From: invalid@notreal.none   
      
   On Thu, 7 Sep 2006 19:33:29 -0700, Larry Caldwell   
    wrote:   
      
   >Does anyone recall the 20-something kids posting brags about their huge   
   >tech sector paychecks back in the 90s?  Here's hoping they saved their   
   >money, and can afford to lose their jobs during a time when it can be   
   >difficult to sell a house and get out from under a big mortgage.   
   >   
   >The word is that Washington County is going to take it in the shorts   
   >with the Intel cuts.   
   >   
      
   Applying the term Digerati to the Intel employees of Washington County   
   is a loose definition, at best.  Most would use the term Digerati to   
   apply to the elite, the trend setters, or "opinion leaders who,   
   through their writings, promoted a vision of digital technology and   
   the Internet as a transformational element in society".   
      
   Intel's pampered managers and toilers in various non-core business   
   units hardly meet that definition and they aren't all necessarily in   
   their 20's.   In fact, like many previous layoffs from US based   
   companies, the reasoning can largely be traced to a form of mass age   
   discrimination.   
      
   Aging employees sap profits, and are more likely to use health care,   
   demand pensions and further costly benefits.   
      
   American companies in the 1950's, 60's, and 70's generally did not   
   resort to layoffs when they were profitable, just to become even more   
   profitable.   Past goals were to keep the company running, which also   
   meant keeping the bulk of the work force employed through good times   
   and bad.   
      
   In a competitive world, this is the new reality for American workers   
   in the private sector and, (in my opinion), it is a sad development   
   for those that aspire to be good workers.  Furthermore, this applies   
   equally to those who are sh*tcanned, and also all of those that have   
   to live with the idea that they may be next.   
      
   I've known a more than one Intel employee who may have been blindsided   
   by the artificial attention to their careers and the false collegial   
   atmosphere that the company works very hard to create.   
      
   I hope they wise up quickly.   
      
   Beachcomber   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)