Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Compaq -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: rupert1 who wrote (73278)	12/5/1999 5:27:00 PM
From: Elwood P. Dowd	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 97611

>>>Never did sack all the people you mentioned since half or more of them left on their own volition<<< I knew you'd call me out on that one and, I must admit, that was a bit of an exaggeration to make my point. EP was fired, I believe Hands was fired, Earl saw the writing on the wall, and a good number of the others left as a direct result of Rosen's decision. Some may have had a clear choice of leaving or getting the boot but we'll never know. >>>I dont' invest in COMPAQ because of Rosen.<<< Maybe not, but somewhere down the road you'll smile and pocket the $$$ that you've made as a result of Rosen's brilliant decision to clean house, sell Av, and appoint MC!!! >>>Sorry for criticising Herr Leader!<<< You should be!!! jajajajaja El

To: rupert1 who wrote (73278)	12/5/1999 11:40:00 PM
From: rudedog	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 97611

Victor - I don't know where you're getting your information but it doesn't square with what I have heard, and your notion that any of those executives quit of their own free will is just naive. It is routine at least in this country for departing executives to get a nice departing letter, unless they are on their way to jail... EP got a nice letter from Rosen too. No one is fooled. Likewise the "Resigned to accept another position" BS... It's considered better to have the fig leaf of a resignation than to actually be sacked, so when the boss says "resign or be fired", resignation becomes the obvious choice. An interesting exception to this practice was the resignation of John Rose. As opposed to all of the other execs, Rose just got a brief note "John Rose has resigned effective...". No fig leaf. He must have really pissed them off. Do you really think that leaving a position at the top of the dominant computer company to take up a job as CEO of an internet startup really qualifies as taking up a better position? BTW about half of those guys left their "fig leaf" positions only months after leaving CPQ, when they could find a REAL job. It is your assumption that Rosen could not find a CEO outside of the company. I know at least one of the candidates personally, and although he is a guy with a big ego, he told me that he "did not make the cut". He would have taken the job in a heartbeat if it had been offered. He was one of the names in the press at the time. In the end your argument for the handling of AV comes down to the notion that CPQ could have spun it out and made more money, and retained a higher equity stake in the resulting company. There is little likelihood that CPQ would have gotten anything like the $4B that their current stake yields, and they would in addition have been a majority owner of a company that competes with the companies they now need to attract. Your argument leads me to the reluctant conclusion that you don't understand the internet business segment very well...

To: rupert1 who wrote (73278)	12/6/1999 8:55:00 AM
From: Lynn	Respond to of 97611

Victor: What appears to anger you so deeply about CPQ is, I regret to say, the end result of, "Watch out or I'll get a lawyer," America. Fear of litigation hangs heavy in all sectors of the U.S. labor force today, no matter how high or low one is on the totem pole. In his reply, rudedog said: "It is routine at least in this country for departing executives to get a nice departing letter, unless they are on their way to jail.." In some circles, even a jail sentence is not enough for a person to get a glowing recommendation. I am not kidding. >And while we are on the sacking issue, was very slow to sack the HR guy who was allegedly sexually harassing staff members. The key here, Victor, is "alleged." There was someone in my department who was "alleged" to have sexually harassed female graduate students as well as a few undergraduates. Actually this guy "allegedly" went beyond harassing with a few. He also published a paper he was supposed to have been second author on under his name alone. The heat was on so he went looking for a new position and got absolutely glowing references from people in our department. I talked to some of the people who had been requested, by the villan, to write letters. They had tried to get out of writing them but had been bullied into writing ones. All made the guy sound wonderful. His immoral and unethical professional behaviour was not mentioned. The relative of a friend was told to resign when upper management determined that she was stealing from the company. The woman was an assistant manager at a convenience store and said she had not stolen any money but would resign if the company gave her an excellent reference. They agreed, it was indeed a superior reference, and she got a much better job! No, this is not right, but it is a fact of life in the U.S. today. Lynn