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Restructuring Announcement

(automattic.com)
261 points markx2 | 12 comments | 02 Apr 25 18:34 UTC | HN request time: 1.466s | source | bottom
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anthomtb ◴[02 Apr 25 19:30 UTC] No.43560568[source]▶
> This restructuring will result in an approximately 16% workforce reduction

Probably the most salient detail for non-Automattic employees. Everything else was generic fluff.

replies(2): >>43560843 #>>43560996 #
1. jihadjihad ◴[02 Apr 25 20:14 UTC] No.43560996[source]▶
> non-Automattic employees

non-Automatticians. Yes, they literally used this term in TFA.

replies(1): >>43561306 #
2. munificent ◴[02 Apr 25 20:43 UTC] No.43561306[source]▶
I know this really bugs some people but every tech company these days has a demonym for its employees.

It doesn't mean that employees have some cultlike adoration for the company. It's just very convenient inside the company to have a single short word to refer to all employees of the business.

replies(5): >>43561447 #>>43561449 #>>43561473 #>>43561532 #>>43562847 #
3. rchaud ◴[02 Apr 25 20:55 UTC] No.43561447[source]▶
Just say "all employees" then. Lots of companies use contractors who don't have employee benefits, do they count as "Googlers" or whatever the stupid stand-in moniker is?
4. jihadjihad ◴[02 Apr 25 20:55 UTC] No.43561449[source]▶
I get it, it's just kind of a meme at this point after a couple years of these boilerplate RIF announcements. Cmd-F for "difficult decision" + whatever the demonym is and you're basically guaranteed hits.
5. tylerrobinson ◴[02 Apr 25 20:57 UTC] No.43561473[source]▶
> a single short word

> “Automattician”

The word you’re looking for is employee.

replies(1): >>43562102 #
6. ithkuil ◴[02 Apr 25 21:02 UTC] No.43561532[source]▶
Some companies even have a name for people after they left the company, like "xooglers" for Google and "outfluxers" for InfluxData
replies(1): >>43561714 #
7. eppsilon ◴[02 Apr 25 21:16 UTC] No.43561714{3}[source]▶
get hired back to become a refluxer, train as a hardware engineer to become a flux capacitor...
8. munificent ◴[02 Apr 25 21:53 UTC] No.43562102{3}[source]▶
I checked my list, and the fact that employees of Automattic are called "Automatticians" did not make my list of things to be outraged about. Maybe next week.
replies(1): >>43563939 #
9. dylan604 ◴[02 Apr 25 23:09 UTC] No.43562847[source]▶
> It doesn't mean that employees have some cultlike adoration for the company

No, but it does mean that the company wishes that employees had some cult like adoration. The line between proud of the company one works for and being cult like is not rigid, and moves depending on the company

replies(1): >>43577358 #
10. pseudalopex ◴[03 Apr 25 02:09 UTC] No.43563939{4}[source]▶
Pointing out the error in your claim implied nothing about outrage.
replies(1): >>43572484 #
11. munificent ◴[03 Apr 25 16:58 UTC] No.43572484{5}[source]▶
"Employee" is ambiguous because it doesn't convey which business someone is an employee of. A company-specific demonym is short and precise.
12. squiggleblaz ◴[04 Apr 25 01:17 UTC] No.43577358{3}[source]▶
I've never taken it as wish that employees have some cult like adoration, but as a team building exercise. I don't like it, it's cringe, but it's nothing worse than a bit of meaningless cringe. I have heard the theory of the fine line between a CEO and a cult leader, but I've never worked at a company that came anywhere near that fine line. Every CEO I've worked with has known that we're there due to a mutually beneficial agreement.