From a techie's perspective

[hils]

People, please don't panic just yet.

Yes, LJ has just laid off a bunch of people without severance pay but we don't know the facts behind it. Over here the IT industry has LOADS of short term contractors who are brought in for their expertise. The point of them is that they are VERY well paid when they're at work but the nature of the job is that their contract stipulates that they can be let go very quickly. I know because Dave works as a contractor and I looked into it for a while.

I'm willing to bet (a small amount admitedly) that the people who were let go were contractors.

I might be wrong but I'm not worried at all. Yet.

Comments

[x-pixel-x.livejournal.com]

I guess I would not be doing the panic dance yet (but I AM doing the backup dance) but I'm awful close. I just went through a shutdown of my own last year and once things are in motion they CAN move really quickly. *bites nails*

[vichan.livejournal.com]

Sadly, a few of the layoffs who have been confirmed were people who have basically been with LJ since the beginning.

I'm not panicking yet. LJ is a business, and businesses lay people off. I don't think LJ is going anywhere, but some of the media reports make me worry about what SUP is going to try and turn LJ into. *shrug*

[salymander.livejournal.com]

I think with the number of people using the site, that they'd give some kind of warning if it was going to be closing down. That or more likely they'd sell it, right? And wait, wasn't LJ JUST acquired? I don't pay a lot of attention to this stuff.

[hils.livejournal.com]

I would say LJ would definitely be more likely to be sold than shut down but we'll have to see I guess

[salymander.livejournal.com]

If they do end up announcing a shut down, would you mind helping or rather, explaining how to back up entries? I know you mentioned you did that a while back.

[hils.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, it's very easy :)

[salymander.livejournal.com]

Cool, thanks :)

[kittygoth.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think it's about time I backed up the...7 years of entries on this thing!!

[hils.livejournal.com]

Hehe! Yeah, I think you got yours not long after I got mine

[cordykitten]

Good to hear.
And after all they moved to Montana. Hope it turns out to be nothing. *fingers crossed*

[mysticmoonstorm.livejournal.com]

I think this issue is fairly simple - crappy economy.
In a crappy economy no one is safe from being laid off.
I'd be willing to bet LJ has seen a decline in memberships due to the economy and they (like many other companies) are going to survive running the business on a skeleton crew. (I'm such an optimist!)

[nessaancalime.livejournal.com]

In the public sector we are now hoping to get back some of the IT people that left for fatter pastures, now that job security will start to be important again. ;-)
There's always a job for qualified people, but you may have to expect less pay and fewer selections in times of recess.