unnamed side-thread ("exit Stephen Blair?")

[EricTRocks]

Chiming in with some slight Admin duties.

@iamvfx: I share the frustration on this topic 100%. The way big corporations do their business often times sucks for the smaller corners where those decisions reach. We can't expect any answers from AD or Graham about how or why the layoffs happened. We are aware of the restrictions that AD and its employees have about giving information out about its business practices and future plans. Its futile to ask for answers or expect anyone to give out the info. Lets leave it alone as there is nothing we can do. Secondly, your comment asking Graham if he ever used Softimage was pretty blatantly antagonistic. Please refrain in the future. We're all frustrated with the recent events and trying to understand things that cannot be understood.

@everyone: Please feel free to say your farewells, vent your frustrations, and give perspectives on how corporations operate. Please keep any blame and frustration aimed at the machine and not the devs who had no say in the decisions.

To reiterate, I'm very upset and at a loss myself and am deeply frustrated with AD at the moment. I understand where everyone is coming from but all the anger / frustration needs to be aimed in the right directions.

... carry on.

[ActionArt]

AD blows chunks in every possible way. That pretty much sums it up for me. Initially I thought they might be OK but now they're worse than I imagined. Every product they were founded on is a sack of hammered sh*t and the ones they acquire, they eventually bring down to their level instead of gaining from it.

Hopefully karma has it's way sooner than later. Clearly some execs deserve the boot. First they raise subscriptions rates then fire the best support staff they have. Shameful.

AD's goal is obviously not to innovate. It's method is to acquire great software, suck it dry and then toss it aside and acquire something else.

May AD stock go to 0!

PS - Best of luck to all the old team that have been caught up in this!

[Hirazi Blue]

Sorry to chime in so late in the discussion. I wouldn't go blame iamVFX for a fight he quite obviously didn't pick initially, as Bellsey knew (or should have known) full-well his "rocket scientist" comment would stir up some negative feelings and responses. So if anything, IMHO his joke/provocation started all this. And iamVFX's remark if Bellsey ever used the product could simply be seen as as a comment in line with the "funniness" started by Bellsey himself...

edit: I have created a new thread for this part of the discussion...

[Bellsey]

I'll happily hold my hands up to stirring the pot abit, because frankly I'm getting frustrated at some of the (frankly) silly comments from people about Autodesk, what they're doing, management, their impending doom and saying that its obvious where things are going. Is it obvious, because I'm not sure it entirely is and people seem to be adding two and two together and making five (because they want it to), and ignoring the simple logic to make four. That's just me ranting abit there.

This article (for me) is one the better and more informative articles out there regarding the recent news
http://gfxspeak.com/2012/08/23/autodesk ... d-quarter/

I'm not defending the action in laying people off, I never like to see good and very capable people out of a job. But Autodesk is changing (alot), it has to. Like any business, you either adapt or die. And unfortunately during any transition process, difficult decisions have to be made. These aren't the first layoffs, even during my time at Autodesk, and they probably won't be the last (though I hope they are).

Reading Voldemort's post, I don't agree in some of his points but he's on the right track in some areas. And that pioneer spirit of the old days has long gone.

[iamVFX]

This article (for me) is one the better and more informative articles out there regarding the recent news
http://gfxspeak.com/2012/08/23/autodesk ... d-quarter/

I just realized how Carl Bass right, cloud computing is really what will make products more valuable, it is what customers want to. And it make sense to lay off people who work with community, I see the benefits of it and can't wait to see net income growth

[Letterbox]

That's just me ranting abit there.

Its blatantly clear that your ranting, because you certainly don't understand. Its that I'm just trying to explain to Constantine the why and in a lesser way the how. Typically I don't like snide remarks, but it your case I can see it's because you've never been required to or even had to fire someone, so you speak from a place of ignorance, and the consequences of that are typically either denial or sarcastic comments.

If people understood why and where Wall st get their expectations from, the consequences of not meeting them, or the day traders that leverage them, the fall out from them, the realignment that's happening not only with adsk but globally, then you'd get some value of even a negative experience like this. Because you should know that even a negative experience, like this, something can be learned. And hopefully it'll secure Constantine et all a better job, a more secure job, rather than evaluating the company on what kind of 'Fun' environment they are selling.

Or maybe everyone just wants to shit on adsk, and you too as the rep, just to feel better, just to vent, and that's cool, but Constantine (who asked), and many others wont really learn much from that now will they.

and they probably won't be the last (though I hope they are).

Hoping something wont happen, is not exactly a pro-active statement now is it, as mentioned, learning and understanding from the situation IS. Forwarned is forearmed.

And Bellsey, if you don't believe me, thats' cool, that's just all fine and dandy, but be smart enough and do yourself a favour go and and do your own learning, because it'll save you, and not only from hoping.

[Letterbox]

This article (for me) is one the better and more informative articles out there regarding the recent news
http://gfxspeak.com/2012/08/23/autodesk ... d-quarter/

I just realized how Carl Bass right, cloud computing is really what will make products more valuable, it is what customers want to. And it make sense to lay off people who work with community, I see the benefits of it and can't wait to see net income growth

Constantine, your better than that, as i said, ..., are typically either denial or sarcastic comments.

If you were serious, then I'm glad you can see just how interesting things like 'Fabric Engine' and 'TeamUp' are, because even at the simplest usage, it'd allow a project manager to directly interact with many artists overseas (presumably more cost effective), guaranteeing a) the job gets done b) its done right c) that people are working. With high speed internet access nearly everywhere and getting faster, its only a matter of time before this is a more commonplace workflow.

I dont see anything like that in the adsk line up, of course its early days, not only for adsk, but for 'Fabric Engine' and 'TeamUp' too ...

[iamVFX]

I like that you understand all the benefits too, Chris. Together, through layoffs and budget cuts, we will port Softimage and other Autodesk products to cloud, that's what the customers need most.

[Bellsey]

@LBX I think you misunderstand and perhaps the wording of my post isn't clear (I have now edited it slightly). I wasn't having a minor rant at Autodesk, but more about the comments other people are making about Autodesk, in this particular situation.

I am well of aware of what goes on in these circumstances and I've been in positions to hire people, fire people and be involved in the UK redundancy process both as a manager and victim. And as for making pro-active statement, I'm just sitting on the fence really as its really all I can do in this case.

[Maximus]

Yeah clearly everyone wants to move to Cloud system right.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/22/technol ... /index.htm

http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykosn ... t-with-it/

Considering the management AD had those years on ours softwares i cant wait to see what they'll do with Cloud, I also cant wait to assist at the choke policy of subscription that comes with AD Cloud system lol.

[luceric]

Stephen Blair made an incredible contribution to the product with his constant presence on the blog, mailing list and message broad. but it's his day job, team leader of people who support several m&e applications that got cut. Manny is still there supporting Softimage and motion builder.

[Letterbox]

@LBX I think you misunderstand and perhaps the wording of my post isn't clear (I have now edited it slightly). I wasn't having a minor rant at Autodesk, but more about the comments other people are making about Autodesk, in this particular situation.

I am well of aware of what goes on in these circumstances and I've been in positions to hire people, fire people and be involved in the UK redundancy process both as a manager and victim. And as for making pro-active statement, I'm just sitting on the fence really as its really all I can do in this case.

Actually, and honestly I dont think that's all you can do. Here's why...

5 in this case being somewhat politically expedient, you might want to rally the troops and really make (this) them a community, not to just vent, and shit on everything, but lead them, like putting together something like si-london recently did. In this case it being... we want great support, we're not happy, and we dont want this to happen again. Sure too late unfortunately for Stephen, not for others. It's quite seriously also showing people that a unified voice is always better, more productive, and infinity better than raging against the keyboard or each other.

[Bellsey]

I think you misunderstand or maybe things are getting lost in the translation of written/online chat.
I/we try and do whatever we, however we, if we can, within the boundaries in which I have to operate. Some things will be possible, whilst other things aren't.

[Letterbox]

in that case, let's call it a day then. And hope that Stephen, Guilliame et al, find themselves in an new enviroment that they are happy, fulfilled and prosperous.