Am I being Lisa-Turfed? New comment on Microsoft Company Meeting 2006

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft Company Meeting 2006":

Hey Mini,

I do think Microsoft needs to change. I do think Microsoft has a haves and a have-nots culture. Based on your posts below, it's clear you feel the same way.

I actually deliberately went out looking for your blog after today's company meeting to see what your comments would be. I expected a fair bit of cynical remarks... and quite frankly, until today, I never looked at your blog. It's only when LisaB alluded to you that I actually wanted to read your response and previous posts.

I admire your noble mission of changing Microsoft by voicing your opinion... but at some point, if you REALLY want the things around you to change, you have to either:
1) Make impact and change things around you... sometimes this is by voicing your opinions (as you have) or doing something more proactively.
2) Leave the environment you cannot change.

You've come to a crossroads quite frankly... I think you've stirred things enough to really highlight some of the issues the company has. I commend you for that. However, you're personally really stuck - your impact through your external blog is marginal, at best... and as for #2 --- ironically, your greatest value is in your anonymity... b/c no company would want to hire you if they knew who you were... you're their best weapon at Microsoft. So it's a catch-22 really... a really bad catch-22 for you.

For that, I feel sorry for you... you can't leave MSFT b/c the minute you did, you would have nothing to blog about... and NO - I don't believe you have something better... quite frankly, if I had thousands of people reading my blog, hell, I would have nothing better to do. :-)

And b/c you can't leave MSFT and you feel so hopeless, cynical and spiteful, you're not leading a great professional life... I can't believe you're progressing at MSFT with a cynical attitude.

The reason why I say cynical, the reason why I say hopeless... is not because you challenge MSFT - I respect that... it's because of your post after the company meeting.

Hell - I'm a cynic... I do love technology and want to make an impact.. that's why I'm here. But at the same time, I want to be as successful financially and professionally as possible... so if I found an environment that I thought offerred better, I would leave. Anyone would.

I genuinely feel sorry for you b/c you can't. Staying at MSFT is the only way you'll be happy in a dark way... b/c it's your blog you live for... As cheesy as I think this statement is, Gandhi once said 'You have to be the change you want to see in the world'. Even a cynic like me wants to roll up my sleeve and beat the competition!

As for Execs making a shit load of money and employees getting shit... a) execs at other companies make as much or more and b) the amount of stress execs have... I wouldn't want to trade my relatively stress-free life for the opportunity to make 5x.... the one thing that I can say without any doubt about execs at MSFT vs. other execs... they give a shit. Yes - they are millionaires. Yes - they could retire... but they work in long hours and try to beat the competition every day.

In closing, Mini - I'm cynical just like you. I think you have a choice... I say give up your day job (blogging) and make a positive difference. If you want to continue blogging, go ahead... but if you really didn't feel good after this company meeting, I don't think this company is for you. You might want to think about that... and re-consider going somewhere else. My guess is that, at best, you're an average employee... so you don't have better options than Microsoft... and that saddens me b/c you'll never stop blogging (which makes you 'above average')... I just wish you weren't mediocre and were really intelligent (you would leave) or were incompetent (were top-graded)... how ironic that the mediocracy you outline is a perfect reflection of you.

(Hmm, maybe it's the paranoia welling up in my mediocracy, but comments like this are beginning to seem just a little too coordinated.)