IBM complies to the max: 80GB of source, a server, snide instructions given to SCO

[Asher]

Originally posted by mrmitchell
Whoah, whoah, whoah. It doesn't have anything to do with IBM. Employment is a two-pronged deal: the employees produce for the employers, but the employers care for the employees in return. What matters is 10,000 people with families who have depended upon IBM for a source of work will be out of it soon.

I'm not one to support deadbeat workers, but if a big executive or a single group isn't acting within the proper standards for IBM, do it on a case-by-case basis. There's no need to suddenly toss out thousands of qualified, intelligent, good workers.

Layoffs are a fact of life. The division was underperforming, in particular about 13,000 of the employees were underperforming. They were let go.

You don't keep dead weight around just to be nice. It's a cut-throat business. IBM came close to death before -- a lot of it had to do with IBM refusing to lay people off until the early 90s. That mindset is gone because it almost killed the company. Now IBM does what it has to to survive.

IBM EMEA was massively restructured. Some jobs were made redundant. C'est la vie.

Well that makes it easy. Just hire 1,000 lawyers and each of them only has to sort through 900 pages.

I don't know many lawyers that can analyze PLX code and revision histories of that code over 15 years, then compare it with the Linux source code.

[mrmitchell]

Layoffs are a fact of life. The division was underperforming, in particular about 13,000 of the employees were underperforming. They were let go.

A lot of things are "facts of life" that we still try to prevent. Murder, automobile accidents, rape. Each of them happens pretty much every day in pretty much every major locale in the world, but you don't see people saying, "oh, gang violence is just a fact of life."

IBM has a $120 billion market capitalization and $36 billion in gross profits. Far from hurting.

13,000 specific employees were underperforming? Is that in a report somewhere?

I don't know many lawyers that can analyze PLX code and revision histories of that code over 15 years, then compare it with the Linux source code.

Well they certainly can't afford to hire 10,000 lawyers to do 90 pages of code each. That would be silly.

[JohnT]

Just over a decade ago, IBM was reporting some of the largest losses in American history, its very future in doubt.

IBM has a $120 billion market capitalization and $36 billion in gross profits. Far from hurting.

This, too, shall pass.

[Asher]

Originally posted by mrmitchell

A lot of things are "facts of life" that we still try to prevent. Murder, automobile accidents, rape. Each of them happens pretty much every day in pretty much every major locale in the world, but you don't see people saying, "oh, gang violence is just a fact of life."

IBM has a $120 billion market capitalization and $36 billion in gross profits. Far from hurting.

13,000 specific employees were underperforming? Is that in a report somewhere?

Likely, every employee makes what are called PBCs or Personal Business Committments each year. Each employee is also evaluated, and ranked versus everyone else on their team. Each team is then ranked against similar teams.

You can get a fairly good idea which team and which employee needs a swift kick in the ass.

[chequita guevara]

Why doesn't IBM just buy SCO and get it over with?

[Asher]

Because that's what SCO wanted them to do in the first place.

Darl wants money. Buying SCO gives them money.

IBM prefers to drain them of all the little money they have left.

[pchang]

I have consulted in lawsuits involving source code. IBM's actions are par for the course and not really unusual. My rate was relatively cheap at $150 per hour.

[aneeshm]

I'd like to see if IBM can now pierce the corporate veil and go after Darl . That would really set an example .


As to the compliance -

[Fve Crathva]

I called TBS, and apparently this is very funny.

SP