Hello, everybody! This week, many things happened. First of all, it was a four-day week, so even though many of us legitimately suffered from some kind of confirmed-by-science ennui that tends to occur after long weekends, we made it to the weekend! Also, TechCrunch experienced a major shake-up, as did Yahoo!, who un-friended Carol Bartz this week. So what’s on the hot plate for this morning’s Bonus Points? Find out below!
» But Bartz did not exit quietly; she had some colorful parting words, which may have cost her $10M as part of violating a non-disparagement clause written into her contract with Yahoo!.
» Lower-level staffers argue that some of Yahoo!’s problems were extant long before Bartz came aboard.
» This is how you can make a whale on your iPhone.
» Groupon’s sales team has filed a class action suit against the company for failing to pay overtime. This is just the latest wrinkle in a series which also includes canning its bid for an IPO.
» You may be familiar with writer Neil Gaiman and his wife and rock musician Amanda Palmer, but did you know that these two are sharpening social media ROI into an art? It’s true. In just over 48 hours, they have managed to raise $87,000 via Kickstarter for a West Coast Tour they’re embarking on next month. They originally planned to raise $20,000 over the course of one month. This is how you monetize, people.
» This week marked the 2011 installment of the Targus Interactive Insights conference. Get up to date here.
» Meanwhile, Kara Swisher reports that Michael Arrington has not convinced Aol to sell him back TechCrunch and the two are working on very complex severance packages. And if those don’t pan out, it all goes to court.
» #NOADTAX Big news this week as Amazon and California come to a tentative agreement that would buy Amazon a year before it would have to start collecting sales taxes in that state. In exchange, it would bring 7,000 jobs to the state.
» The recession is spurring a new trend: More backyard gardens across the country tended to by regular citizens looking to combat the rising cost of food..
» This weekend also marks the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
» e-Miles is an ambitious new company that revolutionizes the way you can earn frequent flyer miles.
» Privacy groups believe that the “opt-out system” of newsletters and other subscriptions is fundamentally insufficient and ineffective.
» There are some companies that believe graffiti and breakdancing can work as valuable corporate teambuilding exercises.
» And if you’re stressed, unwind with this time-lapse video of the Himalayas.
