Comments

• David Gerard

  2009-01-07 15:25:35

  The comments on the current thread on Mini-Microsoft are really quite amazing to read. Assuming anonymous blog comments can be believed, Microsoft is trying to push out ~ 15% of current staff any way they can without having to call it a "layoff."

• Roy Schestowitz

  2009-01-07 15:27:55

  I began hearing about this several months ago (people getting the boot). That sure sounds like Microsoft. Also in the news today:
  
  http://www.pcworld.com/article/156525/satyam_chief_quits_admits_faking_financial_results.html?tk=rss_news
  
  It sure brings not-so-distant memories:
  
  “Microsoft’s perspective is best reflected by Bob Herbold, Chief Operating Officer, to whom the CFO reports. Bob very sincerely replied, “Bill, everyone is doing it.” My response was that Microsoft is a leader and that others are now seeking to emulate these fraudulent practices they have legitimized. Naturally Bob was not pleased by this perspective and that was our final conversation. A second informal response came when Microsoft asked PR Newswire to stop issuing my press releases.
  
  “Microsoft is PR Newswire’s largest client.”
  
  http://www.billparish.com/msftfraudfacts.html

• AlexH

  2009-01-07 15:35:31

  @David: I think you have to take those comments with a pinch of salt; "Mini-MS" is a blog with many people pining for the "good old days" at Microsoft where they were small, lean and dangerous.
  
  MS undoubtedly has to cut head count, but a 15% cut would likely scare the horses. Most other equivalent businesses are looking at 5% or something.

• Roy Schestowitz

  2009-01-07 15:36:58

  Not based on the figures that I've been tracking/accumulating (see IRC logs for details).

• David Gerard

  2009-01-07 15:39:19

  @AlexH - oh, absolutely. Even if the anecdotes are true, the plural of "anecdote" still isn't "data." However, it is certainly enough to warrant closer journalistic investigation. (Though the current wave of stories don't really do anything beyond using that minimsft thread as a source, whether stated or not.)

• AlexH

  2009-01-07 15:39:24

  @Roy: yeah, but that 15k number has basically come from one source if you track it back and everyone else keeps repeating it.
  
  MS have to announce the cuts in their quarterly report because a. they affect the stock price and b. they need to comply with labor laws. They can't hide large cuts.

• Roy Schestowitz

  2009-01-07 15:41:11

  But they have temps on contracts.

• AlexH

  2009-01-07 15:47:34

  However they're actually employed, they still need to announce it.

• Roy Schestowitz

  2009-01-07 15:52:55

  They can just not renew the contract.

• AlexH

  2009-01-07 16:03:07

  Unless they have many thousands of people whose contracts all conveniently come up in January, that's not really going to help them.
  
  Plus, they still have to announce it. Anything which can materially affect the company's future performance has to be disclosed, that's how the public stock exchanges work.

• Roy Schestowitz

  2009-01-07 16:08:12

  Ideally -- yes.

• David Gerard

  2009-01-07 21:19:12

  Yeah, everyone's waiting for the other shoe to drop.
  
  Popcorn?

• Roy Schestowitz

  2009-01-07 21:20:33

  That would be rude.
  
  5 Reasons Why Not to Be Shocked by Microsoft Layoffs
  
  http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2009/01/5-reasons-why-not-to-be-shocked-by-microsoft-layoffs.html
  
  Microsoft Planning Layoffs?
  
  http://news.digitaltrends.com/news-article/18789/microsoft-planning-layoffs
  
  Sign of the Times: First-Ever Microsoft Layoffs?
  
  http://www.von.com/news/sign-of-times-first-ever-microsoft-layoffs.html
  
  Report: "Massive layoff" unlikely at Microsoft
  
  http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/microsoft/archives/158470.asp?source=mypi
  
  Microsoft layoff rumors continue their swirl
  
  http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/010509-microsoft-layoff-rumors.html
  
  Microsoft layoff rumors swirl
  
  http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6202771.html
  
  Microsoft Mulling Layoffs?
  
  http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2009/01/05/microsoft-mulling-layoffs/
  
  Microsoft layoff rumors swirl
  
  http://blogs.zdnet.com/sommer/?p=285
  
  IBM, Microsoft, Massive Layoff Rumors
  
  http://www.adotas.com/2009/01/ibm-microsoft-massive-layoff-rumors/
  
  Rumor: Microsoft to Cut 15,000 Employees this Month
  
  http://www.dailytech.com/Rumor+Microsoft+to+Cut+15000+Employees+this+Month/article13841.htm
  
  Microsoft Feels the Economic Pinch
  
  http://rcpmag.com/blogs/weblog.aspx?blog=3044
  
  Microsoft Rumored to be Considering Job Cuts
  
  http://uk.i4u.com/article22469.html
  
  Microsoft restructure rumours abound
  
  http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2233271/microsoft-restructure-plans
  
  Microsoft prepares to chop workforce in first major jobs cull
  
  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article-1104450/Microsoft-prepares-chop-workforce-major-jobs-cull.html
  
  Microsoft Thinking Over Thousands Of Redundancies
  
  http://www.topnews.in/microsoft-thinking-over-thousands-redundancies-2104421
  
  Microsoft To Lay Off [Your Guess Here]
  
  http://www.examiner.com/r-5095305~Microsoft_To_Lay_Off__Your_Guess_Here_.html
  
  Redundancies on the way at Microsoft?
  
  http://www.developmag.com/news/31028/Redundancies-on-the-way-at-Microsoft
  
  Rumors Of Microsoft's 15,000 Person Staff Cuts
  
  http://www.webpronews.com/blogtalk/2009/01/06/rumors-of-microsofts-15000-person-staff-cuts
  
  Stop Shrinking, Microsoft
  
  http://www.fool.com/investing/value/2009/01/05/stop-shrinking-microsoft.aspx
  
  Thousands of jobs under threat at Microsoft
  
  http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/thousands-of-jobs-under-threat-at-microsoft

• David Gerard

  2009-01-07 21:28:21

  As I said: all tracing back to Mini-Microsoft comments as the source. All the second sources named in those articles are sourced from minimsft (particularly FUDzilla) with a bit of "analysis" (random opinionation to fill space) or quotes from analysts who don't actually know anything solid either (again, to fill space). The state of tech journalism continues to be dismal.

• Roy Schestowitz

  2009-01-07 21:31:37

  Why did Microsoft decline to comment on (deny) the rumours?

• AlexH

  2009-01-07 21:33:09

  @David: particularly since minimsft seems to be backtracking over the previous rumors, since people rumbled that MS would have to let all the H1-Bs go first.

• David Gerard

  2009-01-07 21:34:22

  Because they're idiots, obviously. I mean, if you knew lots of your employees read and comment on Mini-Microsoft and continued to say nothing like this ... presumably someone thinks it's a good idea to neither confirm nor deny. That doesn't actually constitute a confirmation.
  
  (I'm thinking about what Wikimedia does with particularly stupid rumours that grow legs. Mind you, we do actually deny them once they get to the secondary reports. Not that Wikmedia is comparable to Microsoft, we're much more inept than evil.)

• David Gerard

  2009-01-07 21:35:21

  And also, not to say that the rumours aren't 100% true. That is indeed possible.

• Roy Schestowitz

  2009-01-07 21:36:54

  Why does Microsoft not deny them when asked?

• David Gerard

  2009-01-07 21:40:38

  Presumably because imitating Apple got them this far!
  
  Or because they're so dysfunctional they really don't know what to do for damage control. Or someone thinks the current rumour mill is actually a good idea o_0
  
  Even when there's malice aplenty, presuming stupidity is frequently in order.

• Roy Schestowitz

  2009-01-07 21:42:26

  They'd better do something about the people who are whispering. Their stock sank today.
  
  

  Intel's miss weighs on Microsoft shares

  
  
  "Shares of Microsoft Corp., the world's largest software maker, sank Wednesday after chip maker Intel Corp. said fourth-quarter sales missed already lowered expectations."
  
  http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/01/07/ap5889938.html

• David Gerard

  2009-01-07 21:47:08

  You can bet the stock price has their full attention. Like a rabbit in headlights.

• Roy Schestowitz

  2009-01-07 21:58:47

  I'll do a post about this pretty soon.
  
  http://www.hd-report.com/2009/01/06/both-microsoft-and-sony-closures-imminent/
  
  http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/e-40%20suffers%20from%20falling%20value%20of%20microsoft%20stocks_1090882
  
  http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2009/01/07/microsoft-setting-aside-seattle-expansion-plans
  
  Satyam Chief Quits, Admits Faking Financial Results
  
  "In a resignation letter submitted to Satyam's board, B. Ramalinga Raju said the company's balance sheet carries inflated bank and cash balances, non-existent accrued interest, understated liabilities, and overstated credit amounts owed to the company."
  
  http://www.pcworld.com/article/156525/satyam_chief_quits_admits_faking_financial_results.html?tk=rss_news
  
  “Microsoft’s perspective is best reflected by Bob Herbold, Chief Operating Officer, to whom the CFO reports. Bob very sincerely replied, “Bill, everyone is doing it.” My response was that Microsoft is a leader and that others are now seeking to emulate these fraudulent practices they have legitimized. Naturally Bob was not pleased by this perspective and that was our final conversation. A second informal response came when Microsoft asked PR Newswire to stop issuing my press releases.
  
  “Microsoft is PR Newswire’s largest client.”
  
  http://www.billparish.com/msftfraudfacts.html