Business Card Ethics (or Lack Thereof)

What’s the most unethical thing you can do with a Business Card? Post it on Jigsaw.com.

I give Jim Fowler, CEO and co-founder, full credit for ingenuity in coming up with the idea for this site. Just like I give the first real spammers credit for creativity as well. Heck, I guess while we’re handing out credit we might as well credit Jack the Ripper for never getting caught, and throw in a little for whomever made Jimmy Hoffa disappear.

Let’s take a step back for a moment. Jigsaw.com is a relatively new site which specializes in trading people’s business cards. The way it works is, when you enter someone’s information into the site it gives you the right to look up two other people’s contacts. If you enter 25 cards per month the site is free. Otherwise you pay $25 per month to access 25 contacts.

Now, getting back to the point… The fact is, just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. When someone hands you their personal contact information there is an implied level of trust that it will be treated with confidentiality. If you don’t believe that’s the case, then just try making a cold call and letting the recipient know you are calling as a result of their private info being posted on the web.

And think of it this way. If you told a person who was handing you their card that you were going to post it on the Internet, would they take it back? If the answer is yes, and I’m willing to bet that is the case 99% of the time, then you’re an unethical little weasel if you post it anyway.

PS – Just like SPAMmers, the folks at Jigsaw are happy for any attention: good, bad or indifferent. They figure that it gives them more “eyeballs” and they only care if 1% of them give them money. Despite any of their rhetoric, they are devoid of morals and this is all about the cash.