Salary is *always* *always* *always* a touchy subject with people.  After reading Balasmiq's post on their salary policy, which contained this little gem:

You are paid a little better than someone with your same job in your geographical area.

I can only hope that Peldi is able to retain his employees. If I were an employee, I wouldn't have any incentive to anything but the bare minimum if I am only going to be paid a little better than some random person with the same job in my geographical area.

I get what he is trying to remove salary from what people think about.  I see that as a fundamental disconnect with the rest of the world. Everyone thinks about salary!! Salary in large part determines your lifestyle.  And only people who have really made it seem to think that salary doesn't matter ( does't matter to them as much being business owners ).

I believe that somethings should be kept confidential and not made public ( salaries are one of them ) and this disclosure  has the potential for things getting out of hand rather soon if Peldi can't/doesn't convince his people that they are worth more than some random person doing the same job in their geographical area.

I wish more tech journalists made this public commitment to ethics and actually stick to them ( *cough* Techcrunch *cough*).

I don’t accept any money, free products, or anything else of value, from the companies whose products I cover, or from their public relations or advertising agencies. I also don’t accept trips, speaking fees, or product discounts from companies whose products I cover, or from their public relations or advertising agencies. I don’t serve as a consultant to any companies, or serve on any corporate boards or advisory boards.

You can read his full code of ethics posted on allthingsd.com

I recently read an article on CNN.com For retired NFL players, most challenging 'season' just beginning and was surprised at the lack of compassion and overall negativity towards NFL players.  My personal take is that people overall love to celebrate the touchdowns and are quick to judges and cheer for a celebrities downfall and failures.

I have no idea what it is like to have the "world" at your beck and call.  Or to have to worry about supporting a large group of people ( family, friends, etc ). Or to have to worry about whether the woman they meet really is after them or a hefty payday.  Because I have no idea what kind of life celebrities and athletes have, I can't judge them based off of my own life and choices.

A common theme in the comments seem to revolve around the fact that these players are broke when they make so much money. I think it is much more complicated than that and much closer to what everyone else goes through ( just amplified by the amount of money ). Many of these players came from nothing and had no role models to teach them about financial discipline.

For those who have no sympathy for them not saving their money I ask this, "How many 20 somethinsg do you know of that are financially responsible right out of college"?

Steve Jobs resignation letter to Apple's board of directors and the Apple community

To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:

I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role. 

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.

Steve

Even his resignation letter is simple and to the point.

I guess it is official now to everyone that I have left Ninth Division for a CTO role at a company underneath the Prairie Ventures umbrella.  I have been meaning to write this blog post for a while now, but I have been so busy with the transition that I honestly hadn't given it a second thought.

This transition process has been fraught with self reflection and mixed feelings.  On one hand I am very excited in my new role but also sad to leave Ninth Division at the same time. The things I have learned about project management and client work has made me a much better developer and hopefully a good manager.

Entrepreneurship for me isn't finished yet.  I am hoping to learn more from my new co workers and responsibilities and apply that for my next project(s) ( whatever that may be ).

Enough about me! I am looking forward to what Andy will do with Ninth Division going forward.  I predict interesting things in the future for Ninth Division.

Andy, It has been a wild ride at Ninth Division, one I'll never forget. Btw.. Its O.K. to sleep once in awhile ( and your body will thank you for it ).