O_o This doesn't look good.

[vain_chan]

The Russian Bear Slashes a Social Network
By Owen Thomas, 2:24 AM on Tue Jan 6 2009, 29,441 views

The bubble in social networking has burst, decisively. LiveJournal, the San Francisco-based arm of Sup, a Russian Internet startup, has cut 12 of 28 U.S. employees - and offered them no severance, we're told.

Comments

[bratkartoffel]

D: Not cool! I hope LJ doesn't go...

[vain_chan]

Me too. -.- I have a permanent account here.

[herongale]

I think they are trying to get rid of the redundant U.S. jobs in favor of preserving those jobs in Russia; it's a structured downsizing in the face of a poor economy. The press release from LJ suggests as much.

[vain_chan]

Hopefully. I have difficulty swallowing a lot of LJ's official lines, but I also don't think this is a death knell. Things have a way of changing on LJ, though, and losing US reps makes me as antsy as the initial transition to Russia did. =/

[herongale]

I think the thing that makes it easier to swallow is that this is happening in the face of an overarching economic "slowdown" which is actually just a disaster in slow motion. I read this morning that Chanel recently laid off 200 people in a similar fashion; my darling Borders Books is about to be de-listed from the NYSE.

No sector of the economy is safe, and in my more pessimistic moments I start wondering if I'd made a mistake not brushing up on my basic outdoors survival skills, so I can go kill a bear or something and eat it if I have to.

Also, hi. :D It's been a long time since we've talked!

[vain_chan]

LOL. Hey, you're set. Doctors will be needed in the post-apocalyptic tomorrow. I'm considering this as one of my points in favor of going to med school after my M.A.

I do, however, have genuine concerns that this downturn may negatively impact LJ if Sup doesn't mange things right. I suppose only time will tell.

And it has been a long, long time. I blame disparate fan interests, though I still read you LJ. You doing good?