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You are here: MacNN Forums > Community > MacNN Lounge > Ever work for a Dot Com?

View Poll Results: Have you worked for a Dot Com?
Poll Options:
Yes, and they're still around in some form. 13 votes (40.63%)
Yes, and they went under. 8 votes (25.00%)
Nope. I managed to avoid them. 11 votes (34.38%)
Voters: 32. You may not vote on this poll
Ever work for a Dot Com?
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Demonhood
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Jun 2, 2004, 09:07 PM
 
Wondering how many MacNN'ers worked for a dot com of some sort. I realize that the majority of you aren't in the Bay Area of California, but people can work remotely, work for a dot com in another state/country, etc...

I worked for one for about three years before the big bust of 2001. Survived a merger, idiotic management, and a tech staff that...well, would rather visit the zoo than fix problems.
     
Zimphire
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Jun 2, 2004, 09:16 PM
 
I worked for a ISP for a year and a half. But they too got bought out.
     
theolein
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Jun 2, 2004, 09:19 PM
 
If the poll allowed both options to be checked.... The first two dot.com's I worked at from 1998 to 2000 are both still going, the one I worked at in Berlin from 2000 to 2001 died a nasty, ... and poor death. Ouch! Bad memories there although some aspects of that company were so hilarious that they should be part of a movie (Catching the boss snorting coke in the toilets while a meeting with clients was going on for example).
weird wabbit
     
ambush
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Jun 2, 2004, 09:22 PM
 
I'm the guy behind MilfHunter.com & co.

I guess my answer is yes.
     
ambush
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Jun 2, 2004, 09:22 PM
 
Originally posted by theolein:
Catching the boss snorting coke in the toilets while a meeting with clients was going on for example
LOLL I want to know more
     
fireside
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Jun 2, 2004, 09:32 PM
 
my dad was the CEO of ecampus.com and PeoplePC.

no, i'm not kidding. they both went down, but neither were his fault.
     
gorickey
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Jun 2, 2004, 09:36 PM
 
Originally posted by fireside:
my dad was the CEO of ecampus.com and PeoplePC.
Cool...what is he doing now?
     
Kilbey
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Jun 2, 2004, 09:42 PM
 
Originally posted by fireside:
my dad was the CEO of ecampus.com and PeoplePC.

no, i'm not kidding. they both went down, but neither were his fault.
peoplepc.com is still going strong. They just changed their focus.

Does your dad still work for them?
     
fireside
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Jun 2, 2004, 09:45 PM
 
Originally posted by gorickey:
Cool...what is he doing now?
uuhhh... drinking his life away?
     
fireside
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Jun 2, 2004, 09:46 PM
 
Originally posted by Kilbey:
peoplepc.com is still going strong. They just changed their focus.

Does your dad still work for them?
twas laid off.

that started the downward spiral of our life.
     
itai195
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Jun 2, 2004, 09:46 PM
 
I worked for one in Palo Alto a few years ago. I think they're still around, and have moved to San Francisco, but I haven't heard much from them in a couple years. They are backed by big Stanford $$$ though, so they should survive longer than most.

Other than that I've worked for companies that actually have business plans. Almost joined another dot-com in a desperate "I need a goddamn job gaddamn-it" move, but was whisked away to safety by a real company
     
gorickey
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Jun 2, 2004, 09:47 PM
 
Originally posted by fireside:
uuhhh... drinking his life away?
Yikes, sorry to hear about that...

     
ambush
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Jun 2, 2004, 09:53 PM
 
Originally posted by fireside:
uuhhh... drinking his life away?
ouch.. do something..


damn those fallen dot coms.

Look guys, do like me, get a MiniDV, a Mac with iMovie, **** girls, film them, POST IT ON THE NET.

You're rich.

You know people like that amateur touch!
     
TheMosco
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Jun 2, 2004, 10:03 PM
 
Originally posted by ambush:
I'm the guy behind MilfHunter.com & co.

I guess my answer is yes.
Sean(the milf hunter) is the man. are you seriously connected to the milf hunter?
AXP
ΔΣΦ
     
soul searching
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Jun 2, 2004, 10:03 PM
 
Not during the boom. Now I work for many tech companies as a contractor (e.g., consultant).

"I think of lotteries as a tax on the mathematically challenged." -- Roger Jones
     
fireside
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Jun 2, 2004, 10:11 PM
 
Originally posted by ambush:
ouch.. do something..
you can't help those who aren't willing to help themselves.
     
ambush
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Jun 2, 2004, 10:20 PM
 
Originally posted by TheMosco:
Sean(the milf hunter) is the man. are you seriously connected to the milf hunter?
I was unfortunately joking. Duh.

Sean=God hehe
     
TheMosco
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Jun 2, 2004, 10:23 PM
 
Originally posted by ambush:
I was unfortunately joking. Duh.

Sean=God hehe

yeah, i knew it wasn't you, but i am pretty sure that sean guy is canadian so i thought you might have known him or something.
AXP
ΔΣΦ
     
BasketofPuppies
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Jun 2, 2004, 10:29 PM
 
I worked as a Web designer for a very small firm for a few months. (This was long after the bubble burst.)

The main owner of the company was supposed to be more or less a silent partner. He wasn't.

He forced me to make all of the text and backgrounds significantly bigger, bolder (or "darker" as he described it), and colorful. I attempted to explain that doing so makes designs look unprofessional, but it was no use. He went on to explain that he knew best because he was an advertising major in college - so what, I also majored in advertising and my concentration was in design - and that small text would be unreadable on his wife's 9" monitor at work. Attempting to explain monitor resolutions to him was also futile.

The other owner of the company worked for Agilent Technologies full time and got involved with this business out of fear that Agilent was going to lay him off. I'd heard stories about engineers not understanding the first thing about marketing and thinking that products and services will sell just because, and this guy confirmed the stories I'd heard.

For example, this guy wanted me to create a Web site for him to sell miniature car replicas strictly over the Internet. He wasn't interested in any publicity besides the Web site itself and he wanted me to design the logo for said site myself. I attempted to explain why both of these things were bad ideas, but he wouldn't listen.

Oh, and the main owner took his dog to work every day. He (the dog, not the owner) would bark and growl violently whenever the doorbell rang or someone walked down the stairs and into the office until that person left.

All of this was driving me increasingly angry. I figured I'd stick with this job until I had enough experience to work somewhere else, but after the second time the dog tried to bite me, I'd had enough and quit.

Since then I've been doing freelance design work. Still have to deal with clients who, since they're good at managing their companies think they know how to design publicity materials too (believe me, they don't), but at least this way it's only one person who doesn't understand design telling me how to do my job.
inscrutable impenetrable impregnable inconceivable
     
theolein
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Jun 2, 2004, 10:33 PM
 
Originally posted by fireside:
you can't help those who aren't willing to help themselves.
While I fortunately never have been a drinker, I also have had a really crappy number of years since my last dotcom era job went down the toilet. I was pretty morose and depressed and gained a lot of weight which I am now slowly fighting down now (quite well disciplined these days in that i go swimming at 6 in the mornings etc). Apart from which it doesn't get easier the older you get. But the only way to look at it, I think, is mainly to make the best out of it.

I'm really sorry to hear about your father though, that is really sad. I can imagine that it hasn't exactly helped your mood and feelings either.
weird wabbit
     
wdlove
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Jun 2, 2004, 10:35 PM
 
I voted no. I have always worked in the medical field. Even while I was in the Air Force.

"Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense." Winston Churchill
     
Superchicken
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Jun 2, 2004, 10:42 PM
 
I own a dot com I don't think that's what you meant... essentially I throw money into hosting, and make no money cause we don't sell anything

But it's fun nonetheless.
     
olePigeon
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Jun 2, 2004, 10:50 PM
 
I used to be site content manager for Sitting Cow Greeting Cards, a subsidiary of Funschool.com. Funschool got bought out, but they closed down Sitting Cow.

Sucks because Sitting Cow made AWESOME eCards. High detail and interactive. Problem is that like everyone .com, you can't make jack sh*t off of ad banners.
"…I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than
you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods,
you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F. Roberts
     
ReggieX
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Jun 2, 2004, 10:53 PM
 
Dang, I voted 2 and I meant 1, they're still around. http://www.cyberdiet.com/
Unfortunately I seriously underbid my wages because I was desperate for a job. The first few months I was barely scraping by, but enjoying the work. I got a raise and small bonus, and was about to start on a conversion of the site to PHP to make the content management easier. Then we all got laid off.

Now I'm more in a producer role, but still get to code a bit here and there, and I think I'm better at that!
The Lord said 'Peter, I can see your house from here.'
     
Wiskedjak
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Jun 2, 2004, 11:16 PM
 
What, exactly, defines a "dot-com"? I'm pretty sure one is trying to recruit me ( www.criticalmass.com )
     
daimoni
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Jun 3, 2004, 12:58 AM
 
.
( Last edited by daimoni; Sep 12, 2004 at 01:24 AM. )
.
     
Mastrap
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Jun 3, 2004, 02:32 AM
 
I own a dot com

We do have a proper business plan, we do have a product people want and things are going well so far.
     
Socially Awkward Solo
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Jun 3, 2004, 02:39 AM
 
I've worked for 3 dot com's.

2 got bought out.
1 went out of business completely.

Luckily I am working for a magazine now.

"Laugh it up, fuzz ball!"
     
Talk2Angus
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Jun 3, 2004, 05:48 AM
 
Never had the pleasure. HA-HA-HA-HA
TALK2U Soon
Angus Pohl
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South Afica
     
phoenixboy
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Jun 3, 2004, 06:16 AM
 
Originally posted by BasketofPuppies:
He forced me to make all of the text and backgrounds significantly bigger, bolder (or "darker" as he described it), and colorful.
uhh, i've had very similar experiences. one day my boss told me to change a picture on a website because his 14 year old daughter made a remark about it at the dinner table.

worked for that .com for about 1 1/2 years. got "downsized" during the bust 3 years ago...i was one of the ones that got the "boot". damn economy. meh.

So keep on living And don`t start giving The devil good reasons To get you in the seasons of heartbreak Baby are you tough enough?
     
Superchicken
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Jun 3, 2004, 01:55 PM
 
Ha try doing a band's web site.

Bassit "I want it to look more pro"
Me "Uhh, what?"
Bassist "More pro like... www.someotherband.com"
Me "So essentially you want me to rip off their website?"
Bassit "No, I just like it, I want it to look more pro."
(add a bevel around the edges, make everything grey, half an hour later)
Bassit "Yah that looks pro, you're awesome man!"
     
xi_hyperon
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Jun 3, 2004, 02:49 PM
 
I've been working on the intarweb for a few years now, but always for the same company. We did have the pleasure early on of working with Razorfish in SF, and their work environment made me very jealous.
     
djohnson
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Jun 3, 2004, 03:42 PM
 
Originally posted by Superchicken:
Ha try doing a band's web site.

Bassit "I want it to look more pro"
Me "Uhh, what?"
Bassist "More pro like... www.someotherband.com"
Me "So essentially you want me to rip off their website?"
Bassit "No, I just like it, I want it to look more pro."
(add a bevel around the edges, make everything grey, half an hour later)
Bassit "Yah that looks pro, you're awesome man!"
That is funny! I haven't worked for a .com yet... I dont plan on it either. If I had enough real world money, then I would try and sell Transformers at my site. Oh and yes, ad money really does suck..but it is still fun!
     
Scifience
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Jun 3, 2004, 06:53 PM
 
Unless my own dot com counts, never. I'm in high school.

I do manage to make a few hunderd dollars a month of the Internet, though, which sure beats a job at McDonalds.
     
   
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