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People keep saying "I trust company X a lot more than I trust company Y" but is "trust" really something that applies to companies at all? Feels weird to humani

People keep saying "I trust company X a lot more than I trust company Y" but is "trust" really something that applies to companies at all? Feels weird to humanize companies in that way. If you trust a company, isn't it really that you trust the humans working at that company? So you should really say "I trust person X who happens to work at X today", as as soon as they leave, the trust went with them. Companies are not people and cannot be trusted to act in any interest but profits. Any trust you feel towards a company is towards humans in the company, but let's not anthropomorphise companies (yet, until we have better AI at least).

snazz 6y ago
You make a valid point, but it’s also worth considering how the stakeholders’ interests align with your own. Apple is in the premium hardware and value added services business, so its interests are aligned with mine with regards to privacy and producing a quality product. On the other hand, Facebook is in the ad business, so its interests are not aligned with mine on a variety of points.
deltron3030 6y ago
>but is "trust" really something that applies to companies at all? Of course, It's called branding. Promises that aren't kept are still promises that aren't kept, and Apple was traditionally known for going beyond expectations, it's the core of their brand. Some companies are more B2B business and developer friendly, like MS and FB, and others like Apple and Amazon are the opposite, they're first and foremost about B2C and mainstream customers. Apple is less B2B focused than before because of the iPhone. They don't have to attract devs by giving them the best tools, they can attract them because of their market share among solvent customers on mobile alone.
xondono 6y ago
Not necessarily, you might trust the intangibles that are part of the company, like how do they do business or what kind of internal policies they have in place. Think how (knowledgeable) people “trust in science”, they don’t trust the humans, they trust the method.
bredren 6y ago
Think of companies more like nation states than people and it will make more sense. The organization is still molded heavily by those in power, but it is what the organization “stands for” that you must put your trust in. For example, the United States is a republic and stands for “freedom and justice for all.” As we have seen, different people in leadership will interpret these foundational ideas differently and will take actions accordingly. It’s worth asking again what Apple stands for. The company has made privacy and thus security core values. However, above that is a goal to make _the best_ products of any company, which as Jobs put it is a matter of “taste.” So the sentiment of feeling as though Apple’s networking software and developer api choices deviate from your taste has to be measured against one’s support of these other values, and whether one believes Apple’s leadership succession will be measured and protected from weakness.
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snazz 6y ago

You make a valid point, but it’s also worth considering how the stakeholders’ interests align with your own. Apple is in the premium hardware and value added services business, so its interests are aligned with mine with regards to privacy and producing a quality product. On the other hand, Facebook is in the ad business, so its interests are not aligned with mine on a variety of points.

deltron3030 6y ago

>but is "trust" really something that applies to companies at all? Of course, It's called branding. Promises that aren't kept are still promises that aren't kept, and Apple was traditionally known for going beyond expectations, it's the core of their brand. Some companies are more B2B business and developer friendly, like MS and FB, and others like Apple and Amazon are the opposite, they're first and foremost about B2C and mainstream customers. Apple is less B2B focused than before because of the iPhone. They don't have to attract devs by giving them the best tools, they can attract them because of their market share among solvent customers on mobile alone.

xondono 6y ago

Not necessarily, you might trust the intangibles that are part of the company, like how do they do business or what kind of internal policies they have in place. Think how (knowledgeable) people “trust in science”, they don’t trust the humans, they trust the method.

bredren 6y ago

Think of companies more like nation states than people and it will make more sense. The organization is still molded heavily by those in power, but it is what the organization “stands for” that you must put your trust in. For example, the United States is a republic and stands for “freedom and justice for all.” As we have seen, different people in leadership will interpret these foundational ideas differently and will take actions accordingly. It’s worth asking again what Apple stands for. The company has made privacy and thus security core values. However, above that is a goal to make _the best_ products of any company, which as Jobs put it is a matter of “taste.” So the sentiment of feeling as though Apple’s networking software and developer api choices deviate from your taste has to be measured against one’s support of these other values, and whether one believes Apple’s leadership succession will be measured and protected from weakness.

deleted 6y ago
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