Updated: Yahoo Layoffs Happening Now

The expected Yahoo layoffs started a few hours ago. Two very good people I know are among those cut. No doubt we’re going to be hearing from many more. Below, a rundown on reports I’ve spotted from others on the web about the cuts. As more comes in, we’ll update or do a fresh post. […]

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The expected Yahoo
layoffs
started a few hours ago. Two very good people I know are among those
cut. No doubt we’re going to be hearing from many more. Below, a rundown on
reports I’ve spotted from others on the web about the cuts. As more comes in,
we’ll update or do a fresh post.

(NOTE: See Yahoo Layoffs Happening Live Online for the latest on the December 2008 Yahoo layoffs.)

  • Yahoo
    layoffs happening now
    : Promise, didn’t steal Valleywag’s headline — it’s
    just to the point. The layoffs are going on at the moment, and Valleywag has a
    tip on it hitting Yahoo Search Marketing in Burbank.
     
  • sfish: Various tips are
    being posted to the page here, comments about security being around.
     

  • Yahoo Layoffs Begin
    : Reuters, with a brief comment mainly confirming that
    they are happening. Similar confirmation
    at News.com.
     
  • Axe Drops at Yahoo!: No real
    details, just more reports that friends are being let go.
     
  • Yahoo
    Layoffs Begin; Media Group Numbers
    : From paidContent, covers Susan
    Mernit
    of Personals and Patrick Houston of Lifestyles being let go,
    along with 100 likely from the Media Group and quote of it "like a morgue in
    here." Update: Susan blogs about the web’s "social graph" response to her
    departure

    here
    .
     
  • Chip and Randy
    cut loose!
    : From Randy Farmer and Chip Morningstar of Yahoo
    about being let go.
     

  • Yahoo employee Twitters his layoff
    : Covers Ryan Kuder twittering
    here learning the news and
    having his badge
    taken. Silicon Alley Insider has done a great job assembling all the relevant
    twitters into a timeline

    here
    .

Update 1 (around 5am Eastern, Feb. 13, 2008):

To date, Yahoo has yet to put out any
press release
about the cuts, made no mention on its official
blog
nor posted to its
investors
. I’d have expected some official statement of what’s been done to
be out there by now.

Update 2 (around Noon Eastern, Feb. 13, 2008)

Layoffs and
Social Media
from Yahoo’s Jeremy Zawodny lets us know that he is NOT among
the cuts, since he’s offering other Yahoos who have been cut assistance. Plus, he
has a short but thoughtful observation on watching the layoffs through social
media news.

Meanwhile, I did a search earlier today on Google for
yahoo layoffs, since
some people were finding this story that way according to our stats (we’re
buried back at page 3
of results; it’s Google News
searches where that
query is generating visits). Notice what’s listed fourth:


Yahoo Layoffs On Google

That’s Yahoo News’ Full Coverage
page
about layoffs in general. Over at Yahoo, that page comes up first:


Yaho Layoffs On Yahoo

Ironically, if you go to it, there’s not a trace of the Yahoo layoffs:


Yahoo Layoffs Full Coverage Page

Finally, while we’ve had people Twitter and blog about being laid off, so
far, I can’t see that anyone has posted photos to Flickr about the cuts.

Update 3 (around 7pm Eastern, Feb. 13, 2008)

Matt McGee tipped me to the
new Facebook group, I
Worked at Yahoo! Until Today
. Six members at the moment:

  • Jeff Scott
  • Melissa Rische
  • Ryan Kuder (of Twitter fame above)
  • Ya-Yung Cheng
  • Danny Lin
  • Randy Ksar

There’s also a pre-existing
Yahoo Alumni
group, though I don’t see much activity related to the layoffs there. At 1,300
members at the moment — we’ll see if it notches up as a resource with new
people.

Current discussion from across the web on Techmeme
here.


Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.


About the author

Danny Sullivan
Contributor
Danny Sullivan was a journalist and analyst who covered the digital and search marketing space from 1996 through 2017. He was also a cofounder of Third Door Media, which publishes Search Engine Land and MarTech, and produces the SMX: Search Marketing Expo and MarTech events. He retired from journalism and Third Door Media in June 2017. You can learn more about him on his personal site & blog He can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

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