[tombert]

Does it? I think you'd have a point if Analogue were a charity of grant-funded or something, but Analogue is a for-profit entity. Most people reading this post are in the business of selling their time and/or expertise for money, and it's not weird to want to maximize that value. I (like most people I think) hate the process of salary negotiations, but I always do it because of course that's just what you do. I've walked away from offers that seemed interesting because I'm not 100% about how they are handling their finances.

This isn't really selfish; I have a responsibility to me and my wife. I need to know that I won't get too burnt out, I need to know that the money I am making will sustain me comfortably, I need to know that I will have enough to pay my mortgage or my wife's school etc. If I am going to work to make someone else a profit, then I should try and maximize my own as well.