I was at the original iPhone launch for CNET, and there was a lot of stress, as you say. But watching Steve Jobs unveil it was a magical experience, and it also was very much a perk of the job.

(Shrug) Stressful or not, it's one of those jobs that someone, somewhere, will cheerfully do for free.

So what? There are plenty of things that are really great to do once for fun, but still devolve to a grind when you do it all the time for work.

I'd drive a tractor trailer or a tank for free, or work on a 787 assembly line. But that doesn't mean the people who do it every day for a living consider it a perk to do their jobs.

Additionally, the people who cheerfully do this stuff for free are often the people you don't want doing it for you for real.

Are you seriously suggesting that we need more than, say, one person per language to type the things Tim Cook says into twitter? I think you're overstating the journalistic impact of MacWorld.

I cannot possibly be overstating the journalistic impact of MacWorld because I'm not stating it in the first place. I was only talking about how a job that seems glamorous and exciting from the outside can become boring and routine when you do it all the time.

How about being totally open about the state of the company, so people have advanced notice and the opportunity to prepare?

Surprise layoffs essentially reduce a significant inconvenience for the employer at the cost of a massive, stressful life changing event for the employees. It's always an asshole move.

Work done for free is worth exactly what you pay for it: nothing.

Richard Stallman on line 2. He seems agitated.

Of course there are always exceptions to the rule :)

(That being said, a very significant chunk of open source contributors are, in fact, doing so on paid time)

Absolutely. I would pay good money to be flown out to Cupertino, CA with a press pass to liveblog an Apple keynote, let alone be paid to do it.

Why? And would you do it 1x, or 100x?

Note that you'd do it for free (you would even cover your costs) and the issue expressed is that journalism doesn't pay.

Have you live-blogged similar events? Just wondering.