Mini-Microsoft Cutting Room Floor

You stupid nerd - New comment on Microsoft's Robbie Bach Retires... Whoo-Hoo! (And ....

2010-05-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft's Robbie Bach Retires... Whoo-Hoo! (And ...":

>Being a businessman and not a tech >type

You are a fucking retard. You think only "tech types" are the only ones who can have a clear vision? Are you so high on caffeine that you think only "tech types" can rule the world?

Read the story, you stupid nerd. Jobs was the business guy, Woz the "tech type".

Don't get me wrong. This is not a knock on "tech types", they are valuable and drive innovation. But "business" guys do too.

What a moron.

Oh, and you don't forget. The technological "innovation" brought by Bill Gates was almost zero - always stealing from IBM, Apple, etc. But Bill Gates' REAL genius was on the business model: software for the mass markets.

(Clean-up what you're saying without the lame attack and it will make it through moderation)

12 Days of Unemployment - New comment on Microsoft Layoff 2009 Completes Last Milestone and....

2009-12-29T21:48:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft Layoff 2009 Completes Last Milestone and...":

Dedicated to laid off American Microsoft workers who lost their job as a result of H-1B and L-1 visa program fraud and abuse.

I hope all laid off Americans have a roof over your head and a warm meal this holiday season.

On the first day of unemployment, my H1 gave to me #1 Microsoft rank visa sponsor rank http://tinyurl.com/msfth1b

On the second day of unemployment my H1 gave to me
• 22, 726 Microsoft H-1B hires 2001-2008 http://tinyurl.com/msfth1b

• 20% Fraud Rate H-1B applications http://tinyurl.com/h1fraud

On the third day of unemployment my H1 gave to me
• 324,000 unemployed workers in WA State as of Nov 2009 USDOL

On the fourth day of unemployment my H1 gave to me
• $414 million lost US wages in 2008 for 4,571 H-1B Microsoft employees in WA State http://tinyurl.com/h1flc

On the fifth day of unemployment, my H1 gave to me
• 5,800 laid off Microsoft employees in 2009 (MiniMicrosoft)

On the sixth day of unemployment, my H1 gave to me
• $68.5 million H-1B wages for 827 H-1B "other computer jobs, $70 million lost wages for jobs for displaced USA families in WA State http://tinyurl.com/h1flc

On the 7th day of unemployment, my H1 gave to me
• $7.2 Billion H-1B salaries for 103,820 lost jobs and wages for American workers in '08 http://tinyurl.com/msfth1b

On the 8th day of unemployment, my H1 gave to me
• $87,371 Microsoft greencard and $90,327 Microsoft H-1 average H-1b salaries. Note annual WA per capital WA income less than $45,000 . http://tinyurl.com/msfth1b

On the 9th day of unemployment, my H1 gave to me
• 9.2% unemployment rate in Washington State (USDOL)

On the 10th day of unemployment, my H1 gave to me
• 10,751 lost jobs in Washington State with $887 million wages and for American workers I http://tinyurl.com/h1flc

On the 11th day of unemployment, my H1 gave to me
• 11.7% decline in Microsoft stock price following Microsoft Jan 2009 layoff announcement (news reports)

On the 12 day of unemployment my H1 gave to me
• 241,000 unemployed American tech workers "substantially" exceeded by H-1B workers , their replacements in the same profession http://tinyurl.com/h1outnumberusa

Layoff Service Pack - New comment on Microsoft Layoff 2009 Completes Last Milestone and....

2009-11-18T23:19:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft Layoff 2009 Completes Last Milestone and...":

Hullo Mini,
We have been hearing rumors of another round of layoffs starting January. So the last milestone just crossed may be an early release with a Service Pack following shortly afterwards. What says you?

(I've been thinking of it as a Service Pack as well. If it, uh, happens.)

Great Comment, Layoffs, but - New comment on Microsoft Layoff 2009 Completes Last Milestone and....

2009-11-09T07:51:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft Layoff 2009 Completes Last Milestone and...":

Whether the grapevine guy is correct or not, I just think it's beyond ridiculous that the SLT can't seem to get things right with these layoffs. I still do not understand why we cannot cut once and deep, and then be done with it.

I suppose, one reason might be, the company has got so much fat, that it'll take a while to figure out where all the bloat is. So, we may have to live with this until we do get to a point where the job is finally completed.

I sure hope there aren't any layoffs in December. Just let people enjoy the holidays, and then you can do it in January. Heck, if there are to be cuts in December, why the hell were they not included with the Nov. 5 group?

Now, as far as bad managers and naming names, etc, one thing I want to talk about is the practice of people following their managers around like clockwork. I suppose you can also say the managers are making sure certain directs always follow them to their new teams, like the loyal lapdogs that they are. I mean, doesn't HR see a flag when certain people have always had the same manager during their entire Microsoft existence? If you've been here for 10, 12, 15 years, and you've always had the same manager, that does not pass the smell test, period.

One such pair is CUT!

(Would have been a great comment, but unless they are executive / Partner level, I'm not into naming names here)

Dec 4th layoff + recaptcha tea leaves - New comment on Microsoft Layoff 2009 Completes Last Milestone and....

2009-11-08T12:41:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft Layoff 2009 Completes Last Milestone and...":

Mini,

Dec 4th. There's another round.

Even Google's recaptcha is impedg (impending)

(Here I go again: we'll see.)

Right on the Nose - New comment on Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F....

2009-11-03T22:53:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F...":

Nov. 4 prediction was right on the nose. Thanks to all of the posters who provided useful tips for being prepared.

(We'll see.)

Facts from Non-Trolls - New comment on Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F....

2009-11-03T22:50:00.000-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F...":

There *will* be a layoff on Nov 4. My good friend at MSFT confirmed it to me yesterday. I'm not a troll. It's fact.

(We will see what the new morning brings)

STB Layoffs - New comment on Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F....

2009-10-25T22:18:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F...":

STB is getting ready to do layoffs during first two weeks in Nov.

(CRF'ing these for now)

Office Layoffs - New comment on Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F....

2009-10-25T22:16:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F...":

Office has scheduled layoffs on Nov 10th.

(CRF'ing these for now)

8,000 for next layoff - New comment on Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F....

2009-10-22T21:50:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F...":

I have it from a pretty good source that a 7% layoff is locked in and 8000 people will be getting the boot.

I've also heard that lessons were learned from last time and there will be a concerted effort to not make the same mistakes (firing people that you have to hire back next day as independent consultants, dragging it out, allowing leaks, etc)

Could it be false? Of course. Only time will tell. But I would put my personal confidence in the source at about 60%, so take that for what it's worth. If I had to bet I'd bet we see the 8000 or so folks getting cut pretty soon and overlay resources taking the brunt of the hit.

(CRF'ing these for now - looks like we'll get Layoff Version 3 right)

11/4 Layoff Wrong - New comment on Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F....

2009-10-22T21:43:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F...":

Mini, you're wrong to CRF the layoff that IS coming on 11/4.

(Does this make me doubly wrong? Offer me proof - like which groups and specific conference rooms booked by HR - and it won't be CRF'd)

11/4 Layoff - New comment on Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F....

2009-10-22T07:52:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F...":

mini, no biggie if you want to push the 11/4 layoff messages to CRF, but it's not a rumor, it's definite. severance packages are being prepared for managers to sign, conferences rooms are being booked by HR admins, etc. this board will likely be the best place for people to share information given the very minimal information that will be sent internally.

(When the time comes, sure. If someone could point me to the booked conference rooms as an example, that would elevate this up from rumor to a threat.)

WEX + EPG get shafted - New comment on Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F....

2009-10-21T21:07:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F...":

And I can not imagine that we (and by "we" I mean the Microsoft Senior Leadership Team) would be so dumb as to release our flagship product on a Thursday and turn around and fire a bunch of people the next day.

Prepare to expand your imagination a bit. We won't announce on Friday, but the next round (no, not the last) will be announced before the Thanksgiving holidays. EPG and Windows getting the shaft this time. Not Steve. Not KevinT. Not Robbie. Not the BOD.

**sigh**

(CRF'ing these for now)

11/4 Stealth Layoff - New comment on Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F....

2009-10-21T18:51:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F...":

trust me, the layoffs are coming on 11/4. it is much more under the radar and on a need-to-know basis, with no big communications but it is happening. I know of a 6-person team getting axed, as well as a team going from about 35 to 30.

and assume the next one will be in +3 months, etc. again all under the radar.

(CRF'ing these for now)

Layoffs! Booga Booga - New comment on Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F....

2009-10-21T18:47:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F...":

Hey Mini - Nov. 4th - 5000 less people will be working at MS.

(CRF'ing again)

Mini-Tragedy - New comment on Quick Thoughts on the Microsoft 2009 Company Meeti....

2009-10-20T21:46:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Quick Thoughts on the Microsoft 2009 Company Meeti...":

I hope you sociopaths who put the corporate needs (a "mini" microsoft) before human needs are happy.

Let me tell you a story of one former microsoftie who once lived in Sammamish and with family and pets who got "downsized".

Because of his INCOME LOSS, he had to go through bankruptcy and foreclosure of the home he and his family lived in for the past 15 years while employed at Microsoft.

"Fortunately" he found a job at Home Depot but the depressed wages does nothing to replace in former income and living standards.

Now that his family has to vacate their home, the bankruptcy and foreclosure has marred their credit rating making it difficult for them to find a rental. Not only have they been displaced out of their home but the possibility of homelessness is VERY REAL. Oh and forget about the pets he had to put them "asleep".

If I was in his shoes I would have said FUCK this and left the country and since the banks got bailed out on the taxpayer dime. I would skip all of my debts since I paid my taxes and the banks got my tax money.

So you sociopaths should consider these aspect while you dream for a smaller Microsoft that will in the end only benefit Ballmer and his cronies.

(CRF'd - language. Language.)

Rumor on MSFT India - New comment on Quick Thoughts on the Microsoft 2009 Company Meeti....

2009-10-18T22:25:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Quick Thoughts on the Microsoft 2009 Company Meeti...":

Hey, just heard MSFT India is going to cut few more jobs. List getting ready in HR office. Anyone confirm?

(CRF delight)

Next Round of Layoffs - New comment on Quick Thoughts on the Microsoft 2009 Company Meeti....

2009-10-13T23:05:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Quick Thoughts on the Microsoft 2009 Company Meeti...":

For anyone thinking about quiting hold on until the first week of November and pick up your layoff package as you exit. I have been told by contacts I trust that the next round is scheduled to occur at that time.

(CRF rumor central here)

Rumors - New comment on Quick Thoughts on the Microsoft 2009 Company Meeti....

2009-10-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Quick Thoughts on the Microsoft 2009 Company Meeti...":

A bigger layoff wave is coming soon. Heard it from a GM.

(Might as well CRF these)

Whiny over-privileged douchebags - New comment on Microsoft Has Turned The Corner.

2009-07-25T10:22:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft Has Turned The Corner":

"The "it's not personal, it's just business" line that is often repeated in times of layoffs is pure BS. It is ALWAYS personal. It was personal when they told you that you had to "own" your job. It was personal when you spent your evenings at work to meet a deadline, forgoing time with your family."
.
No, they just tricked you into thinking it was personal. I admit, it IS deceptive on their part. They flatter you, say you're the best of the best, give you a bunch of benefits, tell you you're doing critical/important work, etc. Ultimately the company's loyalty to you (or the community) is not an official priority for anyone--not your lead, not your manager, not the executives, not the shareholders, etc.

I'm sorry... who tricked you? What kind of dumbass goes to work for a monopoly conglomerate and expects to be treated like a human being?

You whiny over-privileged douchebags really need a reality check -- welcome to capitalism. If you want to hug your boss and hold hands with the people you work with, you really need to find a different line of work. When you go to work for Microsoft, you step into the belly of the beast. If you ever forget you're in the belly of the beast, you have nobody to blame but yourself.

Great to the last sentence - New comment on Microsoft Has Turned The Corner.

2009-07-13T08:27:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft Has Turned The Corner":

amused at the swarm of "Microsoft is irrelevant/none of my friends use it" comments after MONTHS of inactivity on Mini...yeah, it's so irrelevant you obsessively track a blog about Microsoft and leap to your keyboards the second a new post goes up

lol what up Steve Jobs, is your AIDS in remission?

(Great response… up to the last sentence.)

Windows 7 junk? Nope - New comment on Microsoft Has Turned The Corner.

2009-07-12T21:56:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft Has Turned The Corner":

You call Windows 7 innovative? It's a piece of junk. Vista with a slightly newer UI and the same mess under the covers. Bing?? That's the strategy for search? Give me a break. In a recent poll most users cannot tell the difference between Google and Bing. Bing is, at best, disruptive to Google, but is far from a winner.

Let's face it, Microsoft has lost big time! People are getting more and more fed up with the crap put out by Microsoft. Microsoft is heading down the path of IBM... the path to being irrelevant.

(Sorry, but I've been dogfooding Win7 for a good long time and it's not junk. Lost me there. But I'm willing to hear more about your direct experience and what you expected to do differently than it did.)

Until Apple what? - New comment on Microsoft Has Turned The Corner.

2009-07-12T21:54:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft Has Turned The Corner":

Windows Mobile has lost credibility and is sinking in the marketplace. The Zune is on life support. Thanks to design flaws and a huge paydown on future repairs, the XBox may never make a profit. Bing is gaining...well sure but double the number of Bing users and you've still got squat bucket. Marketing learned nothing from the Vista debacle - you have too many Win7 versions. There should be only one. Treat everyone to the same features and stop nickel and diming us. We are nearing the Win7 release and still don't have firm plans for a family pack.

Turning the corner? When you are nostrils deep in a manure pile you don't celebrate because the level dropped to your lower lip! Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for MS to actually create a product the market wants instead of copying everyone else. Turning the corner? MS has to wait until Apple farts before it knows where the corner is.

(I was leaning towards posting until the whole fart thing)

Comment Stream - "Microsoft Has Turned The Corner"

2009-07-12T16:21:00.000-07:00

Unmoderated comment stream for the latest Mini Microsoft post "Microsoft Has Turned The Cornder." And yes, anonymous comments are currently turned off. You can find my comment in one of the recent posts as to why. You can still post unmoderated comments, you just need to do so through a Google / Blogger ID or through an OpenID. And behind the edits: here's the bit I was going into the weeds on that I gave up. Basically, I was making the argument that we in product development should focus on just being engineers creating a product and that we had allowed ourselves to become way too specialized, actually lobotomizing our ability to get good work done. In unpolished form:

For product development: Yahoo!'s Carol Bartz has a good point when she swears like a sailor over the number of designers and program managers vs. actual developers. In fact, at this point in the history of Microsoft, we need to hit the career reset button: the PM / Test / Dev path has diverged people like Eloi and Morlocks. What I mean is that career development in most groups has become a walled garden of "...oh, the PM will figure that out..." or "...that's not my job, it's the <insert other discipline>'s job..." At the basic level, the PM / Test / Dev designation helps basic ownership. But it has really gone way to far at Microsoft.

What we need to be are engineers. Engineers who code. Engineers who design for our customers and that connect with our customers. Engineers who create automation. Engineers who plan product strategy. Engineers who hammer on the features and rip that little black box apart into scraps. Engineers who can claim responsibility for all of the feature's lifecycle, and for all of the product.

I think of that demotivation.com poster: "None of us is as dumb as all of us." The dumb part is acquiescing all thinking and decision making based on discipline ownership. Too often, teams spend a huge amount of time planning, a huge amount of time stabilizing, and a slice of time actually writing the features, cutting all of the features limb by limb you loaded up on your planning until you've reached a weary consensus of what's left you can do. It's better than the past but it is still hugely inefficient. You need engineers who can demonstrate end-to-end feature development, from rough design to prototype to stable implementation to quality release. You need engineers who can sell their feature ideas with entrepreneurial zeal through running code, not decoupled from reality with Photoshop and PowerPoint.

Who do we keep around? Those folks. Who - from product development - do we throw into my 15,000? The folks walled off into one small part of being an Engineer at Microsoft. Specialization is for insects.

American Jobs - New comment on Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O.

2009-06-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O":

Useful job search information for laid off Microsoft workers here: http://tinyurl.com/l75wzf

Highlights
- Labor Market Info: In demand careers, outlook
- Career Development: Guidance, Assessments
- Job Search: Networking Groups, Associations,
- Resumes, Interview Techniques
- Job Opportunities, Careers and Internships
- Job Training – Free technical classes
- College Training
... and more

Who owns this helpful job seeker site? The MS Immigration Family Network.

A restricted, member-only site for Microsoft Corporate Visa Workers (H-1b and L-1) and their families dedicated to helping guest worker families find jobs (replace Americans) and go to college (instead of my kid).

New Washington State Law: In-state tuition rates for Microsoft guest worker families http://tinyurl.com/mobqzt

Olympia: Who suffered cuts to subsidize tuition for highly paid, temporary Microsoft guest worker families?
- 110,000 Basic Health Insurance members who lost health coverage due to recent job losses?

o Federal Gov't study shows that H-1b workers "substantially" outnumber and exceed 241,000 laid of American tech workers.
http://tinyurl.com/pj5b35

- 2,500 teachers layoffs with $1.5 billion school funding cuts? Is this enough to subsidize highly compensated, employed, TEMPORARY Microsoft corporate visa workers?

Guest Worker family member jobs – Decrease the shrinking pool of American jobs
o L-1 visa spouses can work. H-1b can't but may be student visa workaround for job

o With this loophole, your teenager may not find a summer job. Instead, the job may be filled by a newly arrived 'student visa' spouse of a Microsoft corporate visa worker.

The corporate visa program is plagued by fraud and abuse. Today,
- It is legal for employers to discriminate against qualified Americans by firing them without cause and recruiting only H-1B guest workers to replace them.
- It is legal to hire H-1B even when a qualified U.S. worker wants the job and a U.S. worker can be displaced from the job in favor of a foreign worker."

In April, Senator Durbin introduced Bill S 887, to reform Corporate Visa Fraud and Abuse and protect American workers.

There's some great progress happening across the federal government to crack down on fraud and abuse. Corporate Greed run amok and bottomless lobbyist dollars created laws that benefit corporations, not people.

American Tech Workers, Help us help you.
Tell Your Senator to Pass S887 to end Corporate Visa Fraud and Abuse.

Visit www.brightfuturejobs.com for more information

A New Hope - unless you're H1-B - Cinco de Fire-O.

2009-05-30T12:35:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O":

Laid off Microsoft workers - Big news and hope...

H-1B workers outnumber unemployed techies

See Computerworld 5/26/2009 for details

As unemployment among tech workers increases with the recession, the U.S. government is raising broad questions as part of a federal case over H1Bs about the connection of visa fraud to the unemployment of IT workers.

The U.S. is "prepared to demonstrate to the court the manner in which the defendant's schemes, along with similar schemes by similar companies have substantially deprived U.S. citizens of employment."

(…only here because this stuff has proven to be as explosive as a slight against thin-skinned Apple fans)

F-Bomb Bronze Star - New comment on Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O.

2009-05-29T22:12:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O":

Didnt someone have the intution to announce only when it is really available for search, since people who read news will want to try it.Holy shit, you may be right. I'll bet you the dozens and hundreds of fucking people spending the last six months planning for this fucking Bing rollout shit will read your comment and think, "Holy shit! How did we miss that? This brilliant genius anonymous person just found the gap in our plan. Fuck me! Never occurred to us. Thank goodness he constructively notified us of the raging gap in our plan via an anonymous posting on the fucking Mini Microsoft blog. God, I wish we knew who the fuck this brilliant genius is so we could just hand the roll out over to them. Fuck me, we really blew it. I'm done. Wow. Huh. Wait for go live to kick off the roll out plan. How did we miss that?"

I'm sure the Bing team will spend time today brainstorming their next move in the roll out. Because they certainly have not thought this through already. They must be flying by the seat of their pants, making it up as they go. There is no way they are following a plan here.

(bing on the f-bombs!)

Once we have that PowerPoint compiler, we'll never need Devs - New comment on Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O.

2009-05-24T20:49:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O":

Microsoft needs more PMs. You know what, PM gives vision. Look at Win7, what a product PMs did. Looks at IE. Looks at Office. All PMs. Dev is overhyped. Volt can do that work.

(I can hear Yahoo!s CEO swearing all the way from California.)

Marketplace - looking to chat with those in the 5,000

2009-05-12T22:26:00.001-07:00

Not a typical Cutting Room Floor post - just a quick way to pass on a request from the American Public Media program Marketplace to get in contact with folks who have been through a Microsoft layoff:

The public radio show Marketplace is looking for people who can give us insight into what happens after a layoff. Use this link to talk to the show: http://tinyurl.com/d2nzqd

Getting laid off can be an isolating experience in which work-based connections and relationships break down. But some companies, like IBM, Lockheed Martin and Microsoft, are making efforts to stay in touch with laid-off employees through online social networks and other means.

If you've been laid off, have you kept up relationships with your former employer, or your coworkers? Did you burn bridges, or leave on good terms? And if you are staying in touch via a "corporate alumni community," what's that like? Do you feel it's for your benefit...or the employer's, so they can find you when it's time to start rehiring?

How have you maintained work connections post-layoff? Talk to Marketplace: http://tinyurl.com/d2nzqd

Thank you,

Joellen Easton

Analyst, Public Insight Journalism

Blogger, The Trading Floor (http://www.publicradio.org/columns/marketplace/tradingfloor/)

Marketplace | American Public Media

jeaston@marketplace.org

Yer all a bunch of kitties - New comment on Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O.

2009-05-12T22:21:00.000-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O":

"Actually, a lot of people that are left are so wrapped up in their jobs that they're living inside a vacumn. They think about it and then get along with what they were doing. That's the problem. If they really cared, there would be an uprising. I heard some mention that they would have taken a pay cut if given the chance. But nobody has organized any efforts to do that. It's just human nature, sadly."

It is definitely human nature to be scared, but I have never seen a bigger bunch of pussies than software engineers, foreign (especially the foreign ones who think they are so courageous to have come here but are infact running away from something that plagued them at home, in their home country), or domestic.

Unionizing software engineers can and ought to happen, but since the whole lot of them do not have the cojones to organize and act as a united front, it will not happen until the situation is a lot more dire than what it is now.

What they'd rather do is play foosball, get drunk, and be reactivists instead of activists...

That's what is at the heart of a software engineer.

(Kitties!)

Out of control greed - New comment on Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O.

2009-05-06T21:31:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O":

As an American born, white male over 40, who was laid off 1/22 I believe the layoffs are an excuse to get rid of 1) Americans and 2) Older employees.

Ya, ya, I know they laid off younger people and minorities because I saw them when I was in the DBM training classes. But you have to realize some people got to keep their card key and some didn't. Those who kept their card key in order to access the careers website were collateral damage just for Microsoft to cover their arse against lawsuits.

So I went contract... and got laid off again. Microsoft is deflating the contractor levels IN ADDITION to cutting the hourly pay rates.

It's "out of control greed", the same out of control greed that caused this economic depression in the first place: http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04032009/watch.html

what ever you do, don't drop the soap at Microsoft... because if you do your spokes won't be straight any longer.

Light fuse - New comment on Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O.

2009-05-06T21:25:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O":

Fellow laid off Microsoft workers over 50 - thought this might be helpful.

The Supposed Immigrant Talent
http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/ProgrammersGuild/files/ Supposed- immigrant-talent.txt

We keep seeing several articles, by people like Vivek Wadhwa, talking about the innovative qualities of immigrants or guest workers coming here from other countries and pointing to YAHOO and GOOGLE as the perfect examples. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but this is a fallacy.

Yahoo was started by David Filo born in Wisconsin, educated at Stanford and Jerry Yang, born in Taipei, raised in San Jose since age 8, educated in the USA at Stanford.

Google was started by Larry Page, born in Michigan, educated at Stanford and Sergey Brin, born in Moscow, raised in the USA since age 6, post graduate work at Stanford.

So what we see is that they were not educated at some diploma factory in India, China or Russia, instead they received their education here in the United States; since elementary school even. They studied Computer Science or Math or Electrical Engineering in US colleges and Stanford is the common factor...

Do we see a pattern here? All these technology companies were founded by persons born and educated or raised and educated here in the United States; not India, not mainland China, not Russia.

Just because they hired a bunch of kids from India in order to replace their aging work force and suppress wages in the late 90's and early in this decade, doesn't mean squat....

Now India pumps out Engineers ...as fast as India's unsustainable population explosion but does that make them more innovative, more intelligent, more motivated? Hardly, just more populous.

As for actual studies, one was reported in 1996 that shows that of 250 randomly sampled patents registered between 1988 and 1994, 48 were issued to foreign born inventors; however these inventors were educated in the United States. Of the sample shown, most immigrated from Europe and the Far East (China, Korea); 3 from India.
To Vivek:

Let's see now Mr. Wadhwa, who are the most innovative of this planet's population?

Yes, immigrants can be or are highly motivated innovators, but so are citizens of the United States.

This country created the technology wave and people like yourselves with your charged rhetoric have simply been riding it.

When is the last time you heard of a citizen of the United States stealing industrial secrets from China or India? NEVER! Yet there are many instances of this occurring here in the US by foreign nationals.

Your paper on immigrant entrepreneurs failed to ask several other pertinent questions:

In what country were you raised the majority of your life? In what country did you get the majority of your education?In what country did you get your advance degree?

These are relevant questions and the absence of them in your paper is indicative of a seriously flawed and biased study meant to skew our perception rather than enlighten it.

I agree on the need for this country to make room for the best and the brightest, but I also believe that the rest of the world needs them as well and if we are to create and perpetuate economic, social and political equality around the world you can't be creating inequality here in the most free and equal of countries on the planet, the United States.

Allowing international corporate and industrial conglomerates to shift working populations and economic disparity around the world for the purpose of profit without consideration of the consequence is unreasonable, unhealthy and irresponsible.

Using racist rhetoric, such as you have in the past, to make your skewed point is just as irresponsible. Are you a mouth-piece for opportunity or for corporate imperialism?
...

What I am is a fifty(50) year old software engineer with twenty-five( 25) years progressive experience in the science of Information Technology that has been ejected from American labor force by cheap, under-educated, youthful labor; brought here solely for the purpose of breaking the economic back of middle class Americans.

The non-immigrant guest worker program in this country is seriously flawed and needs to be fixed; period.

(…and step back)

It is the internets - New comment on Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O.

2009-05-06T21:24:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O":

This blog is a complete waste of time. I keep expecting it to be a constructive place, but I'm always disappointed in its real role as a rallying point for the ignorant and over opinionated.

(Oy.)

Comment Stream - "Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-o"

2009-05-05T08:03:00.001-07:00

Unmoderated comment stream for the latest Mini-Microsoft Post "Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-o"

Layoff Confirmed - New comment on Microsoft FY09Q3 Results.

2009-05-02T16:12:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft FY09Q3 Results":

So it has been confirmed...Ballmer sending an email Tuesday, May 5th, at 6:00am about new round of layoffs and further restructuring...Good luck everyone!

(Come on. Confirmed how?)

Start Making Sense - New comment on Microsoft FY09Q3 Results.

2009-05-02T10:14:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft FY09Q3 Results":

"After the quarter closed Microsoft leadership issued guidance to all organizations for Q4 spend to remain flat to Q3. For MSIT this would have meant reducing our plans by $36.3m, as we had forecast to increase spend from $292.3m in Q3 to $328.6m in Q4. Ultimately SMSG funded an exception for MSIT allowing us to increase spend by $22.2m to $314.5m in Q4. All organizations have received new Q4 targets and we are working together to adjust our plans for Q4.

No updates after this 4/24 mail from Tony Scott on Head cuts,etc who believes greatly on greatly on transparency except story mails.

But we've started our big time lay off without any tranparency cuts this time during start of Q4 itself."No wonder these Indians are getting laid off -- none of them make an ounce of fucking sense.

If you make software the way you try to explain your business... god help you.

Ignorant - New comment on Microsoft FY09Q3 Results

2009-04-25T12:25:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft FY09Q3 Results":

Gosh, so many ignorant and one-point of view thinking people in here. Company picnic is a good event for people have kids. It is lots of fun for them. but kinds of boring for young single employees. So don't blame anyone. It isn't a good thing to see it cancelled.

Mini, do you really think people in profitable division like Windows should be proud of? and they deserve more? That is most ignorant statement I ever see. Windows is the most bloated orgnization. I worked in several divisions. Lot of teams in Windows have the lowest working efficiency. Having a long release circle, people there work pretty "confortable". no overtime work, only half day at Friday, at least once a month of moral event, blah, blah... Don't blame E&D, people in E&D work twice harder than Windows, no moral event, no decent office space. Why E&D not profitable, that is market and management screw up. Did windows learn that too on Vista?

(Sorry, you lost me at "ignorant")

Comment Stream - "Microsoft FY09Q3 Results"

2009-04-22T19:39:00.000-07:00

Unmoderated comment stream for the post Microsoft FY09Q3 Results.

Bad Form? - New comment on Spitfire Backfire, Live Labs, and Not My 1,400.

2009-04-16T07:16:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Spitfire Backfire, Live Labs, and Not My 1,400":

"...a number of you are either in the non-presently-Microsoftie 1,400 or know plenty of people in that pool."

However, we appreciate that you left the original post sit out there unchecked for more than two weeks so those of us "non-presently-Microsoftie 1,400" could wonder what the hell was wrong with us.

I have to agree with this, Mini -- it was bad form to leave the original post for weeks after the comments started flooding in.

It feels like you had an ulterior motive for putting that statement out there.

(Bad form yes, ulterior motive no. I just found it pretty curious that everyone I knew affected [developers] were rehired.)

Comment Stream - "Spitfire Backfire, Live Labs, and Not My 1,400"

2009-04-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

Unmoderated comment stream for the post "Spitfire Backfire, Live Labs, and Not My 1,400"

Comment Stream - Shared Sacrifice and Microsoft Free Radicals

2009-03-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

Unmoderated comment stream for the post "Shared Sacrifice and Microsoft Free Radicals"

Pause Place to be Refresh - MSPoll etc

2009-03-11T08:23:00.000-07:00

Just a refresh to the unmoderated thread shadowing the latest quick post over at http://minimsft.blogspot.com/ .

A Place To Be While Mini Pauses

2009-02-04T19:02:00.000-08:00

Mini Pause. If you just gotta share a comment or two while the main Mini-Microsoft blog Takes Five (or however long it's gonna take), feel free to add it here. In all of it's unmoderated glory. Cheers.

New H1B Job Postings - New comment on 3,600 Microsoft Shoes Waiting to Drop.

2009-01-31T08:59:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "3,600 Microsoft Shoes Waiting to Drop":

Mini - I understand why people are sensitive about H1B visa holders already working at Microsoft. But, what about new job postings?

Why has Microsoft posted 462 new H1B jobs?
http://www.myvisajobs.com/Visa-Job-Sponsor/Microsoft-356252.htm

How can Microsoft turn their back on qualified people here in the United States? Can't Microsoft call a truce on H1B visas, at least until qualified US applicants have an opportunity to apply?

Your former co-workers lives are being uprooted, children being pulled out of school, ill family members need care and health insurance.

This is the only time in a highly successful 15+ year career that I've had to file an unemployment claim. The economy is in dire condition and this week's record breaking layoffs have overloaded the unemployment system - I had to wait over 45 minutes on the phone to ask a question, and by that time was in tears.

Hiring Managers, I urge you to please seek qualified US Microsoft alumni before posting jobs for H1B workers in far off lands. Your former co-workers, people who are your friends, neighbors, and colleagues, have worked hard and earned the right to a fair chance.

Thank you for your consideration. The job you save may be your own.

(Still in cool-down mode.)

Geez - please don't copy the entire comment - New comment on 3,600 Microsoft Shoes Waiting to Drop.

2009-01-29T21:19:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "3,600 Microsoft Shoes Waiting to Drop":

Anybody care to write an open letter to Steve Ballmer? I admit I don't have the balls to ask questions to Steve face to face in the town-hall meeting, but I really believe it is time for him to hear the voice from the field, loud and clear! Some of them may sound harsh, but I only said it because I still love this company and hope it can survive the next decade.

If I could, I'd make the following suggestions to Steve Ballmer and the top management team.

1. MSFT missed its quarterly estimation but Google IBM and Apple beat theirs. To blame our own failures to the economy is a convenient way to shrug away our problems. But last time I checked it, "Accountability" is still one of our company values. I believe now MSFT is facing the consequences of lack of vision and bad execution for a long time. It is a critical turning point for MSFT right now and I believe we still have a chance to turn things around if we act correctly and quickly.

2. We need a CLEAR SaaS strategy. We haven't been sitting on our hands and wasting time for way too long and need to address the problem immediately. Software is becoming a utility and computation is moving to the cloud. Turning a blind eye to this industry shift wouldn't do us any good. Our OS and rich client productivity software need to migrate to the online version.

I'm not saying we need to ship our online version of Office tomorrow, it is well known US still have a big chunk of dial-up users today, so are the rest of the world. But in this downturn economy environment, if we don't migrate online quickly, Google will kill us eventually. Period.

3. The company needs to value Engineering Excellence. I've been working for MS Service for over 10 years, and I feel this company now is far less valuing EE compared to it did 10 years ago. Managers are driving "initiatives". People are talking about "Compliance". What's the value of all these wonderful stuff if nobody is really working to create great software or help our customers? Why Xbox has the red-ring of death problem, and Zune has the stupid bug at the new year? Isn't that a clear enough sign MS isn't paying attention to product quality and customer experience anymore?

And how long do you think a company can survive since it starts to ignore product quality and customer experience?

4. We need to reduce our mid-management levels drastically. Too many levels of management is the company cancer. It prevents the top management from hearing what the customer is thinking, and it prevents the people in the front line from executing our top management's ideas efficiently. Take Vista as an example, since it comes out, our desktop OS market share dropped to below 90% for the first time in the last 10+ years. And I don't have one single customer or friend who tells me s/he loves it, yet when I went to TR our top management is CELEBRATING the victory of Vista on the stage. Sitting in the audience crowd, I was thinking to myself, what is fxxking wrong with this company??

5. We need to shut down Live search, Zune, and Window Mobile. We wasted tons of money on these areas and achieved nothing but proving ourselves morons compared to Google and Apple. After years of investing, Live search today may have 8% percent yet still shrinking market share. Zune? 4%. Windows Mobile? Apple beat its pants off with only one iPhone. Now it is time to admit we are not good at these areas, and let the competitors enjoy what they deserve to enjoy.

6. People in the product group and research group need to spend time with our customer, at least one month a year. From many email threads and conversation with the product team, I concluded that many of our product teams don't have the slightest idea of what the customers want and don't want. I have many frustrated customer who saw the product bugs reappear in the next release. What value is there for the customer if you keep adding features to the new release and reintroducing the bugs that are fixed in some QFE/service pack of last one?

If you actually do work for Microsoft, which I doubt, then you are really, really out of the loop. If you had access to company information, your thoughts wouldn't be based solely on public data... Go away, troll!

(Why copy so many lines for a two-line comment?)

Well That's Just Dreary - New comment on 3,600 Microsoft Shoes Waiting to Drop.

2009-01-28T22:40:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "3,600 Microsoft Shoes Waiting to Drop":

I hate to break the news to everyone but the simple fact of the matter is that MS is mature company in a maturing industry. If this company and the software industry were really growing then there would be no need for all the political games to see who is going to be the survivor.

The industry is canibalizing itself and the battle is over market share. The name of the game is lower unit cost of production, hence the importing of cheap and subservient labor.

Sure, there will continue to be marginal improvements. Aero is a nice UI touch but it really isn't anything transforming anyone's life.

Wall Street is doing what it does best and is pulling investment money away from and industry in decline.

So, for all of you purportedly best and brightest types in the Redmond ghetto, think about where you can best employ your talents. I don't think it's in the software industry. Think bioengineering and alternative energy.

When I look at the Redmond campus, I think about all the companies of the future that will be housed there someday. Of course all of the old timers will still refer to it as the Microsoft Campus but it will house the next generation of high tech.

I have to give the MS execs some credit. Just as Weyerhaeuser is reinventing from a fores products company to a residential real estate company, MS is transforming itself into a commercial real estate company.

For all you youngsters please note, the revolution is over, the wave has crested, the shark has been jumped. Go back to school and engage your talents elsewhere.

(Did BillG water ski over Judge Jackson?)

H1B Job Watch - New comment on 3,600 Microsoft Shoes Waiting to Drop.

2009-01-28T00:19:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "3,600 Microsoft Shoes Waiting to Drop":

New H1B Jobs posted for Microsoft Corporation
http://www.myvisajobs.com

Software Development Engin (37)
Program Manager (34)
Software Development Engin (25)
Lead Software Development (18)
Premier Field Engineer (18)
Lead Software Development (17)
User Experience Designer (14)
Marketing Manager (12)
Development Manager (11)
Lead Program Manager (11)

Location
Redmond, WA (407)
Bellevue, WA (55)
Washington, DC (32)
New York, NY (27)
Mountain View, CA (26)
Seattle, WA (26)
, (17)
San Francisco, CA (11)
Cambridge, MA (8)
Boston, MA (8)

(Sorry, but this has kind of run its course. Feel free to start up a new blog to discuss this.)

That Jawad Dude - New comment on 3,600 Microsoft Shoes Waiting to Drop.

2009-01-27T23:50:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "3,600 Microsoft Shoes Waiting to Drop":

Why does Jawad still have a job? He's not critical to anything we're working on. He's not a visionary, so he has no long-term value.

Why haven't we fired ALL managers (from leads on up) that don't have any direct reports?

(We get it. Folks really, really don't like Jawad. And never have.)

Bias? You're not reading well enough - New comment on 3,600 Microsoft Shoes Waiting to Drop.

2009-01-27T23:47:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "3,600 Microsoft Shoes Waiting to Drop":

Mini - i challenge you for your bias. i have seen so many anti-H1B posts but the opposite voice is not heard. do your job and stop the goddamn bias.

(I'm dropping some pretty vehement anti-H1B posts in the bit-bucket. I challenge you on your challenge.)

Spoonfed Microsofties - New comment on 3,600 Microsoft Shoes Waiting to Drop.

2009-01-27T23:45:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "3,600 Microsoft Shoes Waiting to Drop":

Can the MINI be constructive and focus on positive things instead of creating an environment where MS employees keep venting until they are tired of their BS?

No matter how hard you people vent, I am sure you are not going to get your jobs back. Some of the posts here are outright crazy. This is an example where even smart/cool people can crack under pressure. Will any company give specific metrics/criteria for layoffs? The only reason is financial condition and economic stability. Period. Welcome to free market society and corporate America!!! Stop whining and bitching!!!

Note to all the H1-B bashers! STFU! Did you really think there are so many qualified Americans for technology jobs? If you are a hiring manager, just look at the resumes you get from College grads OR talk to a friend who is interviewing or in a hiring manager capacity. You will know the difference. The facts are out there - too many high school and college dropouts. You will see a lot of Asian students, because they realize academics is their key to success. America values creativity/originality and pop/rock /american idol seems to be the answer here.

Here are a couple of good things to talk about:
- Groups that are hiring
- Surviving in a layoff
- Performance review (enough BS on this already)
- Innovativeness and startup company

Finally whatever, MINI's goal is and I personally don't care about that - He/She should stop for a minute and start thinking about how his posts for the few days impacts MS image and overall perception in the wall street and among the new and aspiring candidates. He/She doesn't care because he just wants the company to be skinned down. I wonder what he is going to do when the number goes from 95K to 15K or 1.5K. BS!!! May be he will just tear down his blog. Such a self-conscious narcissistic creature.

I have said this before. For many of you guys, MS is probably the first job out of college and you guys don't know shit about the way other companies operate. Consider for a minute, the diplomacy, tactfulness and the business instinct to launch a product without a test organization and lets see how you guys do it. Many companies don't even have a Q/A. Dev does testing, travel a few times to customer sites and sit in customer facing meetings.

You MSFTies are spoon fed, with a lot of garbage and so you puke a lot of shit in this blog.

Remember, surviving in a bigger company requires a different mind set - a mindset built out of tolerance and sophistication and less rough edges. I hope many of you get hired pretty soon not into MS, but in a startup company where you can work long hours and learn the appropriate values.

(Some good things in there. Some very not so good things in there.)

Hate H1Bs? - New comment on Microsoft Layoff 2009 - Day 2.

2009-01-27T19:22:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft Layoff 2009 - Day 2":

I am a temp H1B worker. I graduated with MS from a reputed university in US. I worked for 5 years in silicon valley and recently moved to MSFT. Hell did I know that people here(MSFT) hate H1B's so much. Should have know before I moved.

(Don't let a slice of comments here scale up)

All Call to Action - New comment on Microsoft Layoff 2009 - Day 2.

2009-01-25T18:23:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft Layoff 2009 - Day 2":

Friends, enough complaining. It's time for us to ORGANIZE and ACT.

The immigration system is broken..... Government, Media, Corporations, Co-workers, Shareholders - IS ANYONE Listening? WHO can expose the truth?

WHY isn't anything being done? How many more qualified US citizens, VOTERS, can wait for until the next round of H1B / L workers replace qualified American voters in our own backyard?

How can greedy billionaires continue to tell half truths and find loopholes in immigration laws to lower the overall cost of labor? And, how many government officials are involved in perpetuating the lie?

Fellow displaced Microsoft workers:
What ideas do people on this blog have to raise the volume and get the government to act NOW?

How do we get media attention and action? Lou Dobbs and Senator Grassley cannot be the only people who care about this issue.

Ask - List of contacts of people we need to reach

1. Government - People in positions of influence inside elected Officials offices - Senators, Congress, Governors. Don't know about you but submitting a form to my senator's website and a "thank you for your message" is getting ZERO accomplished.

2. Media contacts willing to investigate the abuse and expose the truth.

3. Advocates Special Interest Groups to advocate on behalf of displaced workers, American citizens formerly employed in the High tech Industry.

3. Influencers who can do something to stop the bleeding of American jobs.

4. Legal and legislative experts,

For God's sake, even the US Government knows that there is widespread fraud and abuse in the immigration system. Why isn't anything being done about it... report from the United
States Government Accounting Office ( GAO) on impact guest workers have on US citizens jobs http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03883.pdf

How many more qualified citizens can loose their jobs while to L and H visa holders remain? Insult to injury, the number of new H1B jobs increase daily - I counted over 160 openings since qualified displaced MS workers got the axe.

(You should fire up a blog or website and start making traction there; you are welcome to link here to relevant posts.)

Mini's a Partner? Hardly - New comment on Microsoft Layoff 2009 - Day 2.

2009-01-25T09:07:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft Layoff 2009 - Day 2":

"Recommendations: 1. Partner program eliminated immediatly. Full stop."

You do realize that Mini is a partner....don't you? If you got your wish, you would have to go somewhere else to kvetch.

(Okay, no more comments in this speculation. No, I am not a Microsoft L68+ Partner. You can only confirm this for yourself by imagining me getting out of my current elderly, beat-up faithful car at Freddie's, excited about this week's discounts.)

Hey, My Badge! - We'll See - New comment on FY09Q2 Results + Town Hall.

2009-01-21T20:53:00.003-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "FY09Q2 Results + Town Hall":

Layoff slated for tomorrow. Badges wont work on Friday morning.

Lots of Police - We'll See - New comment on FY09Q2 Results + Town Hall.

2009-01-21T20:53:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "FY09Q2 Results + Town Hall":

I can tell you that I heard from a reliable source with the city that the Redmond police have been asked to staff campus with as many off duty officer as possible tomorrow. I full expect to see a significant number of lay offs. That being said I agree with many others here... They'll take this opportunity to purge those employees that are under-performing.

Sad Day - We'll See - New comment on FY09Q2 Results + Town Hall.

2009-01-21T20:52:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "FY09Q2 Results + Town Hall":

It's a sad day for MSFT. I know for a fact that they will notify all of those who are being released on Thursday, including FTE and give them walking papers for a very near departure. And it will not depend on how you contribute or what your review history is like. It will be the orgs that management wants slimmed down. They are getting 60 days pay and some more based on time at the company.

Gerri Elliot is already gone - New comment on FY09Q2 Results + Town Hall.

2009-01-20T19:06:00.001-08:00

gizmo has left a new comment on your post "FY09Q2 Results + Town Hall":

Look for an announcement that Gerri Elliot is departing or in a new role.

(Yep already noted as (Former) as of 01/14/2009: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/elliott/default.aspx )

Sometimes a Cigar isn't just a Cigar - New comment on No Layoffs at Microsoft, and a Round-up of other R....

2009-01-15T21:29:00.001-08:00

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

Mini - time to re-add the layoff topic back to your main page. I wouldn't worry about any cigars (unless you are referring to the meat ones you smoke every night...)

(Duuude! Well, no, not if that is the level of discourse awaiting.)

H1Bs in a Down Economy - New comment on No Layoffs at Microsoft, and a Round-up of other R....

2009-01-03T19:39:00.001-08:00

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

The first group to go should be the H1B holders. If they're that good and vital let them work from our office in Bumfaq. I'd like to see Congress nullify all tech-related H1Bs now that the music has stopped. If we can layoff folks who were born and raised here we can't afford to be the world's employer. They do the same thing in India so why not here?

Motivation? - New comment on No Layoffs at Microsoft, and a Round-up of other R....

2009-01-03T19:37:00.001-08:00

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

The original lay off post which was clearly irresponsible and apparently largely based on the rumor mill and now this follow up post that doesn't appear to be moderated in any fashion has caused me to question the motivation of this blog...

(Your refund is in the mail. Oh, wait…)

This is OutsideMS, not InsideMS - New comment on No Layoffs at Microsoft, and a Round-up of other R....

2009-01-03T09:21:00.001-08:00

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

Can someone sum up / paraphrase the InsideMS response?

Sure would be nice to see something official straight from the horse's mouth, instead of the last few days of rumor-mongering.

Would be even better to see a post this weekend from Mini with his/her response to InsideMS's response. :)

(No. Direct InsideMS content is off-limits here. General discussion of it is not.)

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

2008-12-30T23:49:00.000-08:00

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.)

Ooo, Too Much Julie gossip for me - New comment on Rumors of Upcoming Microsoft Cut-Backs.

2008-12-28T22:47:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Rumors of Upcoming Microsoft Cut-Backs": Re: Julie Larson Green - er, no, she's not a great employee. Productive, sure. Talented, quite likely. Hard working, no doubt. However, great employees are aware of a little thing called discretion. They don't publicly discuss the working style and overall strengths and weaknesses of several VPs, as I personally overheard her do at the ProClub restaurant a couple months ago. They also don't xxx xx xxxxxxx, xxxxxxx, xxxxxxxxxxx xxx, xx xxx xxx xxxx xxx xx xx xxxxxxx, when she was a front-line manager in Office a few years ago. It's these subtle sort of character traits that really need to be represented more in our hiring and retention practices. It's not just mindlessly following whatever form the career ladder guidelines take this year. It's the sort of thing you see in true people managers, who are hired to be true people managers, who didn't get there because they're technically brilliant but hit a ceiling as an IC and so faked the "soft skills" to be able to make partner and beyond.

UR Spellin' it rong! - New comment on Rumors of Upcoming Microsoft Cut-Backs.

2008-12-22T08:28:00.000-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Rumors of Upcoming Microsoft Cut-Backs":

Agree with several of the comments here, though I think the economic downturn is more a convenient cover for the layoffs (though partially attributable). M$FT has never had much discipline in managing expenses, particularly justifying headcount growth. No one cared for the longest time b/c money just kept pouring in. Fiscal discipline seldom entered the picture. The company's been big for too long--upper mgmt is too far removed that it's really lost the "feel" for their business, let alone what it takes to execute on their plans (if they have a plan). Maybe annual zero-based budgeting would be the right forcing function...

- agent mulder lives

(Third rail of moderation: that is not how you spell MSFT)

Grammar galore - New comment on Achieving Senior Level 63 at Microsoft.

2008-12-21T14:57:00.000-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Achieving Senior Level 63 at Microsoft":

Grammar nitpicking is fine when it's accurate.

I'm not the original grammarian, but I'll bite.

"a HR manager" is acceptable if HR is meant to convey a spoken "a human resources manager" rather than a spoken "an aich arr manager".

I don't C Y U'd stop there. Y not make it EZ 4 the OP 2 use as few strokes as possible?

Seriously, if he's using an acronym simply to save keystrokes, he can afford to change "a" to "an" in order to remain grammatically correct. It's not that big a sacrifice and despite your assurance that it's "acceptable" I doubt you'd find too many English teachers who'd agree.

"haven't seen nothing yet" is a fairly common construction. "Ain't seen nothing yet" is a more popular variant of the same due to a song with that title and refrain.

"Common" doesn't mean correct. Far more people use the phrase "could care less" than use the one they invariably mean ("couldn't care less.") Does that mean it's okay to say "I could care less" when I mean the exact opposite simply because everyone else gets it wrong?

Saying you "haven't seen nothing" states the exact opposite of what is meant. There's a reason why even user manuals subject to the most lax of proofreading don't come out suggesting that the user "doesn't have to do nothing" once they've hit ENTER.

"Shock and awe awaits" is correct. My best guess is that you think it should be await. I give you the example from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/awaits "A busy day awaits" as evidence.

So your "evidence" that "await" is wrong is to use an example where "awaits" is correct?

"Shock and awe" are two words. Words. Plural. Unless you're referring to "Operation Shock and Awe" or some special case where the plural noun is understood as a singular term ("rock and roll IS here to stay" for example), then the correct verb should be plural to match case.

You AND I (do) disagree. You and I "does" not "disagrees."

So one legitimate missing punctuation mark, one matter of verbal interpretation, one popular idiom, and one completely correct phrase. Only 1 of the 4 [sic]s were legitimate. You've made 3 mistakes. Therefore, you are an HR manager.

Actually he was 4 for 4.

(Given how poor my grammar is I have deep respect for grammarians and all, but let us let this dog sleep now)

Apple is shameless? - New comment on Achieving Senior Level 63 at Microsoft.

2008-12-21T14:56:00.000-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Achieving Senior Level 63 at Microsoft":

NOTE: To the comment made by jcr and the retort by mini:

Mini, you are completely WRONG and so biased toward Microsoft, you don't see what is being thrown at you!!
- Apple launched iPhone and it has literally taken over the no. 1 spot in smart phones in NA. Windows Mobile (launched much before Apple) is working on version 7.0 of it's OS, and it has still got the worst UI. Version 7.0 has been delayed to keep up with competition. Shame on you!!!
- XBox - UI looks cool. What about all the constantly nagging problems that appear in the blogs and cnet? Has MS ever taken ownership? MS should be sued over a billion $ for their fiasco. Shame on you!!!
- Vista - What is so freaking great about vista? Why did MS even release Vista? Is it better than XP? I doubt it. I run both and XP is great!! Poor Strategy and marketing in deploying Visa over XP. Shame on you!!!
- When Apple released iPod, it built the s/w ecosystem around it - iTunes. MS released Zune and recently acquired Musiwave. Still not as popular as iPod. Shame on you!!!
- Business strategy - Apple did a tremendous job in pricing and operator tie-ups for iPhone. Look what MS did to Sony Experia? 600-800$ better than iPhone (?), but how many people buy it? Shame on you!!!
- Marketing strategy - There used to be a time when MS kicked butt. It has truly lost its game in the last decade. Gates/Seinfeld/Chopra- I am a PC too!!! Are you kidding me? Shame on you!!!
- AJAX, Cloud Computing - is there anything else that you want to start late and still accomplish?
- I still value MS as one of the leading IT companies to work for, far better than the other sucker- Google. But you have to hand it to Apple for coming back from behind and kicking butt. Apple is truly the comeback kid.
- Remember, you cannot argue with success. There is a reason Apple's share price is at hovering around 90 bucks and MS at 20. Main street knows MS's worth. Don't just piss around with your blind MS loyalty.

(AJAX? Who invented XMLHttpRequest again?)

Oh, enough about me - New comment on But Mini, I Want To Talk About....

2008-11-21T19:12:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "But Mini, I Want To Talk About...":

>Mini can actually write. And strategise. And chew gum!

All at the same time no doubt.

(*stumble* #crash# *oof!*… rubbing head… "Has someone seen my gum?")

The American Worker - New comment on Oy, an Extreme Bummer!.

2008-11-20T08:39:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Oy, an Extreme Bummer!":

I'm sure you won't post this mini, but you know it's true and it's a cancer within Microsoft today and it gets worse by the day so you can try to hide it for now, but it's there and growing and it's not going away.

In his quest to eliminate white male American workers from Microsoft under the disguise of "Diversity" Bill Gates has now built a region of the country overrun with Indians who boldly demand accelerated promotions and raises by calling out "Diversity" at all times and blatantly and openly discriminate against white America workers.

With unemployment so high in this country why is Microsoft allowed to continue to ship in more and more Indians, Chinese, and Russian workers? Isn't it time we send back all of the H1-B visa and green card workers? We as Americans can't go abroad to other countries to work as they protect their citizens by not allowing foreigners to take jobs their citizens need. Just try to go to India and get a job or buy a house or a business. Even try going to Europe and get a job - you, as a foreigner cannot. If you don't believe me then check it out for yourself.

We ALL need to boycot Microsoft products and stop letting the U.S. government provide protections and government contracts for Microsoft. If Gates wants Microsoft to be an Indian comoany then he should move it and himself to India and send all of these Indians back home where they belong.

The American Worker

(The party is over - tip of an iceberg?)

Spank! Lusty Level 65s - New comment on Achieving Senior Level 63 at Microsoft.

2008-11-18T21:58:00.000-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Achieving Senior Level 63 at Microsoft":

Reading most of these comments frankly makes me sick to my stomach. Apparently the way to get ahead at Microsoft is to "triangulate", "manage up", "make partner teams win", etc... etc....

There isn't a single post anywhere to the effect that listening closely to customers and delivering what customers are repeatedly asking for (and Microsoft repeatedly fails to deliver) will help you get ahead.

Instead to hell with the customers - make sure to triangulate your 360 feedback with your skip-level manager while creating effective v-teams blah blah blah .... more management double-speak.....

Here's a thought for all the ra-ra Microsoft types. If (when?) your overpaid behinds get laid off when the economic crash finally reverberates through Redmond, what exactly do you think you will be bringing to the table when you and 20 other laid off tech industry folks are all competing for table scraps? I'll give you a hint - in the real world no one gives a damn about your level 65 lust and all the political maneuvering that apparently goes with it.

(looks like a nice dystopian movie just waiting to happen…)

Slap! Teacher's Pet - New comment on Achieving Senior Level 63 at Microsoft.

2008-11-17T18:26:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Achieving Senior Level 63 at Microsoft":

Levels are meaningless. I can name many level 60 TAMs who exceed all those level 63 criteria but because the whole role is down leveled they can never progress above level 61. We all know many a level 63 where the phrase "how?" comes to mind.

In my experience of many organisations Microsot is the worst BY FAR in promotion being via being teachers pet. There is one skill that gets recognised the most: networking and managing up (aka brown nosing). Closely followed by taking credit for others successes without acknowledging and redefining failure as success.

Where are the genuine open job postings (as opposed to those where we all know who will get the job)? Where are the independent promotion boards for in job up levelings? Where are the genuinely measurable objectives (aka "Commitments" in strange Microsoft New Speak) that actually are measured at the end of the year?

(hold your right palm up, nice and flat…)

Slap! Who needs morals? - New comment on Achieving Senior Level 63 at Microsoft.

2008-11-16T11:56:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Achieving Senior Level 63 at Microsoft":

>> And I don't want to focus on them anymore
>> in this comment stream because it's not
>> helpful.

I think it is very much helpful. It shows another, easier way to get to higher levels. If one suspends his morals temporarily, one can zip right through 63 and 64 using this framework in just 2-3 years. I've seen it happen. I'm seriously considering doing this myself.

(hold your right palm up, nice and flat…)

Slap! Ass-kissing - New comment on Achieving Senior Level 63 at Microsoft.

2008-11-16T11:55:00.001-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Achieving Senior Level 63 at Microsoft":

A guy was converted from contractor to L61 fte 2 years ago. Every year he got a promotion. This year he is Senior dev lead.

Plenty of ass-kissing is his main success factor. I doubt he can make a serious loop for entry level hire.

(hold your right palm up, nice and flat…)

It's a good point, but... - New comment on Is Microsoft Recession Proof?.

2008-10-20T07:57:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Is Microsoft Recession Proof?":

Frankly, there is a much bigger issue for the future of Microsoft.

Schmidt is campaigning with Obama. If/when Obama wins he will make Schmidt CTO of the country. What then for MSFT?

Regardless of your other political beliefs, this is too important for MSFT as a whole. Who knows, if McCain wins he might "promote" Ballmer and we could get some real leadership around here.

I hate everything else about the GOP campaign and ticket, but since the Schmidt announcement, I'm gonna campaign/phonebank for them and donate to the RNC.

(It's probably a good point, but it's political lightning in a bottle, too, and could lead to an Apple-like discussion)

Ballmer + Inquirer - New comment on Compensatory Arrangements of Certain (Microsoft) O....

2008-09-30T19:39:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Compensatory Arrangements of Certain (Microsoft) O...":

Here. Also, in an unrelated interview Mr Ballmer pointed out that he really hates the company and is working on an action plan together with senior management to "take this sucker down". Sources inside the company claim a negative stock price would not be unlikely.

(Sorry, I avoid publishing links to The Inquirer anymore.)

Proof, I tell you, proof! - New comment on (tap tap tap) Is This Thing On?.

2008-09-04T19:53:00.001-07:00

Dare Obasanjo has left a new comment on your post "(tap tap tap) Is This Thing On?":

>3 engineers at Google took WebKit and built Chrome in 2 years.

Yeah, right. Go read http://www.niallkennedy.com/blog/2008/09/google-chrome.html instead of spreading Google fairy tales and straight up lies.

Chrome is the outcome of FOUR acquisitions, building on existing Open Source code (WebKit) and poaching key people who were already working on Firefox or Camino.

It shows some cluelessness about software development to believe that Chrome could have been built by 3 people in 2 years. More proof that lots of people posting on Mini-MSFT don't work at Microsoft given how little they know about how actual software development works.

(All fine until you felt like crapping on the commenters once again. Third rail now.)

What's with all the licking? New comment on What's up with Microsoft India?.

2008-08-10T14:43:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "What's up with Microsoft India?":

HAIL IGTSC LEADERSHIP

The other day we had sashi and his handpicked leadership team do a FY09 initiatives planning presentation to ask for some of our participation. It was a show that had us wondering where IGTSC was going given the quality of presentations and sheer bullshitting.
sashi, look arround you have a lot of talent in your organisation, you are so convinced about your egoistic judgements, that even you get blinded , let me tell you one thing, your judgement about your leadership sucks. They are themself surprised about how they made it there,I heard one of your directs was in tears and about to fall at your feet when you announced his promotion as a director.
you talk all great things about this and that of management why dont you stand up and clean it up. for a change, when you have an opening , put it up in our internal / external recruiting website, let their be interviews and a fair round of selections than setting them up and announcing their position-SICK.
you are becoming very predictable and that is not a good quality for a leader. with the fat salary you get, try to do some justice. dont get too intoxicated by your position , a bunch of good for nothing ass licking directs and a organisation that is soo disconnected by the other MS subs in India.
we work hard every night , just ensure that we are being lead by some competent blokes.
So ravi kukke, now that you have licked sashi enough when is your announcement going to come, as usual sashi will sneak that out in Q2
What a pity-

(Less licking, more problem + solution, please.)

Too much licking going on for me - New comment on What's up with Microsoft India?.

2008-08-09T17:46:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "What's up with Microsoft India?":

Well I have not seen anyone not writing anything about SMSP India so let me start with Sales folks.. lead by Rajeev and bunch of ass lickers. PTS/SSP lead by Anupam who has no clue what MS is all about and his clowns Manav and Venkata. Manav was repairing PCs in MSIT and now he is the PTS lead.. God knows when he will get kicked out when they find out some PTS pimp is supplying girls for him.Venkata is useless he has his ass covered by leaves. So in short PTS team sucks filled up with ass licking ladies and gents esp the short haired old one in blr

(just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.)

Enough about keyboards already - New comment on Microsoft FY08Q4 Results.

2008-08-03T08:23:00.001-07:00

Keeperplanet has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft FY08Q4 Results":

And besides, if your goal is "small above everything else", then it's still way too freakin' huge.

Agree with you on that. I was responding to the challenge of `best keyboard'.

An interesting source of keyboards odd and rare keyboards is this site:

http://www.fentek-ind.com/

Lots of compact notebook type keyboards there, as well as some ergonomic keyboards mostly really crappy designs but an interesting mix; the two dominant brands Microsoft and Logitech are not there.

Looking at the selection, note the classifications. I think this is indicative of the nature of keyboards as being quite personal, like mice. Ergonomic, desktop, notebook, sculpted, two piece, etc. The designs there are mostly crap, but the selection is enormous. While the Microsoft selection is quite generic to the old size range of the full 104+ key keyboards.

As for the Logitech key arrangement, I have never been affected adversely by their key layout selection, so I am having a hard time relating to your claim of the layout being backwards. Maybe you can be more specific, or maybe they are using a different `standard'? Microsoft is great at altering standards in the name of Microsoft then claiming it is what everybody has to use.

Whoa, whoa, whoa - New comment on The Tumbling Tumbleweeds of Summer.

2008-07-15T19:38:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Tumbling Tumbleweeds of Summer":

>"I feel like we are Yahoo!'s creepy and inappropriate neighbor. . ."

Its more like rape, kidnapping and attempted murder by two pedophiles holed up in a hotel together (Balmer and Icahn) calling all their rich friends to come over and take a run at their gagged and tied up hostage.

It is such a sick effort, I don't even give it a 1% chance of succeeding, and if it does, it will only be to bankrupt a great company to eliminate the competition. And don't any of you think for a moment than Icahn and Microsoft representatives have not been talking this over for a couple of months now.

These losers have been losing money in the stock market for so long they will do anything to force a dollar into their pocket.

(Gordon Gecko weeps. Or laughs.)

Hard Fiction - New comment on The Tumbling Tumbleweeds of Summer.

2008-07-15T19:37:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Tumbling Tumbleweeds of Summer":

marvin martian.

First act would be to open source XP after removing msconfig and the computer management menu and after revoking all current license holders.

K-9 could run E&D after firing Robbie and J.

You know, it is important to maintain the culture at Microsoft.

(And Davros?)

Passion? Play? - New comment on The Tumbling Tumbleweeds of Summer.

2008-07-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Tumbling Tumbleweeds of Summer":

Oh,
It is painful to read something so passionless and aimless. Why don't you just put this to deep sleep before all the good done over these years goes down the drain?

Consider quitting or putting some passion into this Mini.

(So much else for you to read. Thanks for the time you spent here.)

Choo-Choo? - New comment on Oy, an Extreme Bummer!.

2008-07-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Oy, an Extreme Bummer!":

MS also crippled its work on the Mac to make the Windows version more attractive. Now, MS's Mac software has been leap-frogged. The response? A hiring increase for the Mac BU to apparently remedy this problem. Maybe it'll work, maybe not. It at least illustrates that instead of seeking to make the best products, MS's primary concern is to get its way/dominate. This shows MS to be what so many suspect a dishonest broker.

You guys wouldn't compete on the merits of the software, but instead used tactics to elevate the Windows version. No, watch it all fall down. You guys are a slow-motion train wreck.

Enjoy your Mini-Microsoft OS debate here

2008-06-25T07:50:00.001-07:00

Mini here: below are a number of comments I haven't let through because I'm so not hosting another OS debate right now. There is no end to it and, as the past has shown, not much interesting comes out of it. No moderation here on this page, so feel free to jump in and carry on the conversation here, vs. the main blog.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Oy, an Extreme Bummer!":

You are truly clueless about Linux. The EeePC does come with a "simplified" UI, but the full Linux UI, Gnome or KDE, are at least as usable and powerful as Xp

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Oy, an Extreme Bummer!":

I like open source as much as the next guy, but the user interfaces for Linux just aren't there yet for anything more complicated than web browsing.

Have you checked out a recent version of, for instance, Ubuntu? It makes all sorts of things easy and user-friendly.

The problem is not that Linux can replace Windows for everyone, but that it can for at least half the population. This puts Windows in the position of being the Rolls Royce of operating systems, which is completely contrary to the business model of "cheap but good enough" that made it a giant.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Oy, an Extreme Bummer!":

>> Haha, fell for that old myth about Microsoft's network stack containing BSD code, eh?

Erm, except it's not a myth. It did contain BSD code and even some BSD tools. Extract strings from ftp.exe and nslookup.exe and see for yourself.

And it's OK, since BSD allows the use as long as you don't misrepresent the origin of the code and show it if requested. And it was never misrepresented.

This so called pig already runs on more than 15% of the worlds computers. The only OS with more desktop share is XP which actually had a slower start.

I wonder what fraction of that 15% actually got to choose what OS they would like. And if they had that choice, how many Vista users would have chosen XP.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Oy, an Extreme Bummer!":

This so called pig already runs on more than 15% of the worlds computers. The only OS with more desktop share is XP which actually had a slower start.

I wonder what fraction of that 15% actually got to choose what OS they would like. And if they had that choice, how many Vista users would have chosen XP.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Oy, an Extreme Bummer!":

This so called pig already runs on more than 15% of the worlds computers. The only OS with more desktop share is XP which actually had a slower start.

I question your statistics. Does 15% take into account all the people and corporations have have downgraded to XP? I have personally helped half a dozen friends and family put XP on their new computers because they didn't like Vista, or helped them find computers that came with XP pre-installed.

As for Vista having faster uptake than XP, I wonder about that too. First there's the numbers game above, but it was also widely reported at Vista's launch that nobody was lining up to buy it the way people did with XP. Something seems fishy.

As for monolithic ... huh? Total nonsense, do you even know what an OS is? Just how isn't Linux or any other OS monolithic? What are you going to do, replace process creation with something else.

You are talking about the kernel while practically speaking the OS is more than that these days. A huge flaw with Windows is that if you install a program/driver/service, it becomes part of the huge wad of goo that is your system--a massive, quivering, random collection of DLLs, reg keys, files, shortcuts, etc. that can't be untangled. (And Microsoft doesn't even try to offer UI to do so, aside from the crappy Add/Remove Programs feature.) That is the 'monolithic' impression people have now--not Torvalds vs. Tanenbaum.

Unix does a somewhat better job of this with package management, and Apple does a much better job with its bundles. Neither are perfect, not by a long shot, but still better.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Oy, an Extreme Bummer!":

"There are no config files to maintain."

I fail to see this as an advantage. Having config files means that if I want to backup/clone a program onto a different machine (or a test machine), all I have to do is copy the files.

It is actually one of the nice things about most open source software. Especially when we are talking about the base OS. Because if you do something stupid, you can always just modify the incorrect files directly only using a live CD.

Mind you, this advantage is really for non-technical users. But most config files shouldn't be touched directly by these users anyway.

Personally, I avoid projects like Mono. I'm terrified that the standard will change, and the Mono Project will have difficulty duplicating the changes. That leads to three options (not upgrading, migrating to the closed version, or using a non-standard version) and none are desirable.

Now, as for what the second poster said. I think it would be a big mistake for MSFT to build a new core for Windows. Projects like ReactOS and WINE exist because people want to run Windows binaries elsewhere. If the API lacked the complexity of Win32, it would be much easier to clone. And unlike OS X, there would be huge demand to clone it (GNUstep did clone its predecessor).

Finally, back on topic, I'm sorry to see MSFTextreme go, I really enjoyed reading his blog. His juxtapositions of MSFT to other companies seemed particularly insightful.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Oy, an Extreme Bummer!":

The Vista problem is that it took SEVEN YEARS to produce an absolute pig.

This so called pig already runs on more than 15% of the worlds computers.

Does not follow. Microsoft Windows is an illegal monopoly, remember? Market penetration does not function by means of competition, which allows customers to express their favor or disfavor through their purchasing patterns.

Even by your logic -- if you disregard customers' inability to turn away from Windows in significant force, because it's bundled with the computers they buy -- the 15% is famously, historically low. If customers expressed a preference for Vista (i. e. "liked it") that number would be much higher. 15% is probably the absolute floor for a major Windows release.

15% market share != customer preference, and customer preference != "operating system is not a pig" anyway.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Oy, an Extreme Bummer!":

"The Vista problem is that it took SEVEN YEARS to produce an absolute pig. Because it it is so monolithic, with everything seemingly depending on something else."

This so called pig already runs on more than 15% of the worlds computers. The only OS with more desktop share is XP which actually had a slower start.

MONOPOLY

Pronunciation: \mə-ˈnä-p(ə-)lē\
Function: noun
1 : exclusive ownership through legal privilege, command of supply, or concerted action
2 : exclusive possession or control
3 : a commodity controlled by one party
4 : one that has a monopoly

See, skip, when you have a monopoly you can be a pig and still find yourself running on 15% of the world's computers.

Sheesh. I work at Microsoft and yet I wouldn't have the balls to make such a silly assertion.

Gutz. I haz dem - New comment on What's up with Microsoft India?.

2008-06-03T22:45:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "What's up with Microsoft India?":

Whatever happened to

...Please keep it productive and insightful. Low quality or off-topic (or just attacking) comments will either be bounced to The Cutting Room Floor or thrown into the bit bucket. Additionally, if all you're here to do is rag on Microsoft while extolling your love for fill in the blank... this isn't the place. Mini....

Mini - Looks like you are driving your own agenda on this blog - and some folks tell me that you're not posting all the stuff that folks are putting up.

Unfortunate...now let's see if you have the guts to post this and take some of the medicine you are so freely dishing out.

(??? Who the heck do you hang out with having such conversations?)

Flamin' Tarun - New comment on What's up with Microsoft India?.

2008-06-03T19:35:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "What's up with Microsoft India?":

Boy oh boy - Has Tarun been flamed or has he been flamed. Be gentle guys. Tarun has been good to his people.

He promoted croonies every six months who didn't have a real job, made them cross-audience marketing managers (whatever), web leads (yeah right), and many more (sorry to pick only two; the list is endless). Of course all based on (ahem) "performance". The mantra for success with Tarun - "lick and you shall reap" really works.

Cutting the sarcasm - DPE India used to be a great place to work in. So nice to see Tarun go. Good luck to BMO though. They need it.

(Just over the edge.)

They are coming to get you, commenters - New comment on What's up with Microsoft India?.

2008-06-02T22:13:00.000-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "What's up with Microsoft India?":

Another scummy news on leadership in India .. heard from grapevine that management team is contemplating action against character assassination and is working with bandwidth providers to determine IP addresses of contributors who are making "false accusations" without facts.. Can this really happen? if this is true.. then it truly is the nadir of state of affairs here.

(roll-out tor or other proxy services if you're concerned.)

Ka-bam! - New comment on What's up with Microsoft India?.

2008-05-29T18:56:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "What's up with Microsoft India?":

If you would just change some of the names it sounds exactly like Redmond. Business as usual. The campus is pretty much "little India" now anyway. Does anyone ever wonder why we have more african americans on our internal marketing posters than actual bodies in the hallways? And why are most of the latinos doing the landscaping or serving the food instead of writing code? Is america really lacking talent or is something much more sinister going on?

(This would just explode. And not in a good way that an anonymous crowd can handle.)

What is this blog got anything to do with Indians? - New comment on Microsoft Walks On By - Yahoo!.

2008-05-06T07:21:00.001-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft Walks On By - Yahoo!":

What is this blog post got anything to do with Indians ? Looks like the blog is becoming more and more a forum for venting personal frustrations and insecurities.

You are in a team and this Indian guy is really dwarfing you (intellectually or otherwise), you cannot do anything, so you come here and vent on the entire Indian race (Similar thing is probably going on against Whites on an Indian MSFT blog somewhere :))

I have a major in Social psychology and it is interesting to read the forums on these posts to see how people derive nonsensical generalizations for their personal specific experiences with a few people.

I wish if people could stop whining/fighting about races and develop a broader view of the World. But hey, we are not perfect.

(Moving to CRF to avoid continuing the conversation in the original post. Have it here if you want.)

Usual Asinine Self - New comment on Microsoft, Just Walk on By.

2008-04-10T22:47:00.000-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft, Just Walk on By":

So tell me: why does Microsoft have to become a major player in the online world?

Well, if you had been reading any of the threads instead of being your usual asinine self, you'd already know that the publicly announced reason is the second one you listed.

As for "what makes it think that Yahoo can grow in that space with MS running Yahoo?", that is what the rest of us would like to know too.

(I guess I'm just in strict mode today.)

Sounds Like the Best Topping EVAH! - New comment on MS Poll 08.

2008-04-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

brushan, frummen Juan has left a new comment on your post "MS Poll 08":

Mini;

You owe it to the Indian people to publish this, but I understand your CRF note that this blog is not about foodies. But you were the one who screwed up by letting the bigoted remarks feed through.

My mother's recipe for Chicken Curry requires toppings. You can figure out which of the variations on the basic curry recipe you like, (there are hundreds on the net), but the secret is in the toppings.

The most important is Major Grey's Chutney, followed by sliced banana (glazed is good too), shredded coconut, chopped fried bacon, chopped hard boiled eggs, sliced fresh tomatoes, chopped onion, and you can experiment with other toppings as well.

These toppings are placed on the chicken curry after it is placed over the rice dish. Or you could go to any number of Indian restaurants in London to get away from the world's blandest food: English Food.

(I've got to be fair and bounce this one, Juan, even if it contains my most favorite ingredient ever.)

We're arguing about food? - New comment on MS Poll 08.

2008-04-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "MS Poll 08":

Education was truly wasted on you.

Can you come up with anything useful to say instead of this childish insult? Judging from the lack of creativity and the full raging emotion, you're in Bangalore time zone, aren't you?

I'm not going to argue with people who have no taste. Those who say Indian food is savory, and Indian coding is supreme and creative has to have their tongues cut off. This explains why Apple has the iPhone, and MS has the Zune. Apparently, tasting 20 dishes that all taste curry-ish is considered "cultural" to some people. And they get all emotional when told they're dull and have no taste.

(Arguing about Apple is one thing, but there's no way I'm opening up the door to arguing about food!)

We're arguing about food? - New comment on MS Poll 08.

2008-04-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

Provocative Response - New comment on MS Poll 08.

2008-04-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "MS Poll 08":

and I ever heard you say this, you would be an unemployed raging bigot in about 5 seconds.

Geez, five seconds to say two words "You're fired?" Maybe you should improve your pronounciations. That could mask off your Hindu accent a little bit. In America, we don't drag our vowels for too long.

I *dare* you to reveal who you are -- do so and you'll likely never work again. Don't think there's anything wrong with what you said?

Is that a threat? I thought this was supposed to be a place for honest discussions. Sure, I could write my posts a little bit nicer, but without being provocative, this topic wouldn't get the attention it deserves. We've been buried under political correctness and can't speak against the absurdities built up by an overconfident Indian workforce (thanks to out of control outsourcing) for too long.

Sign your name to it, big man.

Where's your real name, "anonymous"? When I read this line, I imagine it being said with a Hindu accent. Fuuuunny. Sure, I'll sign my name. It's known as "Your Dad". Got it?

Absolutely disgusting.

Empty threats are amusing. It shows how an emotional person can become a manager, oh, excuse me, team lead. I'm sure you'll stay in that position for long because emotional people can never rise up. Not at MS, and not at any decent corporations.

(I'm walking a fine line moderating this gun powder keg - this one throws the match too close.)

Zip it, Microsoft idiot - Because the Last Aquisition Went So Well....

2008-03-04T07:28:00.000-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Because the Last Aquisition Went So Well...":

>5.) And my partheon shot - for all of you that love the EU so much, do the rest of us a favor. Turn in your American passport, move to the EU, and don't let the door hit your ass on the way out. Send us a postcard on how the tax rates over there work out for 'ya.

As a patriot US citizen, I am a believer in the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights and all Ten Amendments, which I cherish as much as I do the Ten Commandments, and as a citizen I believe in a consumptive flat tax as well. And as a patriot, whose family has defended this nation since the 1700's, I lament that Microsoft has gone off the deep end. I can only hope that common sense will someday seize upon our leaders to do the right thing and utilize the rights and privileges afforded them in that constitution to do what foreign governments are being forced to do. Finish the job of breaking up Microsoft, since as a company seems to breed idiots like yourself who perpetuate the insanity and misery for all of us who have to use your monopolistic products every day.

If you want to go to war with your customers, just keep talking. I suggest you zip it, pay the EU fine and get a job somewhere else where you don't have to be reminded that when you steal something, those you stole it from are going to want it back. And I'm not talking about the EU fine Microsoft has to pay. I am talking about the years and years of manipulation by Microsoft that has led to your monopoly in the first place. If you cannot accept the fact that Microsoft stole its market share, then you definitely need to get another job until you do accept it or until you expire, whichever comes first.

Schaudenfruede, with Popcorn - New comment on Because the Last Aquisition Went So Well....

2008-02-29T18:46:00.000-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Because the Last Aquisition Went So Well...":

I'm having a grand time watching MS self-destruct.

I say keep the status quo. It'll do IT and technology in general a world of good if MS implodes.

(Yeah, yeah, lay some money down.)

Rory Grr - New comment on Because the Last Aquisition Went So Well....

2008-02-27T08:11:00.000-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Because the Last Aquisition Went So Well...":

"For a guy who's trying to come off as being qualified to assess my intelligence, you could have at least spelled my name correctly."

Actually I don't care enough about you to check the spelling of your name or proof my comments.

"Actually, I started off merely thinking I was awesome. It wasn't until I wound up in the New York Times, in the European press, on French news television, on an A&E reality show, getting pussy because of my writing, etc., that people finally told me I was great."

Yep, you're great - you've been on reality TV. Mea culpa. A lot of people think Scoble is great too.

"That's when I started calling myself great. I figured all those people couldn't be wrong."

The little ego bit was cute 10 years ago when Maddox was doing it.

"Toshiba wasn't smart enough to sell me a machine with a decent setup."

And that's MS' fault?

"As a customer, I don't care where the "craplets" come from. It's not my job to figure it out, nor is it my job to realize that I have to remove them before the system will work (or at least kind of work)."

Agreed. You know the solution you just refuse to use it. Speaking of signs of mental retardation. . . .

"And, yeah, my Toshiba runs sans 'craplets,' but Windows Update keeps reinstalling them, and since Windows Update is the closest software analogue to a Nazi, I don't feel like I have much of a choice in the matter."

Nazi, eh? I'm sure 14 million deceased would not be amused by your analogy.

At any rate, perhaps you should try the old "view available updates" and access the old "hide update" option. But then, you know, Vista would work better and you'd have one less thing to harp on.

"Everyone you've talked to is stupid."

Your short-man's-disease probably had more to do with the repeated attempts at firing you than your "personal issues."

"Drug addiction was just one problem. I went downhill after my grandmother died - that was more of an issue. I had also been diagnosed as bipolar three times, but ignored those diagnoses because I didn't want to believe it."

Yep, you've got problems. Plural.

"One reason that people like you dislike me is that I'm an asshole who's succeeded. I'm also cocky, and I have the skills and experience to back it up."

No, I think you could be a talented writer if you didn't waste so much effort masking your personality behind all the self-aggrandizement; I enjoy the good bits in your blog.

"It took very little time to do the drugs. I spent most of my time working. On drugs. And doing far better than you. Which, understandably, must be a source of frustration for someone such as yourself."

That's certainly arguable, but we hold differing value systems and neither is there room here for my resume. And the little ego bit was really tired by the time Tucker Max did it.

"... but I'm taking my chances."

Rory Anit-Grr - New comment on Because the Last Aquisition Went So Well....

2008-02-27T08:10:00.000-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Because the Last Aquisition Went So Well...":

"Hate on MS all day Rory; it's a straight path to relapse."

Wow, man! Feel the love oosing from this post. Clearly, in your book, Rory said Bad Thing, and so he must die.

I'd suggest that - if your default response to criticism wasn't one of belittlement and agression - you might ship better products (but I suspect that the 'bozo' setting is actually soldered into the 'on' position on your mental motherboard). Go surf some more porn, so we can sack you.

Turning Ballmer Sweat into Wine - New comment on Microsoft and Yahoo! -- Stay on Target?.

2008-02-07T19:07:00.001-08:00

Arnold "the attacking" Ziffel has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft and Yahoo! -- Stay on Target?":

MIcrosoft is nothing but a rag, and that is why I love Apple! This buy-out of Yahoo is just what we've always expected from a rag software company like Microsoft. No innovation except through assimilation.

So, here I is, ragging on the rag of all rag software companies, and all Steve Balmer can do is attempt to distill the sweat from his armpits into wine. Got news for you, Mini, ain't gonna happen!

Sorry for the off-topic (or just attacking) comments. Guess it's time for you to throw this into your bit bucket, which ought to be quite full with Vista and all its sewage-like sludge having preceded my ragging comments (that are somewhat attacking).

(Yeah, it was about time to re-enable moderation.)

No, True Praise - New comment on Microsoft FY08Q2 Results.

2008-01-24T08:22:00.000-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft FY08Q2 Results":

Are you and the extrememakeover guys the same? You give him false praise. Postings on your blogs are syncronized. Both blogs are critical.

([1]. No. [2]. How can it be false praise if it's genuine from me?)

Where the World is Moving - New comment on Raikes and Other Exits.

2008-01-14T23:01:00.000-08:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Raikes and Other Exits":

To the guy who was defending Microsoft on DRM issues...

I have a suspicion that you work in the DRM team. But anyway, you are right that Apple does DRM too. But at the same time...

- Steve Jobs wrote an open letter to labels and studios about getting rid of DRM. What did Microsoft do? It is true that content owners are asking for DRM. However, if you truely believe that DRM does not make things easy for the end user, why dont you take a stand on it?

- If taking a stand is too radical for us, at the very least we should stop investing in the newer DRM technologies (which are bound to be broken a week after being released anyway). Why are we still team working on PlayReady (next version of WMDRM)?

You seem to accuse Mr Bee but you yourself dont backup your statements. Also, Mr Bee is not one of those guys anymore - you are. The whole world is moving away from DRM pal, except the recording labels (and perhaps the Microsoft DRM team). Wake up!

(It's all about the money. If non-DRM music makes money, then of course everything will fall in line. If it goes bust, you can be ready for the return of DRM. Apple. Real. Microsoft. Whatever.)

Mini-Microsoft Cutting Room Floor

You stupid nerd - New comment on Microsoft's Robbie Bach Retires... Whoo-Hoo! (And ....

12 Days of Unemployment - New comment on Microsoft Layoff 2009 Completes Last Milestone and....

Layoff Service Pack - New comment on Microsoft Layoff 2009 Completes Last Milestone and....

Great Comment, Layoffs, but - New comment on Microsoft Layoff 2009 Completes Last Milestone and....

Dec 4th layoff + recaptcha tea leaves - New comment on Microsoft Layoff 2009 Completes Last Milestone and....

Right on the Nose - New comment on Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F....

Facts from Non-Trolls - New comment on Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F....

STB Layoffs - New comment on Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F....

Office Layoffs - New comment on Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F....

8,000 for next layoff - New comment on Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F....

11/4 Layoff Wrong - New comment on Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F....

11/4 Layoff - New comment on Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F....

WEX + EPG get shafted - New comment on Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F....

11/4 Stealth Layoff - New comment on Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F....

Layoffs! Booga Booga - New comment on Windows 7 and a Grab Bag of Microsoftness Before F....

Mini-Tragedy - New comment on Quick Thoughts on the Microsoft 2009 Company Meeti....

Rumor on MSFT India - New comment on Quick Thoughts on the Microsoft 2009 Company Meeti....

Next Round of Layoffs - New comment on Quick Thoughts on the Microsoft 2009 Company Meeti....

Rumors - New comment on Quick Thoughts on the Microsoft 2009 Company Meeti....

Whiny over-privileged douchebags - New comment on Microsoft Has Turned The Corner.

Great to the last sentence - New comment on Microsoft Has Turned The Corner.

Windows 7 junk? Nope - New comment on Microsoft Has Turned The Corner.

Until Apple what? - New comment on Microsoft Has Turned The Corner.

Comment Stream - "Microsoft Has Turned The Corner"

American Jobs - New comment on Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O.

A New Hope - unless you're H1-B - Cinco de Fire-O.

F-Bomb Bronze Star - New comment on Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O.

Once we have that PowerPoint compiler, we'll never need Devs - New comment on Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O.

Marketplace - looking to chat with those in the 5,000

Yer all a bunch of kitties - New comment on Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O.

Out of control greed - New comment on Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O.

Light fuse - New comment on Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O.

It is the internets - New comment on Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-O.

Comment Stream - "Microsoft Layoffs - Cinco de Fire-o"

Layoff Confirmed - New comment on Microsoft FY09Q3 Results.

Start Making Sense - New comment on Microsoft FY09Q3 Results.

Ignorant - New comment on Microsoft FY09Q3 Results

Comment Stream - "Microsoft FY09Q3 Results"

Bad Form? - New comment on Spitfire Backfire, Live Labs, and Not My 1,400.

Comment Stream - "Spitfire Backfire, Live Labs, and Not My 1,400"

Comment Stream - Shared Sacrifice and Microsoft Free Radicals

Pause Place to be Refresh - MSPoll etc

A Place To Be While Mini Pauses

New H1B Job Postings - New comment on 3,600 Microsoft Shoes Waiting to Drop.

Geez - please don't copy the entire comment - New comment on 3,600 Microsoft Shoes Waiting to Drop.

Well That's Just Dreary - New comment on 3,600 Microsoft Shoes Waiting to Drop.

H1B Job Watch - New comment on 3,600 Microsoft Shoes Waiting to Drop.

That Jawad Dude - New comment on 3,600 Microsoft Shoes Waiting to Drop.

Bias? You're not reading well enough - New comment on 3,600 Microsoft Shoes Waiting to Drop.

Spoonfed Microsofties - New comment on 3,600 Microsoft Shoes Waiting to Drop.

Hate H1Bs? - New comment on Microsoft Layoff 2009 - Day 2.

All Call to Action - New comment on Microsoft Layoff 2009 - Day 2.

Mini's a Partner? Hardly - New comment on Microsoft Layoff 2009 - Day 2.

Hey, My Badge! - We'll See - New comment on FY09Q2 Results + Town Hall.

Lots of Police - We'll See - New comment on FY09Q2 Results + Town Hall.

Sad Day - We'll See - New comment on FY09Q2 Results + Town Hall.

Gerri Elliot is already gone - New comment on FY09Q2 Results + Town Hall.

Sometimes a Cigar isn't just a Cigar - New comment on No Layoffs at Microsoft, and a Round-up of other R....

H1Bs in a Down Economy - New comment on No Layoffs at Microsoft, and a Round-up of other R....

Motivation? - New comment on No Layoffs at Microsoft, and a Round-up of other R....

This is OutsideMS, not InsideMS - New comment on No Layoffs at Microsoft, and a Round-up of other R....

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

Ooo, Too Much Julie gossip for me - New comment on Rumors of Upcoming Microsoft Cut-Backs.

UR Spellin' it rong! - New comment on Rumors of Upcoming Microsoft Cut-Backs.

Grammar galore - New comment on Achieving Senior Level 63 at Microsoft.

Apple is shameless? - New comment on Achieving Senior Level 63 at Microsoft.

Oh, enough about me - New comment on But Mini, I Want To Talk About....

The *American* Worker - New comment on Oy, an Extreme Bummer!.

Spank! Lusty Level 65s - New comment on Achieving Senior Level 63 at Microsoft.

Slap! Teacher's Pet - New comment on Achieving Senior Level 63 at Microsoft.

Slap! Who needs morals? - New comment on Achieving Senior Level 63 at Microsoft.

Slap! Ass-kissing - New comment on Achieving Senior Level 63 at Microsoft.

It's a good point, but... - New comment on Is Microsoft Recession Proof?.

Ballmer + Inquirer - New comment on Compensatory Arrangements of Certain (Microsoft) O....

Proof, I tell you, proof! - New comment on (tap tap tap) Is This Thing On?.

What's with all the licking? New comment on What's up with Microsoft India?.

Too much licking going on for me - New comment on What's up with Microsoft India?.

Enough about keyboards already - New comment on Microsoft FY08Q4 Results.

Whoa, whoa, whoa - New comment on The Tumbling Tumbleweeds of Summer.

The American Worker - New comment on Oy, an Extreme Bummer!.