Why Netscape employees should not leave...

[Timothy C. May]

At 8:33 AM 12/2/95, sameer wrote:
>>
>> So, for a 15% reduction in salary and 30 days of job search, is it worth it?
>
>        30 days? in silicon valley? you *must* be joking. (i suppose
>the market for good net-folks isn't as big over on the right coast.)

Just a minor clarification. I don't speak for any of the Netscape employees
here (nor am I encouraging them to leave...they cay do *more* within
Netscape than merely be resigning in some sort of protest).

The _salary_ figure is not the key issue. Stock options are. Their stock
options were almost certainly priced before the big run-up in price these
last few months, and most likely priced at the IPO price or even lower. It
is quite likely that these stock options are worth far, far more than
salary.

True, other companies offer stock options, but their Netscape options are
already "in the money" by a wide margin, which is an incredible incentive
to stick around.

I'm critical of Netscape, like others are, on various issues. But I sure do
hope we never turn this criticism into suggestions that Jeff and the other
Netscape folks here should quit in protest. That smacks too much of "you're
working for the war machine!" stridency. (Next we'll be having people dump
buckets of blood over piles of Netscape Navigator at Fry's.)

I read the Jim Clark statement that Jeff forwarded. It seemed noncomittal
on the actual issue of whether Netscape will build a U.S.-supported GAK (as
opposed to offering GAK for the Iraqis or French). I await with interest
the clarification of the anti-GAK stance that Jeff alluded to.

--Tim May

Views here are not the views of my Internet Service Provider or Government.
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Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
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