Update:
It probably didn’t hurt that in my email I had a meeting conversation going too… so it makes me wonder if the ad was indeed triggered by the mellow mushroom and raleigh keywords or the raleigh meeting keywords, as both could be considered potential targets by the advertiser, Raleigh Take-Out.

From my conversations with folks from the most recent round of layoffs, which totaled 21 as far as I’ve learned, the feelings people had were primarily of relief, though a relief woven with anguished disgust that will linger in the form of stories that will bore our great grandchildren when they come visit us at the retirement home.

I felt my own relief upon hearing MSI had finally closed its doors, and some of that disgust when I was laid off two months ago, and I suspect the remaining 9 folks who went to work for MSA feel a similar mix, plus the uncertainty of a new job.

Describing the Relief:
It’s like finally pulling the plug on a cancer-ridden and aged PT Barnum who’d quit selling circus tickets and tried to open up a Shakespeare theatre by calling in directions from his hospital bed.

Or it’s like the Titanic, finally slipping beneath the waves as the idiot crew members who’d attached outboard motors to the foundering hulk leap clear onto floating deck chairs, watching the horizon for another ship.

Or it’s like… (bleh I’ll let you fill in the blanks on this one).

Describing My Relief
My relief is in part selfish. I was laid off too – in late October of last year. My fiance told me then – and it’s still true – that “getting laid off will be the best thing that ever happened to you.”

It was my first lay off though, and it stung to get laid off from a company I’d labored so hard for, uprooted my life for, and defended at the expense of my credibility with peers. It also felt like a criticism of my abilities, though it wasn’t. The company really was failing.

what haunts me still – why?
But why? Why did this company fail? What does the failure of a company mean? Why can’t a handful of people who really want to make a difference with 20 or so who don’t give a shit make a change? The questions nag me now as they did even when I still worked there, trying with the Quixotic few to propel our sinking Meta Tag Tanker with oars instead of the SEM engine we required.

Nine people were rehired by the sister company MSA. Congratulations to you and polish those resumes – ask not for whom the pink slip tolls – it tolls for thee!

If you were laid off:
Adam Schultz is poking around for potential employers for this most recent glut of talent, as is Andy Beal. Also hit that unemployment with both fists: apply for NC unemployment online.

And remember – there’s a huge difference between getting fired and getting laid off! Fired = no money, while laid off = 1/4 of your salary. Which is useful for a month if you’re getting your independent feet under you ;)

Update: the autopsy begins…
Thanks to Evan for his take on answering my question as to why MSI failed. Also, thanks to Tansy OBryant who answers very eloquently and insightfully from the comments.

Note that Tansy was on both sales AND the services side while Evan was primarily services. Evan points to sales and management while Tansy points to failure to provide ROI.

Here’s Evan’s post:
Why I believe Websourced, MarketSmart Interactive, Keyword Ranking failed

Here’s Stephan Ward’s take:
The Layoff Bomb (Stephen Ward please give me a call – 696-4225)

And here’s my buddy JP Sherman’s take (he was rehired by MSA):
MarketSmart Interactive Closes its Doors

In the parking lot we saw the Microsoft Live Local truck and I spoke briefly with Gary Ekstame of Facet Technologies, whose job it is to drive this truck around and snap photos of US cities.

Ekstame said he was shooting for the Streets and Trips project, a software that sells for $129. Apparently there’s a GPS device that accompanies the software.

Ironic then that he was driving around with “Microsoft Live Local” on the back of his van.

Anyways, thanks to Gary Ekstame for letting me poke around in his van and ask a few “w3 t0dd 1D” questions: