> skipping all the chimneys, vents and fans needed to remove the smoke from the kitchens.
Every kitchen needs ventilation, even if it's fully electric. And if a restaurant is doing a lot of frying this ventilation needs to go somewhere it won't be a nuisance to the surrounding.
> Being true to yourself is worth more than any of his purported wins
Being true to yourself is not the same as saying what you think. I might think that my coworker is ugly, but I don't need to say it. I also might think that salary is too high. Not everything needs to be said.
> Be your own merit, and don't rely on others for references or goodwill
Sure, I'll try that next time when I'm looking for a job and they ask for references. I'm sure it will work out great!
Interesting that almost all comments here are completely dismissive of the meaning of staff+ titles, to the point of not even discussing the content of the articles.
Yes, it's true that your title is not your role, and your role is not your job, and your job is not your professional identity. But your title is part of your professional identity, and it's the best shorthand to communicate your status with future employers, or even just with a colleague in a distant branch of your company.
Our profession is young, so it's still in the early phases of defining itself. I'm sure other professions have title bloat too. You still need to play the game, even if you don't like the rules.
I've had a $1.5/month charge on AWS that I tried repeatedly to track down but failed each time. Eventually I just let it run until I canceled my credit card.
> skipping all the chimneys, vents and fans needed to remove the smoke from the kitchens.
Every kitchen needs ventilation, even if it's fully electric. And if a restaurant is doing a lot of frying this ventilation needs to go somewhere it won't be a nuisance to the surrounding.