Well, I did make my buying decision based on AboveNet's full-disclosure policy, and so I am voting with my wallet. I didn't follow it, but I don't think that AboveNet's stock price reflected poorly on their policy either.
Some companies believe that they can best serve the interests of their shareholders, and hence the share price, if they service customers better. Other's (like UUNET it seems - whoever they are nowadays) seem to believe that increasing share value is the only aim, and anything that can potentially lower that value - even if only for a very short time - must be avoided at all costs. This includes admitting to failure. I subscribe my own company (who is not public, and no plans to do so, hence share value is not volatile anyway) to the former value set. Very few people will admit publicly to managing a company of the latter - since this in itself may lower share values :( I also suspect that the punative principles of the US civil law system contribute to companies never admitting fault or liability, even when protected by contracts. Note that I am not knocking that system - I like the general prinicple of corporate punishment (no pun intended, but it reads well anyhow :) - but abuse by ambulance chasers is too easy, or so it appears. Peter