Microsoft to lay off 18,000 people over the next year

[GreyGeek]

That Ars Technica article dissects the memos accurately. I notice, however, that Microsoft's stock price shows essentially no reaction, so until the layoffs began to show some kind of results, good or bad, share holders will stand pat. My own sense is that as long as Elop is in command there is always plenty of opportunity for disaster.

[HalationEffect]

But it's an entirely true and accurate rant, so I'm not finding any fault with it.

No faults found with it here either; it's one of the best rants I've read in ages.

[MoonRise]

Seems to be fairly accurate of the tone set in what was stated.

[GreyGeek]

That's creepy. "Get your government hands off my shoulders!" BWAHAHAHAHA

(Link to meme for the non-US folk.)

But, it was entirely true to form. She was hired by the personnel director to add to the number of employees under his direct supervision, which adds to his importance in the hierarchy. She was actually casting around for something to do when she came up with the messages idea. She found her niche when several do-nothing employees were transferred to his division and he made her supervisor over them. Anyone who ended up under her eventually was laid off, i.e., "re-organized" out of a job. Not that they were doing anything important anyway. Many were affirmative action hires whose resumes were bogus creations, and who were essentially illiterate. One claimed to have programmed in FoxPro but proved she couldn't tell the difference between Windows, Windows Explorer or FoxPro.

[NickStone]

Anyone got an XBox to watch films from Microsoft? You won't be able to do it much longer. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-28364511

[SteveRiley]

films from Microsoft

First I've ever heard of that. And from the description, it's nothing I'd want to watch. Maybe I just don't like "male-friendly titles."

OK, Feathers. Take your best shot

[Feathers McGraw]

Innocent little me? I couldn't possibly comment!

[GreyGeek]

First I've ever heard of that. And from the description, it's nothing I'd want to watch. Maybe I just don't like "male-friendly titles."

OK, Feathers. Take your best shot

[MoonRise]

[SteveRiley]

A laid-off developer from the Windows division discusses his situation.

[MoonRise]

Thanks! Was interesting to watch but in turn hate what he and others are put through.

[NickStone]

If he's a good developer it shouldn't take him too long to get another job. But it still stinks though when the company you've worked for so long makes you redundant simply because they want to reduce costs and increase profits for themselves.

Edit: I watched the video after typing my message. Now I know he's planning on becoming his own boss.

[GreyGeek]

Wow! Blind-sided and bush whacked in a single hour. Microsoft's new ceo, Satya Nadella, is going to make Microsoft focus on "productivity and platforms". Translation: "platforms" - what they've always been working on. "productivity" - fewer people doing the same or more work without a significant pay raise. My prediction is that the software quality of Microsoft's "platforms" will suffer significantly. Looking at the history of other companies that have taken similar steps when their market share begins to fade, IMO we are watching the beginning of Microsoft's death spiral.

Paul Sores Jr., a famous YouTuber of Mincraft and other gaming videos, dropped his consulting business and began making YouTube videos full time and is, apparently, doing very well financially. He has about 900,000+ subscribers. Barnacules apparently was given the equivalent of two months wages as a severance package. I don't believe that two months will allow enough time subscriptions to his channel to rise 145,00+ subscribers to a level that ad revenues from his current and new videos will generate the income he needs. Writing gaming software via his resurrected company may generate income, but there are only 24 hours in a day, and the family needs some of those hours.

I quit teaching and started my own consulting company, which I ran for 15 years before my last client gave me an offer my wife wouldn't let me refuse (kept me in town on evenings and weekends, instead of being gone for three to six weeks at a time). For the first few months it was a scary time. No guarantees of a regular check. When you don't work there is no money coming in. Taking a vacation when you are self-employed isn't the same because no one pays you while you are not working.

If he sticks with it Barnacles will have highs and lows, both ecnomically and emotionally, but I believe he'll make it because he appears to be a sharp fellow. If being self-employed doesn't generate the income he needs I have little doubt that a person with his experience and ability will be able to find a job in his areas of expertise at the income level he needs. He may not even have to pick up his family and move. It really depends on how much mental horsepower he really has.

EDIT: I checked out his channel and, true to his word, he posted another video, on 3D printing, sixteen hours ago, 8 hours after his layoff video.

[SteveRiley]

"productivity" - fewer people doing the same or more work without a significant pay raise.

Lots has been written about this peculiar turn of events in American history -- productiviy has been on the rise for 30 years, but wages have stagnated. (Meanwhile, planes still fly 550 MPH and I have yet to purchase a personal jet pack -- after 30 years of waiting! LOL)

Translation: "platforms" - what they've always been working on. My prediction is that the software quality of Microsoft's "platforms" will suffer significantly. Looking at the history of other companies that have taken similar steps when their market share begins to fade, IMO we are watching the beginning of Microsoft's death spiral.

I wouldn't be so quick to discount them -- yet. Azure, Microsoft's cloud platform, is quite good. Solid, capable, and resilient. Amazon Web Services still beats them feature-wise, but I'd have no problems running an IT shop out of either cloud. Google -- no, I simply don't trust them.

Barnacules apparently was given the equivalent of two months wages as a severance package.

It's probably much more. I had 11 years on the clock before my layoff, and my severance package was equivalent to 2/3 of one year salary.

[GreyGeek]

.... had 11 years on the clock before my layoff, and my severance package was equivalent to 2/3 of one year salary.

2/3'rd?


Barnacules should be able to find out if YouTube video ad revenues will generate enough income to meet his needs before half of that severance package is gone, assuming it is proportional to what you received.