Microsoft to announce the biggest layoffs since 2009

Reinventing productivity?

Hi there

I'm afraid it's all due to modern technology -- and of course The Internet.

for example loads and loads of manufacturing processes which USED to require manual Labour can now be done simply by machines -- even sophisticated things like automated warehousing / stacking can be done by a machine. Banks - another example used to employ zillions of staff in Branches -- nowadays whoever actually goes INSIDE a bank -- ATM's credit cards, internet shopping etc.

Same with Store staff -- who (apart from a few - mainly women - who actually LIKE shopping) really goes out to shops / stores any more -- queues, parking difficulties, you are made to feel like a criminal as soon as you enter a store with "security" following you around etc. Bars / restaurants / opera / theatre / other concerts are about the only places I visit in town any more (or sometimes live sports events).

The future is with service related stuff that can't be done by machine any more (or even if it could people will still want personal service). - Who wants a Robot Bartender or even an "Automaton for a Mullah, Rabbi, Pastor etc).

I've seen some trial robotics where the machines can even cut hedges etc - so "automated gardeners" are also a future possibility.

We need to get away from the "40 hr / 5 day a week" model. Transition will be difficult since everybody alive on the planet has been brought up on that model -- even though it's only been around since Victorian times circa 1830.

Better get your musical instruments out and learn the art of "Busking". !!!

The Military even are using drones more and more - and whoever would have though it but they've even got a "Robot Horse" for carrying gear. (Enjoy - skip the wretched commercial though).

Marines LS3: DARPA legged support system is robotic pack mule. (VIDEO)

Cheers
jimbo

Chili's has it that you can use the Ziosk in place of wait staff, to place your order. Most places you can order ahead on a app on your phone. Apple just announced that it is going to replace Chinese factory staff with robots, for the manufacturing process for the iPhone 6.

I agree, that it is the shape of things to come. But you cannot replace those of us that do IT, Electrical work, system maintenance & cleaning with software or robotics. There are just some things that the jobs will always need humans in.

There has been a lot of talk, that too many people do not want to go into the trades. Because today's generation looks at them as dirty and underpaying. My grandfather owned one of the largest construction companies in Illinois. He was not afraid to get up at 4 am and work until 10 pm at times.

What is going to happen when those in the trades can no longer perform the jobs. We cannot replace them with robotics.

If they get rid of all these staff, who will be left to buy the gadgets?

That is a serious question.

Weak domestic demand caused by layoffs, low pay and low hours for most who are working. No security or confidence. We already suffer from that in Britain.

broe23 said:

Chili's has it that you can use the Ziosk in place of wait staff, to place your order. Most places you can order ahead on a app on your phone. Apple just announced that it is going to replace Chinese factory staff with robots, for the manufacturing process for the iPhone 6.

I agree, that it is the shape of things to come. But you cannot replace those of us that do IT, Electrical work, system maintenance & cleaning with software or robotics. There are just some things that the jobs will always need humans in.

There has been a lot of talk, that too many people do not want to go into the trades. Because today's generation looks at them as dirty and underpaying. My grandfather owned one of the largest construction companies in Illinois. He was not afraid to get up at 4 am and work until 10 pm at times.

What is going to happen when those in the trades can no longer perform the jobs. We cannot replace them with robotics.

Click to expand...

Hi there

We are going to have to get used to the idea that WORK will only be for a few hours a week -- we are going to have to re-define what we want to do as Humans -- and without getting too involved in Politics we are going to have to address the biggest problem of all - the one that "nobody dares speak its name" -- Far bigger than Global Warming or any of the other problems that beset our planet -- overpopulation.

We will also have to invent social systems that handle a population where full time work is increasingly a rarity -- this could be a tremendous opportunity in "Liberating" the human spirit or end in Total Disaster. The next instalments in this saga are over to us --we can succeed or fail miserably. I suspect in the end we will win out but the transition period will be horribly uncomfortable for maybe millions of people for many years.

If Robots produce everything - in theory products should cost NOTHING and everybody could have what they want (Robots don't get paid etc so cost to produce is zero !!!).

Weaning people away from contemporary systems where money plays a role to a system where everything is GENUINELY FREE (and I'm no Socialist BTW so I'm not advocating THAT type of takeover) will be a huge challenge but could be ultimately the saviour of both mankind AND the planet.

@SIW2 - I.T CAN be done by robots -- some of the latest developments in A.I (Artificial Intelligence) use Robots that are capable of learning and making their own decisions. N,A.S.A's proposed expeditions to Europa - one of Jupiter's moons with potential life in the warm sea under the ice will be based on robots that have to make on the spot decisions -- you can't wait 30 mins or so to send a query back to Houston and then another 30 mins to get the reply back.

Cheers
jimbo

LOL.

Well at least you get the idea the system we have now in Britain ( and other places where they have copied our lunacy ) is not going to last. Disaster waiting to happen.

Yes, I have posted before population growth is the biggest threat we face currently.

Hi there

Biggest problem I have in the UK is having to pay nearly 200 GBP for a train journey from Manchester to London and then suffer the indignity of having to STAND the whole 2.5 hr journey in a horribly overcrowded train without even the chance of getting a beer on board (too many people to even attempt to move towards the buffet car).

(Note I can FLY from Gatwick to Keflavik from 49 GBP !!!! and have booze served at my seat.)

Ódýrt flug til 15 áfangastaða í Evrópu - Skemmtilegt og ódýrt frí með WOW air (On the site you can switch to English)

-- so something's wrong with UK train prices). !! -- Maybe this is one area where Robots could improve the whole service -- you could run a load more trains without recalcitrant drivers going on strike etc).

Cheers
jimbo

Interesting you bring up the trains.

There are calls for the rail franchises to be brought under national control as they come up for renewal. There would be large public support for that.

It would be a small move in the right direction toward a society intended to benefit everyone, not just a few.

jimbo45 said:

Hi there

Biggest problem I have in the UK is having to pay nearly 200 GBP for a train journey from Manchester to London and then suffer the indignity of having to STAND the whole 2.5 hr journey in a horribly overcrowded train without even the chance of getting a beer on board (too many people to even attempt to move towards the buffet car).

(Note I can FLY from Gatwick to Keflavik from 49 GBP !!!! and have booze served at my seat.)

Ódýrt flug til 15 áfangastaða í Evrópu - Skemmtilegt og ódýrt frí með WOW air (On the site you can switch to English)

-- so something's wrong with UK train prices). !! -- Maybe this is one area where Robots could improve the whole service -- you could run a load more trains without recalcitrant drivers going on strike etc).

Cheers
jimbo

Click to expand...

Bunch of sillies you all! No, Microsoft isn't laying people off just because, they bought Nokia's hardware division and its 20,000ish employees. That means there are overlaps in marketing, software development, and other conflicting items of redundancy that need to be unfortunately cut. They right now have a lot of employees compared to google or apple to count for. As sucky as it is, that's the reality of business. The layoffs in Redmond seem to be without direction almost. I've been reading that top people that work with cloud computing got laid off even though they were well reviewed. Some teams are being decimated, some have a few laid off, and some almost half. Even now their contracted vendors are being pushed together with their normal contractors. Seems it's more like fat trimming while they're at it, this is actually normal since I read they usually do about 1.5ish percent workforce cuts per year or something like that as is. Part of the move is to theoretically cut redundant management too to allow better information flow.

But I'll be that guy, I sure whoever is responsible for the shoddy state of Xbox Music on Windows and Windows Phone (for 2+years now), axing the Zune software and what was great about, and the crappy three methods of syncing from Windows to Windows Phone (none of which has been improved or updated even since Windows 8.1) gets the axe. That is just inexcusable and as a die hard Windows Phone fan, insulting.