Why it helps to say sorry: Former Gizmodo editor's apology to Steve Jobs

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For the last several years, whenever Apple created a new product, all Steve Jobs had to do was stand on a stage in front of a big screen and hold up the device. As if on cue, the media, retailers and consumers all went wild.

But last year, a few months before he got on stage to present the iPhone 4 to the world, tech blog Gizmodo beat him to the punch. After an Apple employee left a prototype of the iPhone 4 at a bar, it landed in the hands of Gizmodo staff. Their post "This is Apple's Next iPhone" brought in more than 13 million hits to the site.

At the time, it wasn't exactly clear what happened, but last night, after news of Mr. Jobs's death at 56 spread throughout the internet, former Gizmodo editor Brian Lam posted his side of the story (which has been making the social media rounds).

Mr. Lam describes how the iPhone 4 prototype debacle soured what had been a great three-year relationship with Mr. Jobs. He writes about how he was too giddy over the traffic the story netted at the time to step back and realize how he'd compromised his integrity (especially by naming the developer who had lost the device) and a valuable relationship with Mr. Jobs.

"I thought about the dilemma every day for about a year and half. It caused me a lot of grief, and stopped writing almost entirely," he wrote.

Three weeks ago, he sent Mr. Jobs an apology by e-mail. He never heard back from him, but the act alone helped Mr. Lam forgive himself.

He said he heard from a close friend of Mr. Jobs a few days ago that the incident was considered "water under the bridge."

While Mr. Lam is still grieving Mr. Jobs's death, it's with a clear conscience since he sent his apology just in the nick of time (though it's of course not certain Mr. Jobs read it).

In celebrating Mr. Jobs's life, many have posted quotes from the man not just on technology and innovation, but on living life to the fullest after accepting that death is inevitable.

Like Jack Layton's early death this summer, some online commentators have mused that Mr. Jobs's death prompted them to call estranged family members and tell them they loved them.

Did you ever try to right a wrong with a friend or family member before he or she died? Do you regret not patching things up with someone you cared about while they were still alive?