Plaxo is still in business, as are any number of dark-pattern-using and outright user-hostile companies who do not have good reputations among people who are not their customers. Certain dirty tricks may also enjoy a perverse incentive in that they don't directly affect their customers, but market share or other B2B forces.
Surely a good reputation is better than a bad one, and Mr. Buffett is successful in light of the reputations in which he invests, but this is not the sum total of companies enjoying capital success.
This is what I mean by capitalism not discouraging dirty tricks: it may encourage not using dirty tricks, but using dirty tricks is not a disqualifier for success, nor do dirty tricks always result in a universally poor reputation that would kill companies in other contexts.
Surely a good reputation is better than a bad one, and Mr. Buffett is successful in light of the reputations in which he invests, but this is not the sum total of companies enjoying capital success.
This is what I mean by capitalism not discouraging dirty tricks: it may encourage not using dirty tricks, but using dirty tricks is not a disqualifier for success, nor do dirty tricks always result in a universally poor reputation that would kill companies in other contexts.