Gawker
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cubicle culture
How MySpace Humiliates Fired Workers
MySpace's CEO purportedly keeps his body pretty tight. But he should lay off the weight obsession at work. Owen Van Natta said MySpace was "bloated" when he laid off 400 workers; now they're reportedly called "fat" to their faces. More »
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By Ryan TateComment by Airvault: You can tell who the fat ones are. Their photos are black and white and taken from above. (Where did I... 2 Responses | Other threads
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rumormonger
Layoffs Rumored at Mrs. Google's Genetics Company
Genetics company 23AndMe can purportedly help you predict your health in decades to come, but we're hearing the three-year-old company can't even forecast its own near-term needs: A tipster tells us the company laid off seven employees. More »
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By Ryan TateComment by the_k_record: Maybe they should hire Camille from NYC Prep. 1 Responses | Other threads
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class war
MySpace Exec Gets $500K to Sit at Home While 300 Laid Off
MySpace today confirmed the rumors it will lay off 300 international staff, on top of 400 U.S. layoffs last week. The social network also shoved aside purported co-founder Tom Anderson, who has a new gig: NOT going to the office. More »
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By Ryan TateComment by markscottmusic: ...he's still very handsome and very rich. 7 Responses | Other threads
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breaking
MySpace Lays Off 400
Two months after taking over as CEO, Owen Van Natta is laying off 30 percent of MySpace employees. His outlook remains bleak; when was the last time you heard a CEO call his company "bloated" in a press release? More »
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By Ryan TateComment by The Real JR: How and why in the world did MySpace have over 400 employees to begin with? The platform hasn't changed in... 4 Responses | Other threads
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failure
Yahoo Video: The $6 Billion Black Hole Implodes
A source at Google tells us YouTube has seen a rush of résumés from engineers at Yahoo's rival video site, after a wave of layoffs last week that devastated the team. Is Yahoo Video done? More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by NonaRareware: What the hell has Carol Bartz accomplished? So far nothing as far as I can see, she makes Yang look... 3 Responses | Other threads
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exits
Google's Still Got a Crush on Flickr, How Cute!
Yahoo has started its latest round of layoffs, which hit its pixel-cute photo-sharing site Flickr, a formerly sacrosanct fiefdom. We hear Google has its eyes on some of the Flickr employees Yahoo let slip. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by twig: This post is a trainwreck; let me count the ways. 1. The conversation is a remarkable non-story. If Sergey... 1 Responses | Other threads
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valleywag
Why Is Yahoo Laying People Off? The Answer Is on an Engineer's Desk
After thousands of layoffs last year, Yahoo's gearing up to cut more staff. Here's an idea: Why not trim outrageous spending first? One Yahoo engineer has helpfully, if unwittingly, shown where to start.
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By Owen ThomasComment by Stream Of Consciousness: Wow....that's a pretty sweet setup. Wish my workplace looked like that...my productivity would be nonexistent! 4 Responses | Other threads
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layoffs
Google Execs in Secret Layoff Meetings
More layoffs are coming to Google, employees there believe. A Googler tells us top executives abruptly cancelled meetings across the Googleplex Friday.
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By Owen ThomasComment by uncle_wiggly: Hey, where'd you get this photo. I didn't see any cameras in the room for that meeting. That's me with... 2 Responses | Other threads
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rumormonger
Ars Technica Slammed in Condé Nast Digital Layoffs
The layoffs at Condé Nast Digital Wednesday included not only Wired.com but also Ars Technica, the website known for its in-depth, computer-related technical articles. We're told fully seven of roughly 17 staff were cut. More »
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By Ryan TateComment by Shadowlayer: Ars rocks, the amiga articles were great. 1 Responses | Other threads
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media
Wired.com 'Gutted' in Conde Layoffs
More detail on the layoffs at Conde Nast Digital today (which is not an April Fool's joke, okay): Wired.com was reportedly hit hard. Internal turf war? More » -
print is dead
Power-Hungry Censor Gutting Forbes?
Multiple sources tell us Forbes, the troubled, Bono-backed right-wing business magazine, is set to lay of 50 or 60 employees tomorrow. And Carl Lavin, a power-hungry editor, is behind the bloodbath. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Megan McCarthy: How does one get impeached as a high school student body president? 1 Responses | Other threads
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recessionomics
Amazon Closes Warehouses, Doesn't Mind a Little Shrinkage
Amazon.com just closed warehouses for the first time since 2006, including one open just 18 months. No wonder: Penny-pinching consumers don't mind waiting a few extra days for their stuff. And CEO Jeff Bezos would no doubt prefer those in a hurry buy high-margin Kindle downloads. More » -
confirmed
Google to Lay Off 200 Employees
Make it official: Google's not immune from the bad economy and plummeting ad market. We've been hearing for weeks that Google would have layoffs. Google is cutting 200 employees today, the company now confirms.
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By Owen ThomasComment by TheHonJudgeSmails: I long for the day when spokespeople respond immediately when contacted for comment by a blog. 3 Responses | Other threads
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rumormonger
Is Chris DeWolfe on His Way Out at MySpace?
Bad days for MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe: A tell-all book about the lowbrow social network's shady origins is hitting the shelves as a Wall Street analyst predicts layoffs. How long will he last? More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Nick Denton: Why exactly is it such a scandal that the founders were involved in porn and spam? Where else were they... 1 Responses | Other threads
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layoffs
Attention, AOL Layoff Victims: Steve Case Is Sad
AOL, the failing Time Warner Internet unit, is laying off another 700 employees via emails alerting them to an "important meeting." Even the pink-slipping process is predictable now. And former CEO Steve Case? He's sad. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by spraytanman: Like most things in business - success happens by accident. Its what you do after that defines who you are. Steve... 4 Responses | Other threads
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print is dead
At Bleeding Newspaper, Management Has Its Way With Union
You know when a labor union is proposing to eliminate paid vacation and cut pay 5 percent, things will not end well for workers. So it is at the San Francisco Chronicle. More »
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By Ryan TateComment by Adah: I feel sad that the union had to give up the ability to protect senior members. It's the age 50+... 6 Responses | Other threads
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flackery
CNET: Apple Lied About Layoffs We Reported
After Valleywag reported that Apple had laid off 50 salespeople last week, Apple spokesman Steve Dowling issued a blanket denial: "Not true." Turns out the layoffs happened, and Dowling lied, CNET News reports. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by kempmullaney: Define Layoff - a reduction is staff to reduce costs? Define Restructuring - reduction of staff in one area of the... 2 Responses | Other threads
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Googlefreude
With Layoffs Looming, Is the "Google Magic" Gone?
Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who spent much of last fall declaring the search engine unaffected by Wall Street's crisis, has admitted that the company is "not immune." But is he being honest about its plight? More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by chelseabill: Twitter regected a deal of $100M cash plus $400M stock from Google a few months ago. How greedy are these... 3 Responses | Other threads
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rumormonger
More Job Cuts at Apple?
Something's going on at Apple. Normally a leak-proof ship, the S.S. Steve Jobs has been taking on rumors of layoffs. The latest: Cuts in Mac hardware and software units, says a tipster: More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Jim Topoleski: Jesus give me a break already. Even if there are layoffs (of which you are the ONLY blog on the... 5 Responses | Other threads
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confirmed
Apple Source Confirms 50 Layoffs in Sales
A source in Apple's enterprise group confirmed the company had layoffs today. Fifty salespeople lost their jobs — even as the blogosphere collectively scoffed at the idea that layoffs were happening. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by iplaudius: Enterprise sales have likely fallen due to the economy. The jobs of salesmen are contingent on their being able to... 3 Responses | Other threads
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rumormonger
Apple Layoffs Today?
One tipster tells us there are "major layoffs" at Apple. Another writes that "all sales teams have mandatory meetings today" and that "HR booked conference rooms in Cupertino." Is Apple cutting salespeople loose? More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by scroll_lock: Only Apple's core employees shall remain. 13 Responses | Other threads
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google
Google Cuts Off Its Big-Media Dreams
Like Napoleon marching into an abandoned Moscow, Larry Page and Sergey Brin have led Google's advance into traditional advertising only to find nothing to loot. Now begins Google's long imperial retreat, starting with 40 layoffs. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by CheapCynicism: Is that analogy right, Owen? If I remember AP Euro History, the march to Moscow and its occupation cost Napoleon... 5 Responses | Other threads
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layoffs
You've got pink slips: AOL axes 700 of 7,000. Memo!
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parties
Why Skipping Davos Is This Year's True Status Symbol
How a conference dies: The savvy crowd stays away, while eager second-raters fill their seats. Google cofounder Sergey Brin is skipping Davos. Meanwhile, MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe fought with a colleague to go amid layoffs. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Nick Denton: Hmm. Are you sure people staying away from Davos because it's over? I think it's more likely that all the... 7 Responses | Other threads
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layoffs
Microsoft's Self-Destructing Email Pink Slips
Fired employees often say impolite things. But only at Microsoft are their pink slips unprintable. The software giant fired 1,400 people this week — some with specially encoded, read-only email. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Perhaps Not: I hate to sound like a violent jerk, but upon receiving this email I can't imagine doing anything except going... 7 Responses | Other threads
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black holes
Why Reality Will Bury Digg's Profit Dreams
Digg, the raucous online news-rating site, has laid off 8 people from its 75-person workforce. CEO Jay Adelson writes that the company will "aggressively focus on reaching profitability within the year." There's no way. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Craig Agranoff: Show me any company who was able to get profitable by having outside ad sales staffs. Well put Owen,... 2 Responses | Other threads
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rumormonger
Google Engineers Fear 1,000 or More Layoffs
A tipster is hearing from inside the Googleplex that the company, which is set to report earnings today, could lay off 5 percent of its engineering staff. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Psychicsword: Although layoffs are never a good thing, I am just glad Google is a company that knows how to avoid... more » | Other threads
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bill gates
The Man Behind Microsoft's Overdue Layoffs
Microsoft is shedding 5,000 jobs from its 95,000-person workforce, the company's first-ever mass layoff. It's about time. And let's put the blame where it belongs: Bill Gates. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Moff: So...Microsoft expanded on its success in one area by branching out into other areas. Which is what, like, every company... 7 Responses | Other threads
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online advertising
Layoffs at Federated Media Signal Blogs' Ill Health
John Battelle is the salesman for a host of indie sites, from the futuristic Boing Boing to the Web-obsessed TechCrunch to mommyblog Dooce. What does it say that his company, Federated Media, is canning workers? More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by TrilbyAuxo: I missed the former story on how he tried to misuse other blogs for a Microsoft campaign. I think what... more » | Other threads
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layoffs
Google's Loss of Innocence: 100 Jobs Cut
The Magical Kingdom of Larry and Sergey has laid off 100 full-time recruiters, a tipster tells us. Inevitable, given the economy. But a crushing blow to Google's self-image as a kinder-than-thou employer. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Hydroceph: But they've got money to grope titties in ice bars? how does that work? 5 Responses | Other threads
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layoffs
Google's Unkindest Cut: Tech Support
In October, before Google's cost-cutting campaign began in earnest, the company had more than 10,000 contractors, founder Sergey Brin said. In a mid-December SEC filing, it reported only 4,300 temporary workers. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by LemuelaBachoo: Hey Googlers, FYI, Toyota has a no-layoffs policy, at least for workers in Japan. They also have a law... more » | Other threads
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death of print
Forbes.com, Magazine United at Last by Layoffs
We hear Forbes, the fussily conservative business magazine, is laying off Web and print staff today, and merging the surviving editors and writers into a single newsroom. It only took them a decade. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by VarneyPompeii: Please landmark 60 Fifth Avenue NOW. more » | Other threads
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livejournal
The Russian Bear Slashes a Social Network
The bubble in social networking has burst, decisively. LiveJournal, the San Francisco-based arm of Sup, a Russian Internet startup, has cut 12 of 28 U.S. employees — and offered them no severance, we're told.
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By Owen ThomasComment by RevHalofan: How do I archive my blogs over there somewhere else? This is like mom throwing my diary in the fireplace,... 9 Responses | Other threads
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blind items
You're Fired, Er, No You're Not
Sequoia Capital, the backer of Apple, Yahoo, and Google, ordered its startups to slash their payrolls this fall. We hear one CEO fired people so enthusiastically he had to retract some of his pink slips. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Mafalda para Presidente: Well, regardless of how idiotic the gesture, it's still better than being fired. 2 Responses | Other threads
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Lip Dubs
Laid-off eBayers get goodbye video all wrong
When a tipster told me that workers at eBay France had created a lip-dub video, my hopes were high. But I should never have expected great things from eBay.
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By Owen ThomasComment by UniComp: If I were a dude working there, I'd be pissed that they laid off all those cute coworkers. 1 Responses | Other threads
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Yahoo Layoffs
Yahoo songwriter uploads layoff angst to YouTube
"Screw You, Yahoo!" is a "9 to 5" anthem for the YouTube generation, a cri de cubicle for a creative class which discovered Internet companies are just as stultifying as the rest of corporate America. -
Yahoo Layoffs
Laid-off Yahoos packing heat for Jerry Yang?
Yahoo had set plans for a holiday party in L.A. right after Wednesday's mass layoffs — and it invited the victims. But just in case any were armed, Jerry Yang's guards set up metal detectors.
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By Owen ThomasComment by jangregory: The more I read these so-called first hand accounts, the more I feel that they're either totally fabricated stories, or... 5 Responses | Other threads
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rumormonger
The craziest Yahoo layoff stories
Did you hear Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang had his house lined with Kevlar before he laid off 1,500 employees? No idea if that's true, but that's the best rumor I heard all week.
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By Owen ThomasComment by BambalinaCoronus: Reading gripes from bitter layoffs victims is so boring. It's like listening to someone whose going through a divorce trash... 4 Responses | Other threads
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forecasts
Get ready for a three-year recession
Everyone's ready for the Greatest Depression to be done. Economists think it will be over by the middle of next year. What if it isn't? More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by JasonCalacanis: I'm sorry, this is actually somewhat intelligent and makes some interesting points--how the hell did it get posted under Owen's... 7 Responses | Other threads
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yahoo
Flickr layoffs could spell a photo finish
Every bit of Yahoo got the slash this week. Why should Flickr, the photo-sharing startup it bought in 2005, be any different?
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By Owen ThomasComment by FiveStarEggRoll: Anyone know of another round of layoffs at eBay coming soon? I read about the Fairchild layoffs and they mention... 3 Responses | Other threads
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