Conference 7.286::digital

    Not having heard the Ch. 7 (I presume this is Boston's Ch. 7)
    I can't comment on it.
    
    But what's missing from you account of it, is precisely, _who_ in a
    position to know, "confirmed" it.  It would, of course, need to be one
    of the directors, or a spokesperson for the directors.  Since it's a
    good bet that such a story would be on the newswires, and it hasn't, I
    suspect something else.
    
    Ch 7. may have confirmed something else: that Ken Olsen _told_ employees
    that the BOD "fired him" by contacting an employee who heard it from
    Olsen, or heard it from someone who heard it from Olsen.
    
    Ken Olsen may have felt as if he were fired, but we haven't heard yet
    from the BOD.

 Digital - Bob Palmer elected president, CEO and Board member
	{Livewire, Worldwide News, 22-Jul-92}
   Digital announced today, as expected, that the Board of Directors has 
 elected Bob Palmer president, chief executive officer and a member of the 
 Board of Directors. Bob's membership on the Board is effective immediately. He
 will assume the positions of president and CEO effective Oct. 1, 1992, when
 President Ken Olsen retires.
   In connection with Ken's plan to retire, the Board released the following 
 statement:

     Ken Olsen is a computing pioneer and has made unprecedented 
     contributions to the industry.  Throughout his long and 
     distinguished career he has won the respect and admiration of
     employees, customers and business partners.

     When he started Digital, he took on the enormous challenge of 
     converting the world to a revolutionary style of interactive 
     computing.  His creativity and success in doing this and 
     building Digital are unparalleled achievements.  Ken's leadership 
     has made computing approachable and affordable.  This vision is 
     the foundation of Digital.

     Ken's vision attracted and challenged some of the most talented 
     people in the industry.  One of them, Bob Palmer, will succeed 
     Ken.  We have observed Bob for many years.  We are confident 
     that he and his management team will build aggressively and 
     creatively on the Ken Olsen legacy. 

                              - o -
It's (more or less) official: Ken Olsen, as we suggested at the
time, was pushed into resigning by the board: the Wall Street
Journal hears of a meeting with employees this week at which
Olsen discussed how he was unable to make the necessary
organisational changes at Digital Equipment Corp, in particular
failing to get engineering groups to report to marketing, and
then said "that's why I was fired."
                              - o -

There's no great mystery.  Ken spoke to 100 or so engineers at PKO.
He made the remark about being fired (which you could read about in
this conference within hours).  From there it spread outside, was
picked up by the NY Times or Wall Street Journal, and was then picked
by other media outlets.

    Re .1
    
    Are you calling all of us who wrote in this notesfile that we heard Ken
    speak the words that he was fired liers? Also to imply that Ken would
    say he was fired when he wasn't is very disrespectful of him. He is
    far too great of a man to make up a story like that. I have nothing but
    admiration for his courage to stand up in front of 400 people and tell
    it how it is rather than the horsepuckey that's come out of the
    propaganda ministry.
    
    Dave

    
    Re: .1
    
    I thought the entry was clear and nearly a quote of the Boston Ch 7
    news account." Ken Olsen confirmed that he was indeed fired by the BOD."
    
    I can only comment on what I heard and believe they confirm their
    sources. The message 'appeared' that they witnessed the comment by
    their choice of wording instead of "it has been rumored" or "an 
    unnamed source stated" or other types of phrases. They showed a 
    picture of KO walking only (no voice).
    
    I do not know 'for sure' if he said it. Specifically, I've been hearing
    of the accounts that he said it at the PKO address and I must admit, I 
    listened to his address VERY closely and did NOT hear him use the words
    or phrase "they fired me". He 'may' have but I don't believe I would
    have missed THAT especially with the RESPONSE  T H A T  would have 
    generated... He DID say "He failed" WRT (With Respect To) being unable
    to get his managers to follow the New Management System.
    
    Re: .5 
    
    I agree that 'if' KO said it, it would be true and not some simile,
    exageration, or other type of reference. 
    
    Enough said, lets wish Ken, Bob, and the rest of us good luck as we
    each "do our thing" to straighted out the Company...
    
          Pat

    re: .1
    
    	the difference between a person trained as an engineer(like Ken)
    and other people is fairly simple....engineers deal in facts no matter
    how bad they may be...others deal in fanatacies i.e. they say what
    people want to hear not what the facts are...IMHO

    FWIW, Channel 7 "news coverage" tends to lean towards sensationalism, IMO. 
    Personally, I have very little respect for their style and tend to take 
    what they report with care, kind of like the Enquirer.  I rather prefer 
    what seems to me to be more accurate news coverage from the likes of 
    channels 5 or 56 or 'GBH (all Boston area stations).
    
    Steve

    No one is a "liar" here.
    
    What is plain meaning of "confirm" when a person says the he was fired?
    
    The person or persons who fired him say "Yes.  We fired him."
    
    Until the BOD or their spokesman speaks, it isn't confirmed.

                      <<< Note 2013.7 by TRLIAN::GORDON >>>
                           -< the difference is... >-

    re: .1
    
    	the difference between a person trained as an engineer(like Ken)
    and other people is fairly simple....engineers deal in facts no matter
    how bad they may be...others deal in fanatacies i.e. they say what
    people want to hear not what the facts are...IMHO



Oh, so the only ones with a real grip on reality are the engineers?  Do you
REALLY want to open this can of worms?

    
    Re:
    
>    Until the BOD or their spokesman speaks, it isn't confirmed.
    
    Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Ken Olsen Chairman of the Board of
    Directors of Digital Equipment Corporation? It was Ken Olsen that was
    speaking at Parker Street.
    
    Dave

    Ken Olsen isn't "Chairman of the Board" according to official records
    filed with the SEC or the Annual Report.  The COTB title is one that
    floats around informally and inaccurately.

    When it comes to a matter affecting a director who is also an employee
    personally, that employee doesn't speak for the Board of Directors.

    I was at the PKO meeting with KO.  I believe I heard him say "...and
    then they fire you..." in relation to his leaving DEC.  I believe he
    felt fired.  That's good enough for me.  If the board wants to call
    it TFSO, SERP, canned, mutually agreed parting of the ways ..., who
    cares?
    
    /s/ Jim Williams

    
    perhaps his saying this is a way of backing up Bob Palmer in trying
    to get the message across to engineering that ultimately, customers
    call the shots.  I doubt the message will seep thru though.
    
    
    

    I took that remark to mean he fired himself (with the BOD's complicity).

								paul

    RE:
    
    �                  <<< Note 2013.7 by TRLIAN::GORDON >>>
    �                       -< the difference is... >-
    �
    
    �	the difference between a person trained as an engineer(like Ken)
    � and other people is fairly simple....engineers deal in facts no matter
    � how bad they may be...others deal in fanatacies... 
                                           ^^^^^^^^^^
    
    People biased toward dealing in facts apparently don't deal with
    dictionaries or other spelling/pronunciation aids.
    
    Personally, I prefer people with some mix of belief in the value of 
    facts and the power of fantasy.
    
    Popeye
    
    

    re: .13
    
    Exactly.  

    The difference between FACT and FANTASY:
    
    Facts are the data that you selectively choose based on the desired
    results you want to achieve.  For example, if you want to show things
    improving, you would select data which supports this FACT.  Probably
    just as easy to find FACTS which would substantiate a decline (just
    read The Globe). 
    
    Fantasy is the place you go when you are bombarded by a bunch of
    opposing FACTS.
    
    One last thought: You can change FACTS, but you can't change REALITY.
    
    

    I kind of like "fanatasy".  That might be the fantasies of fanatics ...
    Maybe I was the only one that "got it" instead of blithely dismissing
    it as yet another silly example of a typical engineer's illiteracy ...
    ;^)
    
    Steve

    noters interested in spelling/grammar aren't usually interested in
    the message...
    
    
    

    
    Au contraire! The message is totally dependent on the spelling and
    grammar because both can completely alter the message. (granted not in
    this instance)  Perhaps that is why this company seems so confused. 
    There are not enough people with the literacy to communicate a clear,
    concise message!
    
    

.20

I care very much about spelling and grammar, because if they're poor, I can't
understand what the message is trying to say.  Or, I should say that if the
reply has poor grammar and loads of spelling errors, trying to decypher it just
gets to be more trouble than it's worth.

I try to never bother anyone about their spelling or grammar since, after all,
no one's perfect.  I make lots of mistakes myself, many of which probably make
it near impossible to understand what I was trying to say.  There's just no
point in bugging someone about this.

Of course, if it's bad enough, I generally just give up on the reply in the first
sentence or two, and move on to something that's in English.

    Hey, speaking of channel 7...
    has anybody actually seen WHDH's eyewitness news reporter Mike Macklin
    and Digital's Bob Palmer together at the same time?  huh?
    

    
    Isn't Macklin a WBZ reporter?

    At the risk of asking a stupid question, does Ken still have
    controling interest of Digital Stock?.
    
    Paul

    As far as I know Ken never has had a controlling interest of
    Digital stock.
    
    I think his maximum share was about 2%.
    
                              Max

    Hmmm.  I think I remember doing the calculation in the late 1960s. At
    that time KO owned about 8% of the stock.  Still not a controlling
    interest unless the other shareholders choose to lie down.

    over 80% of DEC stock is owned by institutional investors, who would
    have taken over the board at the Nov stockholders mtg had the change
    not taken place when it did.

    i'm surprised they waited so patiently for so long.

Re: .28

It is not as easy as you think for the board to be replaced.  Only 1/3 can
be replaced in any one year.  Once elected a board member serves for three 
years.  This is due to Digital having taken advantage of a Massachusetts
anti-takeover law a year or two back. 

In addition I believe that to be elected to the board you have to be first
nominated by the nominating committee which comprises all the members of
the board.  I heard a rumour that this may change soon.

jb

    Anyone with the votes to be elected, will be elected.
    
    By the way, as far as I know, the promised public statement by the
    board was never issued.

    re .backafew...
    You're right, Mike Macklin works for WBZ (ch 4) as a weekend anchor.
    During the week, he CEO's DEC under some bogus name...  ;-)