I used my salary as a way of getting people more hooked into this thread. If I was sitting on my couch all day doing nothing, I think I would have gotten less replies.

By showing that I'm actually out there working on this and that I truly want to do better, I believed I could generate more of a discussion from people that have been in similar positions and want to help me.

Because anyone with a conscience soon realizes the sheer ridiculousness of getting paid a high salary for doing little or no work and may feel a bit of guilt about it? It is a common situation in companies that are either well funded or very profitable that they can afford to throw around so much cash in what basically amounts to slack. You see it all the time.