You and
I have been so close through the years. Do you remember that time
I wrote
that piece explaining the Matrix as an allegory of Gnostic
theology? Well, I didn't think it was so special, but you
sure did! Within forty-eight hours, it seemed like everyone
on the Web had read my little site. Sure, my server bandwidth bill
was astronomical, but boy! were all my friends impressed! I just
hope that while you're away in the big leagues, you'll look back
and remember the good times we've had.

You've
always had a heart of gold--buying everyone lunch, giving them massages,
doing their laundry—and I want you to know we've appreciated
it. Whether it's the free meals in the cafeteria, or the lava lamps,
or the dogs in the break room, you've shown us that a business doesn't
have to treat its people worse than its computers. You've always
been unique and special.

But be
careful out there. The guys there on Wall Street are pretty tough,
and they play to win. I don't mean the individual investors, of
course—those are the guys like you and me. I mean the Skull
and Bones clubs, the big corporate investors and the retirement
funds. They don't come from the same place you and I do; they're
from the big city, and they only have one thing on their minds.
So, be careful: Don't go on that beer-binge frat party when you
know you have to keep the ol' nose to the grindstone. And, most
of all, always remember where you came from.

Google,
I love you. Don't ever change.