Microsoft pulls plug on campus bar
With the economy in the tank, Microsoft has decided not to let its workers follow.
The software maker has confirmed it has canceled plans to have a bar as part of an expansion of its Redmond campus.
The pub, which had been planned for more than a year, was to be part of a collection of restaurants and stores that were due to open next week as part of the company's new headquarters for its Entertainment and Devices unit. Spokesman Lou Gellos confirmed the company recently decided to pull the plug.
"We had to take another look at this," Gellos said. "We are sensitive to the business environment and that meant not having a pub."
In January, Microsoft made the company's first-ever companywide layoffs and has said it is cutting as many as 5,000 jobs amid the broad economic downturn. The company has also been cutting vendors, travel, and other expenses as it looks to trim costs.
The bar was planned for "The Commons," a central area in the center of the Entertainment and Devices campus. Although the bar won't open, the area will still feature a collection of popular Pacific Northwest eateries as well as various cell phone shops, a salon, and other outlets.
The Commons is surrounded by four buildings for the entertainment unit, one of which is already occupied and another that is due to be filled in the next week or so. By mid-July, Microsoft expects all four buildings to be occupied, Gellos said.Word that Microsoft kicked the keg came earlier on Friday from a report on Seattle-area tech site TechFlash. The owner of the proposed pub told TechFlash he was stunned by the news, which came via a letter from Microsoft. The bar, which was due to open on Monday, already had been outfitted with its beer taps, and workers had been hired.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
Windowze already driving ordinary users nuts and this will make it even worse!
Hi, My namee is Steve.
Hi steve.
I wock fro Mcroshoft adn I have been sobor for 15 munutes.
Microsoft gives free beverages of both Coke *and* Pepsi products, sparking waters, juices, milk and chocolate milk, etc. The hot chocolate is excellent.
If your going to deal with the devil ...
"Your hypocritical, cynical, self-righteous comments don't exactly make you the kind of person anyone would want to deal with."
You are right and I apologize. I promise to change my evil ways and hopefully I can transform myself into a person as intelligent and kind as you. Thanks for your insight.
In the meantime, I would suggest that you study the history of MicroSoft, because you apparently don't know jack about the subject.
"In the meantime, I would suggest that you study the history of MicroSoft, because you apparently don't know jack about the subject. "
You might want to share that same study material that you are suggesting for based upon your own comments, you do not appear to have a fundamental comprehension of the subject matter yourself.
Unless you have just immigrated from another planet, you should have heard about some of these things. If not, please butt-out of the conversation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plays_for_Sure
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend_and_extinguish
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Microsoft
http://www.xkcd.com/323/
People are killed by drunk drivers every day... it's unfortunate, but it's true.
Our society has become way too dependent on the automobile, its not a right, its a luxury. It's a joke how easily anyone can get a drivers license. The car is a towel, a power tool, and for anyone that has ever taken a shop class you should know this: if your not absolutely scared of every power tool in the workshop, you better get the hell out of there before you kill yourself or anyone else, because every power tool in there has the ability to seriously injure and or kill you or others. When you let anyone behind a the steering wheel of a car, you might as well hand them a gun, and see how much discretion they use when handling that. Thats the amount of reasoning and judgement that you should use when operating a car, and too many people don't get that.
So basically you are advocating that because everything in the world is dangerous, we should all just live in our separate little bubbles in the name of national, public, or personal security? One of our founding fathers had this to say to people just like you:
?He who trades liberty for security deserves neither and will lose both.? - Thomas Jefferson
If you want to live in a "let the government (or corporate overlords) determine what's best for us" kind of country, move to Iran. I have plenty of sympathy for victims, but their memories should not be abused for the sake of taking away our god given liberties, including the pursuit of happiness (whatever legal form that may take for someone).
The only thing you can do is look at past behaviour, and that gives you a simple, very consistent history of behaviour that should make anyone with half a brain think twice about partnering with MS.
Supprised no one else noticed that in 2 days.
Now more than ever to have a place to drink to parlay fears about the economy and to sit and chat and talk.
Not building the bar confirms that the economy will get worse and not better. So MS is not placing any bets and plays the fail card HARD.
http://www.techflash.com/microsoft/Microsoft_workers_form_group_to_save_canceled_campus_pub42874352.html
http://www.techflash.com/microsoft/Microsoft_workers_form_group_to_save_canceled_campus_pub42874352.html
Milk shakes all around!