all up to you, if its legal why are you losing money?

[BFT3K]

Don't feel bad man, these fish have to make Coral Choices all the time.

How do you think THEY feel? It's not always just about you, you know...

[eurabia]

Thank you for the replies so far. Anyone else?

[raven1083]

such a crap

[Shoplifter]

You're a pornographer. It's ridiculous to be worrying about homos or infidelity.

Pot calling the kettle black...

[FrozenJag]

Wow. You are NOT cut out for this business.

You haven't even come within a ten foot pole of something that really test your morals. Get out now.

[FrozenJag]

I mean everybody has different levels of morals but if yours are on the level you explained then your screwed. Good luck and I mean that.

[Dtothex]

This is just dumb.

[rowan]

Everyone has a line. If you're not comfortable then don't do it.

I know I'd probably make a shitload more money if I descended into some more questionable practices... but I don't...

[Agent 488]

take a hit of this and kick that dirt nasty shit about getting your dick sucked.

[spazlabz]

I have found that people have the morals they can afford. If you think you are losing money by not providing your traffic with those links and you're ok with that... then no problem. If you NEED to make more money (to do things like pay your rent/mortgage) I think you might give them a test to see if they make you money

If you're not comfortable with something on your site then don't promote it. But for a majority of people if it brings in cash and it is legal...no issue at all

[raymor]

First, the entire premise of the question, and therefore all replies, is totally nonsensical
if you think about it. It's what's called a "false dichotomy".

2) A competing site promotes Ashley Madison but I don't feel right promoting infidelity on my site. I'm probably losing money.

Your choice isn't between promoting cheating or giving up money. Your choices are a) do you
promote SOMETHING, or go without that money, and b) what do you choose to promote.
While some other guy is promoting cheating you could be making more money promoting
information, tools, and supplies to be a great lover and "put the fire back in your marriage".
There's a multi-billion dollar industry around keeping the spark alive in a marriage. See the
magazine rack at any store for proof of how many people want this. That is of course just
one example of literally millions of different things you can promote. You don't want to promote
"have an affair - discreet dating". OK, you know there's a shitload more money in helping
singles find the right one. Ashley Madison advertises by a few bucks for a referral.
Match.com pays millions for TV ads. Where is the real cash flow here?

So OK, we've established there's a ton of choices of what to promote. What are you
going to choose? I believe in "find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life."
Also read "Do what you love and the money will follow".

In my thirteen years in this business and with my previous companies I've always done
only work I could be proud of. Those couple of times that I've made exceptions to that,
I've wished I hadn't. I'm a security guy. I could hack into systems, or I could protect systems.
I protect systems, and feel good when a webmaster tells us we saved his ass in one way
or another. I've had offers from people wanting to spend some money to have me do something
wrong, to damage someone's system, or steal information. For a moment, it might seem like
I could make more money doing that, trading my self respect for a few dollars. In truth, though,
I've learned that not only is my self respect worth more than a few dollars, but also the money is only better
on the dark side until you get caught, spend all your money on a lawyer, then go to jail.
So I don't hack into systems, and I'm sure over my career I've made more money doing things I can be proud of.

So often we also forget the obvious fact that people who do bad things do bad things.
For example, if a business is based on getting people to cheat on their spouse, you would
be crazy to think those people wouldn't cheat their affiliates. It's almost guaranteed that
company will eventually get caught screwing people over big time, because you know they
have no sense of ethics or morals - their business is based on trying to destroy families.
They won't think twice about destroying your business. I've seen this over and over again,
from Xpics in 1997-1998 on. Webmasters sign up with companies who screw over the
customer, because the company is making (stealing) pretty good money for a while.
Then the company stops paying affiliates, even reversing payments. The webmasters whine.
Each time I'm sitting there thinking "you KNEW they were thieves. You signed up to help
scam people, and now you're crying because guy you knew was a scammer has scammed you!?!
Of course he scammed you, dumbass, he's a scammer!"

So anyway I'd do what you know is right. You end up leaving the office each day feeling good
about who you are and what you do. More than that, you know that you are operating on
principles that have been proven to work in the long term.

After all, guidelines like "do not covet thy neighbor's wife" aren't made up randomly.
They are based on the experience that if you spend all your time trying to screw your
neighbors wife, first you'll totally miss out on enjoying what you have, then eventually
you'll end up getting shot by your neighbor or some shit. The 'right thing" is "right" because
it gets right results in the long run.

[fatfoo]

I write gallery descriptions, site reviews, blog posts and mainstream texts. I say that I can write descriptions of gay people, but I am not gay.

You have to make the moral choice based on your own morals.
Consider other factors in the decision, also.

[TrainWreckContent]

the biggest niche i sell is gay even though thats not my think i am in this business to make money

[fuzebox]

I will never promote a service that encourages and facilitates cheating like AshleyMadison. That is probably the only ethical boundary I have.

[Loch]

Originally Posted by FrozenJag

I mean everybody has different levels of morals but if yours are on the level you explained then your screwed. Good luck and I mean that.

Sounds about right

[beerptrol]

Fact is just promoting vanilla porn can cause damage to a family .People do become addicted to online porn and their family life suffers for it. And I bet people covet the pornstars/models they view online
Hell what's to stop a married guy/woman from signing up to a regular dating or cam site.
They're your morals stick to them, but don't kid yourself on how one thing is morally better then the others
I promote straight, gay, shemale, bondage, etc

[Dating Port]

Don't promote Ashley Madison -- More money for me!!!

[datatank]

I have as many morals as I can afford
hehe
Some one said that once. I like it
Nothing wrong with promoting gay is converts.

[pornmasta]

Who cares, do what you want.

[eurabia]

thank you for all the replies. I believe I got the answers I was looking for.

[Dirty Dane]

It's more a question about time than moral.