UPDATE: Please take the time to read my followup post, Fifteen Minutes of Fame, for my thoughts on what happened after I posted this picture, why it happened — and most importantly, why I don’t blame Microsoft for their actions. Thanks!
It looks like somebody over in Microsoft land is getting some new toys…
I took this shot on the way into work on the loading dock (MSCopy, the print shop I work in, is in the same building as MS’s shipping and receiving). Three palettes of Dual 2.0Ghz G5’s on their way in to somewhere deep in the bowels of Redmond. Hopefully they’re all in good condition when they arrive — the boxes are slick enough that a few of them took a bit of a tumble (you can see them back in the truck)!
Tagged: 15 minutes of fame, Apple, g5, Microsoft, Photography, powermac
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Of blogging and unemployment
And that simply, as of about 2pm today, I once again joined the ranks of the unemployed.
Blog with care
Mind what you blog, it might get you the sack even if the posting is not about the company you work in.
Careful about your blogging
Another example illustrating that you should think twice before blogging. Michael has really been screwed here. One entry just being funny results in him been fired. Microsoft is really acting like a disgruntled four-year old. Heck, I could understand it
Careful what you write…
Take care what you write about on your blogs, forums, etc. It appears that one of the bloggers I have a lot of respect for, and who I link to a lot was fired by Microsoft yesterday for posting something…
How G5s can make oyu unemployed…
… or at least technically unemployed, as Michael says. Now, we all know, we need to help a fellow Apple geek in need, and if he’s being fired by the Evil Empire itself, for an act of Apple Geekdom, then…
When Microsoft Attacks, Part 2
I don’t expect to get fired for this picture. It’s hard to imagine that anyone would. Microsoft sucks.
Picture Pages
I don’t wander around the TypePad community too much, so this evening I decided to get out and see some sites. Here’s some of my findings, complete with links to photos: a sign that reads “Spitting… is Unlawful… Offenders are
Why Did I Want to Be There?
I may have cried over the possibility of not working at Microsoft but through a local mailing list, I saw…
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Unfortunately, I don’t wander around the TypePad community too much because I tend to forget about it. This evening, however, I decided to get out and see some sites, visit with some neighbors, and record a few of my findings
MS fired a guy for blogging?
You blog, then better ask your boss
Do you blog? And are you employed? Be careful your boss may not like what you blog, this guy got fired (read actual thread) because he wrote something on his blog that his company do not like. Similarly, better be careful with your blog content and fol…
Microsoft Fires Blogger
If we can trust what is written on the “Electrisim” weblog, Microsoft fired a blogger for posting a picture of a shipment of Macs arriving at the Microsoft headquarters: Even Microsoft wants G5s” href=”http://www.michaelhanscom.com/eclecticism/2003/10/…
Dear Microsoft
I always thought that wanting to work for you would be nifty, however after reading this i’ve decided that my uber nifty idea’s and conceptual brilliance will no longer be allowed into your life sucking corportation. seriously guys, some of…
Microsoft Temp fired for blogging about Macs.
Seems that Micro$haft doesn’t want word to get out that they just scored a nice big pallet of 2.0Ghz G5s. They are so intent on this, it seems, that if you happen to be a temp working there, and you…
Microsoft Fires over a Blog
This is pretty upsetting. Microsoft fired an individual over this post on his blog. Microsoft says it’s a security violation. Which is Gates-speak for embarassing Apple’s at Microsoft….
Don’t Blog about Microsoft
Obligatory Link Love
Blogging can get you fired
This blog entry was the reason Michael got fired. And to be honest I can even understand Microsoft in part for their reaction. No company would want you blogging “sensitive” stuff like that. At the same time it is an…
The Working Mac Manifesto
The tech economy has been bruised for years now. With as many tech - and Mac people looking for jobs, it’s worth noting that we are our greatest asset. Follow me here… I work for Career Services at a state…
Another Blog Related Firing
“Microsoft has the right to decide that because of what you said, you’re no longer welcome on the Microsoft campus.”
Another Blog-related Firing
“Microsoft has the right to decide that because of what you said, you’re no longer welcome on the Microsoft campus.”
Another Blog Related Firing
“Microsoft has the right to decide that because of what you said, you’re no longer welcome on the Microsoft campus.”
MS Blogger Gets The Boot
A blogger and Microsoft got himself fired for posting pictures of Even Microsoft wants G5s” href=”http://www.michaelhanscom.com/eclecticism/2003/10/even_microsoft_.html”>a shipment of Mac G5s…
It’s how you say it
Do you talk about work on your blog? Careful….
One Blog, No Job
Michael’s Blog entry about an M$ offices new purchases, unfortunatly got him fired. Watch what you blog, if you want to keep your job….
Microsoft orders G5’s, fires guy who photographs it
This guy took a picture of a couple of pallettes of Apple G5’s being unloaded at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond. Four days later he was fired for “security violations”. I really feel bad for this guy as Microsoft offered him…
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I know that this poor bastard has already received more than his fair share of attention from the monster than…
Microsoft lays down the law
A guy posts a photo of G5’s being delivered to Microsoft. Guy is a Microsoft employee. Guy gets fired. Stupid Microsoft.
Seattle’s crime of the week
Writing and postingeclecticism >thislast week resulted in eclecticism >this this week for Michael Hanscom who, seemingly, now rates as a major security threat over at Gates Central. Stupid for them; sad for him….
Do they even care about technology anymore?
What. The. Fuck? There’s two things in the last 48 hours that have really bothered me. They should bother everyone else too. This effects technology to the highest level. “The GPL violates the U.S. Constitution, together with copyright, antitrust and…
Even Microsoft wants G5s
If you have a job for Michael Hanscom let him know. Michael was fired from Microsoft recently for posting a picture on his blog of 3 palettes of dual 2 Ghz Apple G5s as they were being delivered to the…
Microsoft buys Apples, sacks employee who blogged it
Who says bloggers don’t get results? In this case, it wasn’t what the blogger anticipated, that’s for sure. Said blogger snapped a photo of a truck of dual 2 Ghz PowerMac G5s being unloaded at one of Microsoft’s facilities. Microsoft…
G5 pix gets Michael fired
Watch what you blog. Michael Hanscom (eclecticism weblog) lost his job at Microsoft because of this post: Even Microsoft wants G5s That sucks. Good luck Michael….
Watch What You Blog About
Poor Microsoft temp employee gets fired for posting a picture in his blog of new Apple G5s being unloaded somewhere in the Redmond campus. [via PhilMUG]…
Microsoft Cans Pix Posting Blogger
I’m willing to bet folding money that within a year we’ll be hearing a Gates Keynote, at any one of the bazillion conferences onliners feel compelled to attend, about how essential blogging is to the “Microsoft Way.” Then we’ll have a BillBlog to show…
Bring on the firings…
Even Microsoft wants G5s” href=”http://www.michaelhanscom.com/eclecticism/2003/10/even_microsoft_.html”>Even Microsoft wants G5s….but being a Microsoft employee and letting the so-called cat out of the bag on the Internet is not a good idea….
Blogger Burned
A blogger who worked for Microsoft just got fired because he took a picture of some Macintosh G5’s at Microsoft and posted them on his blog. His blog is a private one, but here’s a case where employers will burn…
Sacked By The Borg
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Bill Buys a G5
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Mind what you blog - It could cost you a job.
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Whispered secrets
Doyce recounts the story of some copy shop guy at the Micro$oft campus who was fired for posting a picture…
MS kicks employee because of blog post
I just found out via Robert Accettura’s weblog that Michael Hanscom, a Microsoft employee, has been fired because of a humorous and innocent post about Microsoft buying some Mac computers. What on earth is wrong with Microsoft? If they find…
Being fired by Microsoft for one picture, is it true ?
Microsoft’s Cruel and Unusual Punishment
A Former Microsoft Employee has been terminated for taking a picture of 3 pallets of G5’s entering the Microsoft Compounds in Redmond and posting those photos on his blog. Gee, I don’t think Microsoft wanted it known that they were buying a truckload …
Michael Hanscom story
Blogs Speak Louder Than Words
A very interesting event in the world of Blogs. The blog Electicism is run by an employee of Microsoft, and he blogged a photograph of some boxes of Apple Computer’s new Dual 2.0 Ghz G5 Power Macs. Needless to say, in matter of 4 days, he was no lon…
Be carefull about what you blog. Microsoft will fire you!
Microsoft fired an individual over a post on his blog. Microsoft Security saw the post as being a security violation….
Fired for blogging?
http://www.michaelhanscom.com/eclecticism/2003/10/even_microsoft_.html After blogging this entry, a guy was fired from his job at Microsoft, apparantly they didn’t like the fact he gave away information about locations and buildings at MS, not that the…
one bad apple ruins the bunch
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Unbelievable!!
This guy was FIRED for blogging about the G5’s he saw being delivered….well microsoft guess what now its ALL OVER…
Gulp!
Michael Hanscom has a blog where he great picture of some PowerMac G5s being delivered to his employer, Microsoft. Seems…
308 Comments
I am sure apple would love to hear your story and they’d probably offer you a job. Good luck with finding new work. Sorry you had to go through this.
That sucks man, good luck in the future
I’ve seen several controversial blogs out there, but it really proves how respectable blogs are in the media.
See this Sparkpod blog http://www.sparkpod.com/lesbians
Can you sue them (your employee)? If they are going to do this do you for such a stupid reason, might as well get the best of it. Can such reason for dismisal be legal?
Jeez, I can’t see their problem. Of course MS is going to be buying G5s. They still develop applications for the Mac so they’d kinda need some Macs to at least test things on. It’s not like they’re switching or anything.
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS OFFENSIVE TO MS ABOUT THIS BLOG? This is the silliest thing I have every heard. As others have said MS would need G5’s to develop on, and maybe use them for publishing Quark or something - I dunno. But to fire you? My heart goes out to you and I hope you quickly find gainful employment!
What were you doing with a camera at work? Most places (I’m sure its so at MS) definately view that as a no no.
You are NOT supposed to take any pictures or even carry a camera in any company. Now this guy took this picture and expects not to get fired??? What the heck is your problem guys?!! Is it because it happened in your favorite company?
Just wondering if this makes you a mac user if your not already, if so welcome, and f microsoft!
As another employee who has been fired for blogging, I feel your pain. Though mine was much more…stupid, I can still relate. One thing you’ll be able to count on is the support of your community.
Regards, adam
Typical macintosh fanatard. Way to go.
Rob, Im afraid you are overlooking the fact that most mobile phones in this day-and-age infact contain those evil camera thingys…
Good luck with finding a new job - hope you get better luck this time, and dont end up slaving for another micro$haft.
I’m sure with the exposure on /. that you’ll find a another job soon! I thought Microsoft wrote software for the Mac, so it’s quite likely that they’d have a bunch of Macs sitting around or on order. It’s not like you snapped a picture of a pallet of RedHat 9 boxes! Good luck!
Chin up—you can always sell penis enlargement pills!
The reason they fired you is that you weee a temporary employee and could have been fired without much trouble. Had you been a permanent employee, your offer of taking down the post would have been taken.
The logic being along the lines of “There’s enough negative publicity associated with our actions. If anybody’s action results in more negative publicity (especially true because of the title), and he’s on our payroll, we better find out how easy it is to fire him. … (Later) oh! he’s a temp and he creates a negative publicity for us … easier to fire him than for us to face our superior.”
I’m pretty sure most companies will take similar action against temp employees.
Bottomline - You are a temp. speak only as much as is necessary.
“You are NOT supposed to take any pictures or even carry a camera in any company” !! Since when? That could be reasonable in military facilities perhaps but not in a company unless it is explicitly displayed.
It looks more like a disgruntled colleague stabbing you in the back, given that the blog was not on an office server. Regarding using digi cameras at work, here in UK a lot of employees got an MMS phone and grabbing a pic during work to show to friends is commonly acceptable. Shame on Microsoft for being so foolish. Hope you find new work soon. Good luck
Why in the hell would Microsoft be upset about this? Like others have said - of COURSE they buy Macs. They write Mac software! Hello!?!? Office v.X anyone? It’s no secret that MS has Macs, and that they have a stake (ie they have stock, it was in the news a few years ago…) in Apple.
I personally would be driven to find out why this offended Microsoft. Best of luck to you in these times.
You pussies! What’s with the ‘careful what you post/say/do’ comments? I will be absoulutely sure to doom your lame-ass writings to the trash. Why bother reading a blog (or writing one, for that matter) if you’re going to avoid subjects for fear of reprisal?
As to this picture/one-liner that got an intern fired - it sucks, but you probably could’ve expected it from any computer company. If Apple was getting a delivery of Windows XP and you spread it around, good ‘ol Steve would probably shit his pants, then fire you.
Ironically signed, Anon. (for fear of reprisal)
I’m sorry you got fired dude but you screwed up. I totally understand Microsoft’s point of view. If it were my company I would have dismissed you as well. I don’t need my employees risking my competitiveness by publishing unauthorized photographs and information about R&D and future product.
It sucks that you got booted but the truth is, they had every right to do it!
Can you honestly sit there and think that someone at MS wasn’t going to get a little upset about you broadcasting to the entire world that they are buying Mac hardware? All employees have to consider what the company may consider confidential information. Them buying a competitor’s product would definitely count as one of those, or so I would think.
I don’t work for MS and yeah there is the case of free speech but I don’t think you considered the consequences of what you were doing. I blog about my work all the time but I don’t reveal anything to the world that might be considered confidential.
Another shining example that shows Microshaft is run by a bunch of idiots. Who gives a **** that he took a picture of some Apple boxes! Get over it Redmond.
MS should have had the G5’s shipped in non-discreet boxes
Good ol’ Microsoft. Best of luck man.
Im glad youdid the right thing, why would you want to work at microsoft anyway?
If I was bill I would buy Sun’s, run some linux boxes, why not a couple apple’s .. have to see what the competetion is doing. Getting fired over a photo is a little over the edge. Good luck, wish I had a job to offer you.
Yeah, I can see them doing it. I imagine they have a software testing lab where they need every machine possible to test on. That is part of the debugging process. Could be a reward for the guys (and gals!) at the MBU. I’m really sorry you got fired, but if I were your boss I might have had to also. Don’t worry, you will be OK.
That photo is just dying to appear on a t-shirt.
Those slagging M$ now will of course remember Apple did more or less the same a while ago, firing an Apple Store employee for having a screenshot of some application Apple uses for customer management, buried in a webserver directory
http://forums.macrumors.com/archive/topic/19575-1.html
http://virga-x.adtn.net/screenshots/Apple%20Internal/
maybe you could get a job with the company who shipped the G5’s to MS. Maybe as a quality control officer? Probably a waste of your talent i know, but if things get tight?
Quote: You are NOT supposed to take any pictures or even carry a camera in any company.
If you think that absurd comment is actually even remotely true then your a prize muppet of the highest order.
And, as you apparently, can’t see what the fuss is over…
It’s so objectionable because its just trivial nonsense over a non-event.
It’s well known that of course Microsoft has PowerPC systems (how else would they write all the Mac OS software they do?). So the secrecy on that topic isn’t an issue.
Somehow I can’t see this head line: ‘Burger King worker takes a picture of a McDonalds Milkshake in a Burger King car park, post it on his homepage, gets fired.’.
He didn’t in any way portray his employees in a bad light and their is no breach of security here. He stated MSCopy building is near the Goods Delivery building (something that someone in Security objected to, according to the blog) but that blissfully ignores the fact that the buildings are going to be clearly sign posted in particular the Goods Delivery Area (and it really doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work that one out).
There are no legitimate concerns here that warrant firing an employee, just a trumped up power tripper in Security/HR/middle management with nothing better to do than callously harm in the lives of others - all they have succeeded in doing is making the world just a little gloomier.
I can’t think the mother of the person responsible for firing this hapless employee would be proud of their offspring’s achievements that day - and the same goes for those involved who stood by and let it happen. I think the middle manager who stood for this and failed to stand up for his (even temporary) employee is spineless wonder and ought to be ashamed of themselves. We are always telling our children to stand up against decisions we think are wrong and unjust, it’s sad that we as adults seldom practice what we preach.
Like many things in life, it happened because other people are afraid to stick their necks out and say ‘No, wait a minute, that’s not fair.’ and put their foot down.
What’s happened to this employee is clearly not right, if your in any doubt (if for some reason you’ve lost the ability to tell ‘right’ from ‘wrong’) then just ask your mother, because she apparently has some unwished work left with regard to teaching you the basics…
“Rob, Im afraid you are overlooking the fact that most mobile phones in this day-and-age infact contain those *evil camera thingys” - yes, but this is one reason why there are a growing number of buildings (especially government) that require you to check your celphone at the door, unless it a) has no built-in camera, and b) has no attachment point for a camera. Seriously. People do give security a high level of importance, especially at larger companies. Besides, having shown a propensity for taking random pictures, even if this one was innocuous, how does MSFT know that the next one won’t have some more secure detail, maybe even in the background? It has nothing to do with the G5s, and everything to do with the camera.
You asked for it, man. I dont know of a big company that allows snaps like that. Besides, MS wasnt your employer if you are a temp. Wake up! Temps are considered disposable employees. Didnt you know that? Its ugly, but thats how companies look at them. You should have jumped on as a full timer when MS was switching a lot of temps over to full time.
John, While it is true that Microsoft has a booming Macintosh software division, all of their Macintosh development is done in San Francisco, at their “Mac Business Unit”, as it is called. It seems notable to me that 18 G5s have arrived in Redmond. Companies also like to keep their hands close to their chest, and they depend on their employees (temp or not) to do that. If some employee was wandering around Apple with a phonecam posting pictures of interesting things to the web, s/he wouldn’t last 5 minutes.
Microsoft is a bunch of shit-sucking pig fucker nazi assholes. Fuck them.
You deserve to be fired you stupid fuck! If I posted photos that contravined my contract my employer would rightfully do the same thing. Besides.. why wouldn’t MS want MACS? They need them for testing, at the very least.
Sounds like M$ all right. If they made such a big deal about the blog, it obviously has some merit… M$ wants to be sure word doesn’t get out about the fact that even they know Macs are so much more superior than any joke of a Xerox-OS they can release… They obviously have no ability to create anything original (just look at the overly slowly developing Longhorn). Their nifty new feature set looks like they took Apple’s patented technologies, and then created new names for them and stuck it into their own box. Just look into their “pile” method of managing documents on the hard drive. It’s like that PC M$ helped design with HP (I think it was)… All the original features of that machine either come from already existing Mac technology, or from Apple patents… M$ must have Apple patents as a subscription. As soon as Apple files a new one, M$ gets it and immediately begins adding it to their system…
KMFDM woo
Attention all: Don’t take pictures of your workplace. This goes for anywhere you work. — tom7.org
Only in America…..
Don’t worry dude, you weren’t exactly hanging with the smartest crowd on the planet, even though 95% of planet Earth seems to think otherwise. I friend of mine got hired by Microsoft last year, nice guy and all that, but a grade one ass licker, only does what he’s told. Definitely not the kind of person I’d want to employ.
Hey! You are a temp worker! Who cares? Layoff my ass, you were let go; it’s not like they owe you any loyalty for all your temp work.
Ya know the thing is, now more peeps will know about MS’s Macs than if they would have just shut up. Stupid.
America runs on FEAR!
You undermined your employer. Now live withthe consequences.
Taking pictures of inside company shipments and posting them would get you fired from anywhere. I feel sorry for you as I have been fired from a job myself, it hurts. I think this has less to do with Microsoft worrying about buying a few Macs (much to the wish of ‘anti Microsoft’ folk, they already own Mac for fucks sakes) and more to do with inside company inventory and inside confidential information being posted on the web. Think about this and take it as lesson not to do something quite this stupid again.
joe blow, i think you have hit the nail on the head
I posted this elsehwere, but I’ll post it here.
I don’t like Microsoft in general. I don’t like their practices, ethics, many policies, etc. However, while I agree that the action appears excessive, I do defend Microsoft’s right (really any corporate entities right) to protect itself (security and other).
The fact of the matter is, eclecticism was not sensitive to what is allowed by the company with which he was employed. He exercised poor judgement and unfortunately, it was costly. I expect he will learn from that practice. In the future, he should actively determine what is allowable by the company and then use that as a guage for posting on his own blog.
As we have personal privacy so do corporations. Think about that.
And as for those that are talking about MS not wanting anyone to know they have Mac, I ask you, how much of Apple does Microsoft own? Please, let’s be serious about why someone would be fired for doing this.
Such a massive secret u let out of the bag!!!
Did you sign a non-disclosure aggrement??? Was there any sort of visible ‘No cameras’ allowed sign anywhere?? I would think most people would not have expected such a despicable reaction.
This sucks. US and UK employment laws are so shit, the very fact that you where a temp worker with no rights is harsh. I fear for humanity as a whole. You people above who have defended MS actions, you must love your companies soooo much. I will piss myself with laughter when they abuse you.
If I has posted unauthorised pictures and information about a company I had worked for I would expect disciplinary action. Sorry but you really do deserve it. This is the way of the real, professional working world in IT. I dislike most Microsoft products as much as the next man but these pictures are embarressing to your previous employer and probably violating the contract you worked under. Oops. Good luck with the job hunt.