The column's worked out great for me. I've gotten a ton of ego satisfaction, had a lot of fun, won a batch of prizes and occasionally done some public good.

I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good.

I wanted to be a columnist so badly that I took a huge pay cut to leave Forbes, which wouldn't give me a column, and join Newsday, which wanted my column for its Sunday business section.

If I can't do something for the public good, what the hell am I doing?

Well-reported news is a public good; bad news is bad for everyone.

Twitter is an amazing public tool with an incredible capacity for public good.