The Monkey, a Pig, and a Cork - New comment on No Layoffs at Microsoft, and a Round-up of other R....

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "No Layoffs at Microsoft, and a Round-up of other R...":

Wow, Mini spins a damage control post! How freaked are you that you opened a can of worms with very far reaching impact to the company that no one can control?

What happens when the 15th rolls around and there is no layoff? Will the market punish the company for the tease?

What happens when the 15th rolls around and there IS a layoff? This post begs off your earlier one and will just show that this was pure damage control on your part.

The cat was out of the bag. You were much better off letting that post eventually leave the minds of the public. Now you've printed a retraction - one with semi-official sounding backing.

This subject is now lose-lose. At least if the rumors are true, you could be said to have good info or insight and that your data is reliable. Also, you could claim to dig in and despite the distasteful time of the RIF, gotten what you set out to do. Now it just seems like you don't have the balls should the company call your bluff and cut deep. An attrition-style RIF where the company lets normal attrition eventually lead it to 15% reduction would take years to accomplish. I cannot believe this is what you wanted. You wanted a lean, mean Microsoft. A 15% cut is how you get it.

You made your bed. I hope it keeps you warm at night.

(Anyway. Of the two post, both are composed of comments left here, the first reporting possible bad news, the second with some reactions to that, both dismissive and supportive. I'm rolling up what commentary appears here. And now I'm going to snuggle down in my nice warm bed.)