eh, my expectations are different from yours. I clawed my way up from the bottom, without a lawyer. I contracted for several rather scummy companies, all of whom wanted overly broad and perpetual non-compete agreements for $60/hr (I was rather younger) contracting gigs. (oh yeah, and those contracts? almost invariably they had extremely poor grammar and spelling.)
Now, not knowing such things were unenforceable and generally wanting to keep my word, I refused to sign the non-competes. Sometimes I'd get the work anyhow, sometimes not. But when doing business with a larger entity, I expect to get screwed. The deck is going to be unfairly stacked against me; that's just how the world works, and you've got to expect and to deal with that as is. It's not something I feel I can change.
also, there are all sorts of spoken and unspoken rules in business... I know when I was primarily a contractor, I, of course, always tried to cut out the middle man, and that is considered /extremely rude/ in that market. (I mean, /I/ was never asked to sign something I wouldn't go direct, but usually the client is.) now, it wasn't rude enough to stop people from pimping me out, but I think it was part of the reason I was never able to become a body shop myself, in spite of having good people working for me.
Now, some things are rude, but I do them anyhow, like shopping around for quotes, and telling vendors what other vendors quoted you. I mean, sure, the sales guys think it's rude, but who cares? all the products I buy have many, many vendors, so pissing off any one doesn't matter at all.
Still, before I violate a social rule, I'd like to know it is a social rule and why. and then make an informed decision as to if I want to break it or not.