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Layoffs at Tribe.net

topic posted Tue, April 25, 2006 - 6:22 PM by  jc 		Share/Save/Bookmark
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After learning that Patti had left Tribe to go to a new job, I wandered to the "about" page yesterday to see who was left. Then today I learned there were layoffs at Tribe so I just wen and took another look. Today the list is MUCH shorter (a mere 12 names) than it was just yesterday (about 25-30 names IIRC):

sanfrancisco.tribe.net/templa...bout.vm

Jan Gullett: CEO
Noah Mercer: Vice President of Product Engineering
Darian Patchin: Vice President Advertising
Jeanie Mayall: Office Manager
Gary Chou: Product Management
Brian Lawler: Chief Technical Officer
Pete Butler: Interface Design
Chris Vale: Systems Engineer
G. Marshall Halford: Software Engineer
John Sanders: Operations
Jennifer Snyder: Database Administrator
Brian Smith: Systems and Release Engineer

Missing:

all QA staff (Patti resigned last week to take a new job, but Darin and Mary were still employed as of yesterday)
several software and systems engineers
most of the product managers
all of the marketing / business development staff (except Darien, now VP of advertising)
all of the customer care staff

When a company lays off all the QA and support staff, you know things are bad.

I wonder who will be the one to turn out the lights when everyone else is gone...

It's pretty clear *to me* that Tribe is running out of cash. I predicted an event like this back in January. I said this (or something like it) would happen by 4/15, I was off by a mere 10 days.


posted by:
jc
offline jc
SF Bay Area
46 friends
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  • Unsu...
     

    Re: Layoffs at Tribe.net

    Tue, April 25, 2006 - 10:45 PM
    There are some people (like Elliot and Mary) who are not on that list but still have the tribe employee identifier on their profile...

    but maybe they don't have anyone left to update the database...
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  • Mars...
    Marshall
    offline 24

    These are the names that are missing

    Wed, April 26, 2006 - 8:30 AM
    Fanny Fong: Online Advertising Manager

    Elliot Loh: Interface Design

    Victor Barclay: Interface Design

    Jay Doane: Software Engineer

    Ben Freeman: Software Engineer

    Darin Marshall: Quality Assurance

    Mary McGloin: Quality Assurance

    Ruth Mirsky: Community Relations

    Christina Hoheisel: Community Relations

    Wendy Bean: Member Services

    Read the names and the roles they played here at Tribe and see that they're not the decision makers or the policy setters, but the people who did the work. The fact that Tribe has existed at all is due in part to the hard work done by these people. These people were my co-workers. These people are my friends. They may no longer be here at the office, but they are all still part of the comunity that is Tribe. Should you bump into them from time to time shine a little kindness down on them. They've earned it.

    For the prophets of doom, nay sayers, and conspiracy therorists out there who think this is the end of Tribe. You are wrong. There is still a crew here who can keep the site operational and make improvments from time to time. While we're still here that's exactly what we intend to do.
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    • Re: These are the names that are missing

      Wed, April 26, 2006 - 9:22 AM
      I don't know what you are talking about re Elliot. He is a large part of why Tribe is in such a sad state of affairs. He claimed he was responsible for the redesign. I for one think he got what he deserved if he did get fired. He was clueless.
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      • Brian
        Brian
        offline 109

        Re: These are the names that are missing

        Wed, April 26, 2006 - 11:52 AM
        You don't know what you're talking about. The Tribe that Elliot designed by himself is the Tribe that everyone here fell in love with. The Tribe that Elliot re-designed is, shall we say, more of a design by committee... and not a very good committee at that.
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        • Unsu...
           

          Re: These are the names that are missing

          Wed, April 26, 2006 - 12:16 PM
          Brian.........

          Thank You!

          That explains everything..........

          I'm not surprised.

          1.This is not the work of a proffesional designer. NO WAY.
          2.I have seen Elliots earlier design. And he KNOWS design. :)

          (see my earlier postings)

          :)
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        • Re: These are the names that are missing

          Wed, April 26, 2006 - 5:23 PM
          Yes I do know what I am talking about because Elliot publically took credit for the redesign of tribe. Go fuck yourself.
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          • Unsu...
             

            Re: These are the names that are missing

            Wed, April 26, 2006 - 5:28 PM
            hey blue, geeze put a sock in it and go and wash your mouth out with some more soap, terrible words coming from such a lovely flightless bird, your mother must be rolling in her shallow grave right now. Grow up and learn to use your words, your lack of self control is unnerving what was a decent conversation.
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            • Re: These are the names that are missing

              Wed, April 26, 2006 - 5:40 PM
              When someone talks shit like brian did, that response is entirely appropriate. As far as me being a potty mouth, you do know this is tribe and not your local baptist church, right?
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              • Unsu...
                 

                Re: These are the names that are missing

                Wed, April 26, 2006 - 5:53 PM
                little bird I'm feeling like picking you up and hugging you and then punting you to the end of tribe to the fist me like a muppet tribe. * blink blink*
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                • Re: These are the names that are missing

                  Wed, April 26, 2006 - 5:57 PM
                  Penguins know what they speak of.
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                    Unsu...
                     

                    Re: These are the names that are missing

                    Wed, April 26, 2006 - 6:02 PM
                    maybe, but they have a minor problem with self control, excuse me while I clean up his froth he's been spittingup all over the windows.
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                    • Re: These are the names that are missing

                      Wed, April 26, 2006 - 7:12 PM
                      Maybe you need to keep to your kind in the ladies temperance league. You also need to learn some english grammar and spelling. The fact is that Elliot made a statement that squarely put him at the top of responsibility for the mess tribe is currently in. His words.
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                      • Unsu...
                         

                        Re: These are the names that are missing

                        Wed, April 26, 2006 - 7:16 PM
                        I'm sure he feel's terrible about making your tribe experience poopy. Or maybe it's your attitude that's doing that, I bet you carry around that upside down smile everywhere you go. Sounds sad but hey, you can look forward to death now can't you?
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                      • Re: These are the names that are missing

                        Wed, April 26, 2006 - 9:23 PM
                        *cough* when one is being unusually aggressive and kneejerk in their reactions, not to mention rude, it is amusing to me to point out a simple hypocracy:

                        "You also need to learn some english grammar and spelling."

                        English - capitalized

                        "Maybe you need to keep to your kind in the ladies temperance league."

                        Ladies Temperance League - also capitalized. In addition, such a reference to this body of persons makes no logical sense in relation to the current discussion.

                        "The fact is that Elliot made a statement that squarely put him at the top of responsibility for the mess tribe is currently in. His words."

                        These sentences have their own style or grammatical problems, but I won't belabor the point. Also, one might contend that perhaps the logic here is erroneous. My recollection is that Elliot made a number of statements, many in response to both the demands of the users and his bosses. Thus, one statement does not necessarily put him "at the top of responsibility." The reality is likely to be quite different from the hater's perspective.

                        Of course, if said hater takes joy in attempting to belittle Tribe staff and those who defend said persons, might I suggest that the hater do so in such a way as to not present him- or herself as an arrogant prick?
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              • 23rd...
                23rd djin
                offline 54

                Re: These are the names that are missing

                Wed, April 26, 2006 - 5:53 PM
                wow... when did "calmly stating the obvious" become "talking shit"?

                i WOULD say "only in America...", but even the Taliban 'enjoyed' reacting violently to anything they didn't like to hear, regardless of the truth behind the words...
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                • Malv...
                  Malvado Supremo
                  offline 53

                  Re: These are the names that are missing

                  Wed, April 26, 2006 - 6:06 PM
                  Ah, divisiveness and insults on a thread regarding changes in the tribe design and TOU.
                  It's like cookies and milk. Ginger & Roy. Flies and Poo. Well, we almost went the whole day without flaming.

                  Wait-

                  Taliban? Are equating verbal lashouts about a website with murderous religous zealots now?


                  BWAHAHAH!

                  I think we should stop this thread now before it gets any goofier. One white substance goes up the nose, the other on the laundry kids....

                  Either that or someone should pick on Amartran so we can really start this party....


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                    Re: These are the names that are missing

                    Wed, April 26, 2006 - 6:15 PM
                    So do the layoffs affect the new design and when it comes out? If ever?



                    (And I wasnt trying to fan the flames ( too much), I was just thinking about all the times a penguin has saved my life or given me words to live by.. another thread and another time though.
                    Penguins and garden gnomes are wise creatures, though it's hard to understand gnomes,what with them being drunk all the time.)
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        • jc
          jc
          offline 46

          Endless redesigning...

          Thu, April 27, 2006 - 9:28 AM
          As I understand it, the endless redesigns were not Elliot's idea, but were his responsibility to implement on instruction from upper management. I'm sure Elliot would have loved to design it ONCE and then say "perfect" and move on to other projects.

          The idea that redesigning the site, yet again, would somehow fix the problems Tribe had came from upper management, starting with Mark Pincus - I never met Jan but trust me he couldn't have been worse than Mark! I remember Mark getting in a tizzy over some trivial design thing that he wanted changed - to hear him complain you would have thought that this one design change was critical to Tribe's success. It seemed like this happened on a daily basis when I worked at Tribe (fall 2003 thru fall 2004).

          They have been rearranging deck chairs at Tribe for a long, long time, spending more time (and money) on design (how it looks) rather than function (what you can and can't do).

          Layoffs of this magnitude mean they are running out of money. The functions that are missing (a decent photo gallery, for example, letting you sort and group photos like any OTHER photo gallery does) will probably never be implemented.
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          • Re: Endless redesigning...

            Thu, April 27, 2006 - 12:32 PM
            Guess I better make contingency plans to get ahold of people out side of tribe then.
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            • chris
              chris
              offline 40

              Re: Endless redesigning...

              Thu, April 27, 2006 - 1:26 PM
              I wouldn't put to much stock in what jc has to say (of course I never did!) She doesn't have any info you don't have.
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              • Unsu...
                 

                Re: Endless redesigning...

                Thu, April 27, 2006 - 2:23 PM
                I wouldn't put to much stock in what jc has to say (of course I never did!)

                that dose'nt come off as a reassuring reaction to someone who is supporting your livelihood Chris, I think that she has made a point, being a memeber of this tribe community of remaining distant from her personal opinion with regards to this topic. I assume that when it comes down to it your name is somewhere on that list as well. I personally don't would appreciate it if you kept your personal opinion of jc in amogst your coworkers, and not leave it here open to public discussion, it comes off as unprofessional.
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                • chris
                  chris
                  offline 40

                  Re: Endless redesigning...

                  Thu, April 27, 2006 - 2:29 PM
                  Ah, you lack a bit of history. jc isn't here as just some plain old user, she's someone with a chip on her shoulder about tribe. That being said I'm not here to reassure you, or anyone else about what's being said. I was just pointing out that despite her claims, jc doesn't know anything about tribe.net that not been publically posted.
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                    Unsu...
                     

                    Re: Endless redesigning...

                    Thu, April 27, 2006 - 2:32 PM
                    I apologise for my ignorance but in my defence and others that have only just joined you have to admit that it;'s not exactly profeesional to attack one of your members, and if she has a chip on her shoulder, than perhaps it's there for a reason... I mean Tribe has changed alot since some of us have joined, I don't know how comfortable you feel with your own job security, but keeping your personal opinons about peoples conduct wuld tend to be the high road, no? in any job that you happen to be in.
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                    • shatter
                      shatter
                      offline 0

                      Re: Endless redesigning...

                      Thu, April 27, 2006 - 3:12 PM
                      JC is a former tribe.net employee

                      Former Co Worker of Chris.

                      If you have just joined, please to be catching up on things before interjecting.

                      Also, remove the cock from your mouth before talking.

                      KTHX!!!!


                      --S
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              • shatter
                shatter
                offline 0

                Re: Endless redesigning...

                Thu, April 27, 2006 - 3:10 PM
                OH SNAP

                Thats' why I love you Chris, you deliever the bitchslap from hell. The Icon does major emphasizing.


                Me? Well, I'm feeling VERY shake like. This, I will now..... HEY. THAT IS MY CHAIR. YOU CANNOT SIT ON MY CHAIR FOR IT IS MINE. I bought it. On Ebay. I know about computers. I us eyour all teh time. for PORN. YES! TO THE PORN MOBILE!


                --S
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        • David
          David
          offline 55

          Re: These are the names that are missing

          Mon, May 1, 2006 - 11:24 AM
          The only solution is to go back to the OLD design! This is a no-brainer. A friend who books shows at a club was commenting on this last night. He said he no longer visits Tribe because "so much stuff is missing", which must mean that the redesign has driven him away, too.
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    • shatter
      shatter
      offline 0

      Re: These are the names that are missing

      Wed, April 26, 2006 - 6:29 PM
      "For the prophets of doom, nay sayers, and conspiracy therorists out there who think this is the end of Tribe. You are wrong. There is still a crew here who can keep the site operational and make improvments from time to time. While we're still here that's exactly what we intend to do."

      Its' funny, when times are toughthey always start chopping from the bottom up, cutting off the plant from teh roots as you will, to save the fruit at the top.

      Funny how that's not what you do in gardening. You hack the plant form the top down, letting the roots grow strong and produce a strong plant later.

      Now what you have with tribe is a bunch of flowers in a glass vase. They look great, but in a short while they will wilt and produce nothing more.

      So long as upper management that's driven the site into the ground get's paid it's all ok.

      --S
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      • Unsu...
         

        Re: These are the names that are missing

        Wed, April 26, 2006 - 8:00 PM
        ** Now what you have with tribe is a bunch of flowers in a glass vase. They look great, but in a short while they will wilt and produce nothing more ... **

        Ahhh the Iron Fister with words of wisdom. Seems like deja-vu for you. You've seen this before, no?

        = D
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    • Re: These are the names that are missing

      Thu, April 27, 2006 - 12:51 AM
      >>Read the names and the roles they played here at Tribe and see that they're not the decision makers or the policy setters, but the people who did the work.

      So- who's doing the work now?


      Bummed for some of you Tribe staff who got laid off. Probably the ones who ACTUALLY accomplished stuff.
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  • Near...
    Near Miss
    offline 77

    Re: Layoffs at Tribe.net

    Wed, April 26, 2006 - 11:21 AM
    Tribe is the new Friendster...
    I think this seals it.
    There were a couple points where it may have been avoidable but instead, they did the opposite things.

    And now they've fired most of the people who had any chance of making the product still valuable. What can they do? Sell it? Why would someone buy it at this point? If it looked viable for the future, it would have found VC.
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    • Re: Layoffs at Tribe.net

      Wed, April 26, 2006 - 11:27 AM
      "If it looked viable for the future, it would have found VC."

      Not necessarily. If a possible invester thought it was a workable idea, workable implementation, but wanted to change either the business model and/or the administration, they might well wait for some self destruction or hunger to set in before offering to invest or buy out. That is, waiting could well be a negotiation tactic.
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      • Near...
        Near Miss
        offline 77

        Re: Layoffs at Tribe.net

        Wed, April 26, 2006 - 11:34 AM
        That works for some types of companies, but its often not a good idea for social software.. Much of the value is in what the product does, much of it is methods of revenue potential and much of it is in its user base. The first two aren't useful if the user base is waning. Plus, why would someone buy a failed model when they can build something improved for a comparable price? Trying to enchant the user-base might work as well as advertising... It's an open window.
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  • Jan
    Jan
    offline 18

    Re: Layoffs at Tribe.net

    Wed, April 26, 2006 - 12:19 PM
    JC,

    Thanks for your observations.

    The managment team at tribe and our investors did feel that it was time to move the company expenses closer to our revenue level. We feel that reigning in our costs, focusing serving our members in a sustaniable way while offering value to advertisers to maintain our revenue was the right direction for tribe.

    After two and a half years of high levels of investment, we do not feel these adjustments will affect our ability to offer service to our community. We are continuing to explore ways to enhance and grow the community as well.

    Jan
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    • Unsu...
       

      Re: Layoffs at Tribe.net

      Wed, April 26, 2006 - 12:35 PM
      A good way to start Jan, is to get rid of this interface, OR improve it a LOT. It's importand to make Tribe a happy place again, more importand then anything else at the moment. THEN we can focus on the future and make tribe grow. Tribe IS a great community, but it needs a great interface too. :)

      And, yes, i know Tribe is going to do some changes to this interface, i hope they are going to be big enough.

      :)
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      • Re: Layoffs at Tribe.net

        Wed, April 26, 2006 - 12:58 PM
        i disagree. i don't really participate in this tribe bc most of the so-called improvements are not improvements at all, like the new interface. we could just go back to the previous one and leave it at that. i have given feedback to tribe employees that a bit of STABILITY in the interface would reflect more positively on the stability of the company - and would be more user friendly. pick ONE design and stick with it - no more changes! tribe doesn't need improvements. maybe it could match some of the offerings at myspace, such as hosting sound files. but honestly, the hardcore tribers like it as it is, and we want to know that it will stick around. the only thing that worries us is tribe failing financially. we are the normal people, not the tech geeks. keep it afloat, jan, and we're with you.
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    • Malv...
      Malvado Supremo
      offline 53

      Re: Layoffs at Tribe.net

      Wed, April 26, 2006 - 1:03 PM
      Jan,

      "The Tribe that Elliot designed by himself is the Tribe that everyone here fell in love with. The Tribe that Elliot re-designed is, shall we say, more of a design by committee... and not a very good committee at that."

      This says quite a lot right here. While I for one feel there is a commitment to the users, and believe you are trying to serve us, I still feel tribe failed it's users by switching to this new look, and "fixing" what wasn't broken (for us). I understand there were technical issues too, but I really think if you altered the current design to at least look like the old tribe (and lay out with the A/B/O options), it would generate a positive response, and see greater positive feedback come your way. While tribe's usability has recovered, the look and feel remain dismal, and uninspiring. The whole red/white/grey appearance should be scrapped as a nice try. Since you know the previous appearance was successful, I would recommend reverting to that appearance (regardless of how you get it to work behind the scenes), and stick with it until you can go fully customizable, as you plan to. I would like to believe that the positive response would assuage your investors concerns about appeal.

      I wish your departing staff the best. I hope they can return soon. I also wish your remaining staff strength, as a large layoff is never a fun thing to endure.
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      • Unsu...
         

        Re: Layoffs at Tribe.net

        Wed, April 26, 2006 - 1:54 PM
        Spaztic & The Archfiend

        I'm with you 100%

        TRIBE, give us our old working superior interface BACK. And no more changes.
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        • Unsu...
           

          Re: Layoffs at Tribe.net

          Wed, April 26, 2006 - 3:06 PM
          fuck! and the alternatives suck! suck! suck! more than this place sucks sucks sucks, damn you wade!
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          • ż€₪ż€₪
            ż€₪ż€₪
            offline 751

            Re: Layoffs at Tribe.net

            Wed, April 26, 2006 - 3:35 PM
            Yay! Now I can post more ass shots!
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            • Prom...
              Prometheoid
              offline 13

              Re: Layoffs at Tribe.net

              Wed, April 26, 2006 - 7:21 PM
              Tribe could become community-run volunteer thingy!
              YAY! Socialism....
              Tribe's on it's own server, isn't it?
              What kind of space does it take up? Hehe...
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              • Re: Layoffs at Tribe.net

                Wed, April 26, 2006 - 9:33 PM
                you always kill the things you love most.
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                • Mada...
                  Madame Gonzaga
                  offline 345

                  Re: Layoffs at Tribe.net

                  Thu, April 27, 2006 - 12:34 PM
                  Euthanasia?
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                    Mike C.
                    Mike C.
                    offline 26

                    Re: Layoffs at Tribe.net

                    Thu, April 27, 2006 - 5:13 PM
                    One indication of how far tribe has sunk.

                    www.free-association.net/index.php

                    If I hadn't have seen this, I wouldn't be involved in the discussion. The only reason I'm involved now is because Tribe was once a place I loved. Tribe's staff decisions showed complete disregard for that love of friends and community and so I have sought it elsewhere, along with others.

                    I could write more on the topic but I'd rather not waste my time. Past decisions by tribe have shown that the time I invest won't make a difference so there is no point to it. Maybe I'll continue the discussion in that other forum, but I'd rather not drag around the past. It's a new site and it needs new content -- not this old dreck.

                    One thing I do know. If Darian and some of the sales people can generate money without Jan, then your best recourse toward saving Tribe is firing Jan. Right now he is the only one left that is making the idea of 'community based decisions' an illusion. Once he is out of the way, convert tribe to what it was prior to 12/20.

                    Maybe you can find some new users then. As for me, the damage is already done.

                    Back to free-ass I go.
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                    • 23rd...
                      23rd djin
                      offline 54

                      Re: Layoffs at Tribe.net

                      Thu, April 27, 2006 - 8:07 PM
                      hey, thanks for the link. i went to check the members of that association and it confirmed for me why there are certain 'areas' of tribe that are exponentially less annoying these days. kinda backfires if that was supposed to be a positive plug for free association.
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                    Unsu...
                     

                    Re: Layoffs at Tribe.net

                    Thu, April 27, 2006 - 8:57 PM
                    ** Euthanasia? **

                    More like a slow, painful Tribe-o-cide ...

                    = D
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                    • Unsu...
                       

                      Re: Layoffs at Tribe.net

                      Thu, April 27, 2006 - 11:08 PM
                      JC is a former tribe.net employee
                      Former Co Worker of Chris.
                      If you have just joined, please to be catching up on things before interjecting.
                      Also, remove the cock from your mouth before talking.
                      KTHX!!!!

                      woohoo cocksucking jokes how original. Sorry for not being in the loop, Shitter. I have other things to do than play Days Of Our Tribe. Oh and maybe next time you should remove the cock from your ass before bothering to post.
                      KTHX!!!!
                      join to post
  • Sean
    Sean
    offline 246

    Re: Layoffs at Tribe.net

    Mon, May 1, 2006 - 2:33 PM
    Did a quick look at the market value of Tribe and of its investors and ran across some interesting data...

    Knight-Ridder corporation was a large investor, we knew that. Knight-Ridder is also a company in financial trouble because the news paper business is faultering. They invested in Tribe and other companys in an effort to switch to Technology Businesses before their perceived death of the news paper by 2010.

    Knight-Ridder is now on the chopping block and up for sale. Many know this too...

    But in an article published April 7, 2006, Knight-Ridder makes a statement they are looking at divesting their investment in Tribe. This corresponds to the sudden pressure and change by the Board of Directors seeking more financially viable solutions and the laying off of a large portion of the work force.

    This new interface has damaged the community and the system more than it helped. Regardless of the spin and faulty numbers provided by tribes employees. It could be the final break in the hull before she finally swamps.

    Source:
    www.paidcontent.org/pc/arch/...der.shtml
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