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Mini-Microsoft Cutting Room Floor

This is what doesn't make it into the Mini-Microsoft blog at http://minimsft.blogspot.com/. Off-topic comments, random topics, etc... just a way for me to easily peel off from there good content that doesn't contribute to a lean, mean, Microsoft-machine. Things are a bit... looser here.

H1Bs in a Down Economy - New comment on No Layoffs at Microsoft, and a Round-up of other R....January 3

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....January 3

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....January 3

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....December 31 2008

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

Ooo, Too Much Julie gossip for me - New comment on Rumors of Upcoming Microsoft Cut-Backs.December 29 2008

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.