Gizmodo’s now infamous expose of the next-gen iPhone is one of the hottest and most controversial tech stories to hit in a while. Some even cheered Gizmodo for landing the ultimate scoop – getting their hands on an iPhone prototype from the ultra-secret Apple.

But then reality hit. We learn that Gizmodo paid $5,000 for the phone from someone who found it at a Silicon Valley bar. Its unfortunate owner apparently left it behind. Instead of giving it to the police or making a more concerted effort to give it back to Apple, it was sold to the highest bidder. This was after the Apple employee was identified through a Facebook app and the phone was remotely wiped by Apple. All clear evidence that the phone was property that should have been returned.

So this is what we have come to. If something comes into your hands that isn’t yours, resort to the playground ethics of “finder’s keepers.”

This is why when someone returns money that is not theirs or engages in some other act of unforeseen honesty people are shocked. Too many share the view that if the world is ruthless and cutthroat, then we should be too.

There is an old saying about how each of us needs to have a moral compass to serve as a guide when we face such situations. Unfortunately we have another case where it just didn’t work. Maybe there’s an app for that.