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Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn for $26B

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Re: Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn for $26B

#841

Post by beagle3 »

simonswords82 wrote: post #548
beagle3 wrote: post #316

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You've made this comment more than once on this thread. Microsoft employs many people, but it is hierarchily managed. Things like the Windows 10 dark patterns might happen, but once the users complain (and users have been complaining since the day win 10 was out, when the patterns weren't nearly as dark), someone with veto power gets involved. This was definitely done with the approval - and I guess blessing and even…

I just don't see it. I don't see something this low level spun up to board level. I'm also not sure what "new Microsoft" you're referring to. Their attitude is much much better under Satya; they're not perfect but they're moving in the right direction. The board level may very well have set down a strategy which was "Hey, computers that are running old versions of our OS are a real pain. Let's tell our OS team that w…

> I just don't see it. I don't see something this low level spun up to board level.

No one is talking about board level. board meets once a month or two, unless there's a very good reason. I was talking about CEO (whose position on the board is not relevant to this discussion).

It's in every possible computer publication, with discussion of legal class action (and at least one already submitted). If this doesn't get to CEO level, Microsoft is improperly managed. If I had a way to verify, I would bet some money that indeed Nadella is aware, and has authorized or even blessed this course of action.

> So you see, they did address the problem.

People were complaining that they can't make GWX go away; so microsoft made it recommended instead of optional, and an 'x' makes it install. Then they roll back. This is known as the "Squash and a Squeeze"[0] or the "Get rid of the goat"[1] technique to make things seem acceptable. In politics, it is known as the Overton window[2]. I dare say this was a calculated gambit, and I do consider this a dark pattern.

> It was a dumb mistake, made by a handful of people who then half-assedly corrected it.

That is a very charitable explanation, which I do not accept.

> I'm also not sure what "new Microsoft" you're referring to.

I'm referring to the "open source loving, friendly, nice guy" Microsoft is considered by some people lately, as opposed to the convicted monopolist, horrible, only-behave-when-they've-been-beaten-to-submission, android-and-exchange-patent-extorting Microsoft. I don't think a lot has changed - and I think Win10 is a good example for how little has really changed.

I expect you disagree, and that's fine. You keep using Microsoft, and I'll keep avoiding them as I have done for the past 12 years or so.

[0] http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1059041.A_Squash_and_a_Sq... [1] http://www.beliefnet.com/love-family/parenting/2000/10/teach... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overton_window

Re: Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn for $26B

#842

Post by rochellekopp »

notahacker wrote: post #418
nailer wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I imagine it was more like: - Microsoft has the money - LinkedIn is the biggest thing in recruiting (I don't especially like it either, but it is). I wouldn't personally hire someone via recruiters or LinkedIn, but I would hire someone via a recomendation from a contact I maintain on LinkedIn. - Microsoft makes business tools - There's a bunch of interesting opportunities for intrgating Dynamics, Yammer, and other MS…

I presume "secular usage and technology trends" means "is its growth down to the fact it happens to be down to the market it plays showing strong growth trends even without hype and marketing spend associated with this particular company". Can only assume the secular trend he's thinking of there is growth in "business prospecting tools" which is the potential area for Microsoft to build revenue generating services th…

Just wrote a post discussing this phrase and other interesting ones in his memo https://medium.com/@SVSpeak/deciphering-satya-nadellas-ratio...

Re: Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn for $26B

#843

Post by teknologist »

julianz wrote: post #721
novaRom wrote: post #441

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What value is added by buying LinkedIn for $26G? 1. Integrate Skype into LinkedIn 2. Add a shared chat screen (video group chat) This will allow many Human Resources to perform interviews more efficiently (in return to subscription). I can imagine many other new attractive features MS could easily add (e.g. syntax highlighting in group chat).

They haven't managed to integrate Skype into anything else, it's a complete shemozzle. Why would they suddenly manage to integrate it into LinkedIn?

Skype is offered in Office365 packages and appears to have replaced Lync

Re: Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn for $26B

#844

Post by slowmotiony »

tokensimian wrote: post #342
slowmotiony wrote: post #324

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Before Satya was CEO, it was normal to see a bunch of Nokia Lumia phones in every bus, tram or metro train in Germany. Right now it would be hard to find even one, and Windows Phone seems to be an abandoned project. So I cannot entirely agree that Satya is so much better as a CEO than Ballmer.

That's a pretty specific set of situational criteria by which to evaluate the head of a company that does a whole lot of different things.

Not really. It's not a secret that Windows Phone is now rather a joke, and nobody is buying it. It used to be very popular in Europe around 2 years ago.

Re: Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn for $26B

#845

Post by Bethm »

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Re: Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn for $26B

#847

Post by lagadu »

pbarnes_1 wrote: post #767
simonswords82 wrote: post #531

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you any idea how difficult it is to revert something like that? It doesn't sound like a trivial Cmd + Z to me. It sounds like a lot of work with limited upside for the team that implemented it. Nobody likes undoing their own work... Anyway, I'm not saying it wasn't a dick move by Microsoft. I just don't think it's representative of their entire company.

It's pretty trivial: turn off the push messaging that makes it auto-update. The forced updates definitely got CEO approval. No question.

I suspect you're wildly overestimating how much direct involvement the CEO of a medium or large company has on product development. Obviously this can depend strongly on each company's culture (Apple is one of the most extreme examples of CEO involvement) but very often CEOs are glorified managers, involved mostly in dealing with the strategic side of things, and that kind of decisions only reach the head of R&D or CTO at most.

This has been my experience from working in medium and large companies for the past decade at least.

Re: Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn for $26B

#848

Post by lagadu »

pjc50 wrote: post #136
aNoob7000 wrote: post #52

I'm not sure what Microsoft is getting with LinkedIn for $26bn. I know it is a little crazy, but I think they would have been better off buying Redhat for $15bn or Canonical (Ubuntu linux) for even cheaper.

That would attract truly unprecedented levels of hostility and a declaration of war by segments of the Linux community.

So, just a typical day for Microsoft for the past ~20 years?

Re: Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn for $26B

#849

Post by jpindar »

ZanyProgrammer wrote: post #65
curiousgal wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What market is exactly that? I still have no idea what Linkedin is all about. Edit: Yes, keep downvoting me, asking questions about LinkedIn clearly doesn't add to the discussion. sigh

It seems like LinkedIn is more the butt of jokes now than in its heyday when everyone was advised to get on it. Heyday being 2011-ish? Or is there a large number of C-level type people who went to elite colleges and are SV VCs who use it a lot, who are just out of my social league?

No, people at all levels in engineering and manufacturing use it. It's odd for me to search for a coworker or potential employer and not find them, although some just have an empty profile.

Re: Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn for $26B

#850

Post by lloyd-christmas »

shostack wrote: post #745
lloyd-christmas wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a prior equities trader, these were our year-makers if it happened during trading hours.

Can you elaborate on this for a non-trader?

LNKD closed at $131 per share on Friday and opened at $191 on Monday. That's a $60 move. The news happening outside of trading hours means that all the bid/offers didn't get executed, just that the valuation changed of currently held stock. If it happened during market hours, that move would 1) be more exaggerated due to human psychology, and 2) you'd actually be able to trade the news. If you managed to catch 1,000 shares at 131 before it jumped, you'd be making $60k on an investment of $131k. If you managed to catch only half of the move on 10,000 shares, that's $300k in profit on a $1.3m investment. To put it in perspective, day 1 on my job I was given $1m to "play with and get to know my keyboard shortcuts".

http://f.ptcdn.info/713/028/000/1424666722-5-o.png

In the image above, the stock price is 3.85. The green columns are bid/ask. It shows that there are 40,000 shares people are trying to buy at 3.84, 33,100 shares to buy at 3.82, etc. On the other side, there are 5 million shares someone is trying to sell at 3.86. If this imaginary stock suddenly was bought for $5.00 per share, You'd be able to buy 5 million shares at 3.86, (for about a $20m investment) and sell all of that for $5, for a profit of $5.7m (this is obviously the ideal case. More likely, those people selling at 3.86 would try to pull their offers before people could buy it, and other people would be trying to buy those 5m shares as well).

In that context and in regards to LNKD, it didn't really trade all that much volume prior to this, so you wouldn't be able to buy all that much stock. But a $60 change is pretty massive. Even catching a fraction of the move is pretty much "free money" just for having your hands on the keyboard.

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