Yeah, I know about hbgary. They definitely have a tainted public perception - I just question the extent to which people seem to vilify them. Regarding ethics

Yeah, I know about hbgary. They definitely have a tainted public perception - I just question the extent to which people seem to vilify them. Regarding ethics - absolutely. It's also harder to notice when you're being paid quite a bit. It's a pity our profession doesn't have some explicit oaths along the lines of the Hippocratic oath. While it wouldn't stop anyone out to willfully do evil, it might at least make our the average programmer a little more thoughtful regarding values and morals and how they apply to their livelihood.