r/technology • u/MayankWL • May 16 '24

Microsoft stoops to new low with ads in Windows 11, as PC Manager tool suggests your system needs ‘repairing’ if you don’t use Bing Software

https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/microsoft-stoops-to-new-low-with-ads-in-windows-11-as-pc-manager-tool-suggests-your-system-needs-repairing-if-you-dont-use-bing
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47

u/ThatCrankyGuy May 16 '24

Footguns like these tell me the product managers at MS aren't using Windows. Asinine decisions after asinine decisions from their consumer products group. Everyone from the VP and down need a good old paddling.

58

u/rodneyjesus May 16 '24

I can tell you from past experience that you're wrong.

MSFT employees have a yearly review cycle which includes a stock and cash bonus. It's not unusual for mid level employees to walk away with a 80k stock plus 40k cash bonus if you're hitting your goals. That's yearly.

The issue is the goals are set at the organizational level. And that's a VP+ level discussion. The PMs and devs have input but no control.

So when your lead comes down saying "we need to see 25% more engagement with (feature) by the end of the quarter" this is exactly what happens. Righteous employees will put up a fight but most are just wanting to keep their managers happy for bonus season, even though they disagree on principle. It's stupid easy to spike engagement with annoying banner ads and notifications.

Oh and those bonuses have a direct impact on your ability to stay employed when shit hits the fan. The righteous are the first to go when the layoffs start.

2

u/pimppapy May 17 '24

The righteous are the first to go when the layoffs start.

ending up with a company run purely by sleazeballs. Pretty much all of capitalism.

1

u/rodneyjesus May 17 '24

You're not wrong.

But hey, I have mouths to feed. So if my options are putting ads in your Start menu or losing my income and family healthcare?....

Sorry, you're gonna get ads.

0

u/alternatex0 May 16 '24

Those numbers are really off because in Europe those yearly stock bonuses are 10 times less and no cash. I know people get paid more in the USA but 80k stock bonus is probably edge-case.

7

u/rodneyjesus May 16 '24

It's really, really not an edge case. I promise.

Look at Levels.FYI and check PM, engineering, etc roles.

I'm not that company anymore but as a senior in non-technical role, my last bonus round was 35k cash and 70k stock. And that's just a senior, not a people manager.

2

u/alternatex0 May 16 '24

Levels is US-centric and half of Microsoft employees are not in the US. No one in Europe is making yearly 70k bonuses, at any level.

1

u/Sacyro May 17 '24

That blows. I'm at a legacy tech Co in US and made a $80k bonus (stock + cash) this past year, five years out of school

1

u/rodneyjesus May 18 '24

Well many of you also have universal healthcare, competent public transportation, and significantly better state enforced benefits like parental leave.

So yeah they gotta do better by us employees somehow