Marissa Mayer: Totally Kidding About That 'Don't Be Evil' Stuff (Epicenter from Wired.com)

Marissa Mayer says Google was like, not serious about that 'Don't be evil,' mission statement.

"It really wasn't like an elected, ordained motto," Mayer told the Sydney Morning Herald. "I think that 'Don't Be Evil' is a very easy thing to point at when you see Google doing something that you personally don't like; it's a very easy thing to point out so it does get targeted a lot."

Well, it may not have been ordained, but it sure looks official. The company's "Ten Things" philosophy includes the point "You can make money without doing evil," (thing No. 6); an employee code of conduct is topped off with the famous phrase; and the do no evil mantra also plays a prominent role in the prospectus Google sent to bankers and investors before the company went public.

But then again, when Google first wrote up its corporate philosophy, it said that the company "does not do horoscopes, financial advice or chat."