[deepred]

Geoffrey Moore says Yahoo! is like LSJUMB. Calls LSJUMB stale. Ouch!

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/artic...ng-marissa

"Yahoo! today is like the Stanford “Marching” Band. Antics which at one time were young, innovative and irreverent have become middle-aged, stale, and self-indulgent."

[deepred]

Geoffrey Moore says Yahoo! is like LSJUMB. Calls LSJUMB stale. Ouch!

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/artic...ng-marissa

"Yahoo! today is like the Stanford “Marching” Band. Antics which at one time were young, innovative and irreverent have become middle-aged, stale, and self-indulgent."

[Kathy]

But he gives kudos to the football team:  ;)

You might get a hall pass for this if your team wins the Rose Bowl. But in case you haven’t noticed, Yahoo! hasn’t been to a lot of bowl games recently.

[Kathy]

But he gives kudos to the football team:  ;)

You might get a hall pass for this if your team wins the Rose Bowl. But in case you haven’t noticed, Yahoo! hasn’t been to a lot of bowl games recently.

[Cadet84]

Shouldn't  it be " Yahoo - Rose Bowl = LSJUMB?"
Moore's an alum. I'm guessing many of us from that generation have similar feelings about the band...

[Cadet84]

Shouldn't  it be " Yahoo - Rose Bowl = LSJUMB?"
Moore's an alum. I'm guessing many of us from that generation have similar feelings about the band...

[fullmetal]

Yahoo just got a lot less fun--Marissa Mayer just did away with the remote working aspect of Yahoo, requiring employees to be physically present in the office.  I would have considered that a little restricting given Silicon Valley's culture, but a lot of ex-Yahoo employees said that people were abusing remote work privileges, so it was necessary.

[fullmetal]

Yahoo just got a lot less fun--Marissa Mayer just did away with the remote working aspect of Yahoo, requiring employees to be physically present in the office.  I would have considered that a little restricting given Silicon Valley's culture, but a lot of ex-Yahoo employees said that people were abusing remote work privileges, so it was necessary.

[82 Card]

I wonder what it is about the work at Yahoo that makes checking up on slackers easier when they are at the office than when they are at home. Can't imagine a place like that doesn't have spyware that works either way.

I work from home once a week and find that I get a lot more done on those days. Because of the time saved, I get started earlier and keep going later. Don't need much of a lunch break either with the kitchen a few steps away. I put in about 12 hours at home today. Had I been at the office, I would have knocked off about 3 hours earlier. It's not like I was working alone the whole time. The IP phone on my laptop got a good workout.

[82 Card]

I wonder what it is about the work at Yahoo that makes checking up on slackers easier when they are at the office than when they are at home. Can't imagine a place like that doesn't have spyware that works either way.

I work from home once a week and find that I get a lot more done on those days. Because of the time saved, I get started earlier and keep going later. Don't need much of a lunch break either with the kitchen a few steps away. I put in about 12 hours at home today. Had I been at the office, I would have knocked off about 3 hours earlier. It's not like I was working alone the whole time. The IP phone on my laptop got a good workout.

[flake]

There is a big difference between working @ home 2-3 days a week, and never being in the office.

Having worked in a large dev team remotely for 5 years, it is difficult. It takes a LOT more effort than if you we in the office. It is a common natural progression to become niche, even if you had a long history with the team. Conversely, I now manage a team where half my team is Europe. I am not against it, but it really puts a lot of work on the manager and the remote person to make certain the communication is rock solid.

For a company that needs focus like yahoo, lots of remote employees is definitely not a good thing.

[flake]

There is a big difference between working @ home 2-3 days a week, and never being in the office.

Having worked in a large dev team remotely for 5 years, it is difficult. It takes a LOT more effort than if you we in the office. It is a common natural progression to become niche, even if you had a long history with the team. Conversely, I now manage a team where half my team is Europe. I am not against it, but it really puts a lot of work on the manager and the remote person to make certain the communication is rock solid.

For a company that needs focus like yahoo, lots of remote employees is definitely not a good thing.

[Leftcoast]

Cisco had a widely used work from home policy in the late 90s early 2000s and as a supplier/developer of theirs it was maddening.  Meeting went no where, folks were difficult to contact, no internal cohesion with various groups arguing between themselves during our joint meetings.  Remote CAN be done correctly but that isn't the norm - I'm not a fan.

[Leftcoast]

Cisco had a widely used work from home policy in the late 90s early 2000s and as a supplier/developer of theirs it was maddening.  Meeting went no where, folks were difficult to contact, no internal cohesion with various groups arguing between themselves during our joint meetings.  Remote CAN be done correctly but that isn't the norm - I'm not a fan.

[stupac2]

Shouldn't  it be " Yahoo - Rose Bowl = LSJUMB?"
Moore's an alum. I'm guessing many of us from that generation have similar feelings about the band...

Really? Why? I know that the band is pretty controversial to non-alums, but it seems like most alums that I know love it.

[stupac2]

Shouldn't  it be " Yahoo - Rose Bowl = LSJUMB?"
Moore's an alum. I'm guessing many of us from that generation have similar feelings about the band...

Really? Why? I know that the band is pretty controversial to non-alums, but it seems like most alums that I know love it.

[FarmBoy]

I've never heard an LSJUMB-hater propose the alternative formulation of the band at football games that would actually work. My understanding is that there just aren't enough students on campus who play marching band instruments and would devote the kind of time half show performance requires to field a traditional marching band. Do you want no band? Do you want the small band we have just to stand on the field and play a few songs? Do you want to try to recruit a couple hundred more students to pretend like they're playing instruments and march in grand designs?

The biggest problem with the current LSJUMB is censorship. They are too much under the thumb of the AD. So now we have a band that irritates traditionalists who like John Phillip Sousa and pretty straight line marching as well as disappointing those of us who have appreciated their sharp witted social-political satire. The band is not going back to a traditional form. Better to loosen the censorship and apologize to our opponents as necessary. 

[FarmBoy]

I've never heard an LSJUMB-hater propose the alternative formulation of the band at football games that would actually work. My understanding is that there just aren't enough students on campus who play marching band instruments and would devote the kind of time half show performance requires to field a traditional marching band. Do you want no band? Do you want the small band we have just to stand on the field and play a few songs? Do you want to try to recruit a couple hundred more students to pretend like they're playing instruments and march in grand designs?

The biggest problem with the current LSJUMB is censorship. They are too much under the thumb of the AD. So now we have a band that irritates traditionalists who like John Phillip Sousa and pretty straight line marching as well as disappointing those of us who have appreciated their sharp witted social-political satire. The band is not going back to a traditional form. Better to loosen the censorship and apologize to our opponents as necessary. 

[81alum]

It might be useful to point out that the band that plays for Football games is not exactly the same band that plays at basketball games.  In recent years I have become a little disappointed at the poor musicality of the football performances--quite apart from the censorship issues.

But the band at the WBB games played better and better as the year wore on, and last weekend I thought they were doing excellent renditions of the 40 year old songs that I grew to love back when I was a student.  I think perhaps the football version collects a lot of stringers to pad the numbers, but you get a more hard core group of musicians at the smaller venues.

I'd agree that the LSJUMB is not exactly cutting edge anymore, though.  Even the Dollies seemed to have exactly the same choreography as 1977.  I just happen to like their repertoire, and I can actually hear it at Maples, unlike at the stadium.

[81alum]

It might be useful to point out that the band that plays for Football games is not exactly the same band that plays at basketball games.  In recent years I have become a little disappointed at the poor musicality of the football performances--quite apart from the censorship issues.

But the band at the WBB games played better and better as the year wore on, and last weekend I thought they were doing excellent renditions of the 40 year old songs that I grew to love back when I was a student.  I think perhaps the football version collects a lot of stringers to pad the numbers, but you get a more hard core group of musicians at the smaller venues.

I'd agree that the LSJUMB is not exactly cutting edge anymore, though.  Even the Dollies seemed to have exactly the same choreography as 1977.  I just happen to like their repertoire, and I can actually hear it at Maples, unlike at the stadium.

[FarmBoy]

I was in the LSJUMB for about a year. I joined because they were the most hard core fan group on campus, from what I could see. They were the loudest cheering section and the most into the games. It was also nice reserved seating and free entry to football games. I had hoped to get into basketball games as well, but found that I didn't "make the cut." They are limited in space so they pick the pep band based on musical performance.

I agree the musical quality has declined as well, though I suspect that partly has to do with AD oversight. It's not as fun a group to be a part of anymore. I think some people join the band in part because of the reputation and they want to be part of the hijinx, but then they find the current incarnation doesn't hold up.

[FarmBoy]

I was in the LSJUMB for about a year. I joined because they were the most hard core fan group on campus, from what I could see. They were the loudest cheering section and the most into the games. It was also nice reserved seating and free entry to football games. I had hoped to get into basketball games as well, but found that I didn't "make the cut." They are limited in space so they pick the pep band based on musical performance.

I agree the musical quality has declined as well, though I suspect that partly has to do with AD oversight. It's not as fun a group to be a part of anymore. I think some people join the band in part because of the reputation and they want to be part of the hijinx, but then they find the current incarnation doesn't hold up.

[Robbie]

I suspect the "no alcohol" policy also drive away some of the more, shall we say, "alternative" types from band membership. I recognize that there have been some incidents that reflect poor choices in alcohol consumption, but I doubt I would have hung around that group if all events and activities were dry. There's better places to have fun. (And I'm not saying that fun == alcohol, but I'd rather have a drink or three in recreational situations than be told that I'm not allowed to do so.)

[Robbie]

I suspect the "no alcohol" policy also drive away some of the more, shall we say, "alternative" types from band membership. I recognize that there have been some incidents that reflect poor choices in alcohol consumption, but I doubt I would have hung around that group if all events and activities were dry. There's better places to have fun. (And I'm not saying that fun == alcohol, but I'd rather have a drink or three in recreational situations than be told that I'm not allowed to do so.)

[oman]

I've never heard an LSJUMB-hater propose the alternative formulation of the band at football games that would actually work. My understanding is that there just aren't enough students on campus who play marching band instruments and would devote the kind of time half show performance requires to field a traditional marching band. Do you want no band? Do you want the small band we have just to stand on the field and play a few songs? Do you want to try to recruit a couple hundred more students to pretend like they're playing instruments and march in grand designs?

The biggest problem with the current LSJUMB is censorship. They are too much under the thumb of the AD. So now we have a band that irritates traditionalists who like John Phillip Sousa and pretty straight line marching as well as disappointing those of us who have appreciated their sharp witted social-political satire. The band is not going back to a traditional form. Better to loosen the censorship and apologize to our opponents as necessary.

Great great post. 

To me the only thing that they should be trying to improve is musicianship, and I am not sure what they can do about that.  Experimenting with some amplified set pieces that provide some sort of original showcasing for some of the players? 

[oman]

I've never heard an LSJUMB-hater propose the alternative formulation of the band at football games that would actually work. My understanding is that there just aren't enough students on campus who play marching band instruments and would devote the kind of time half show performance requires to field a traditional marching band. Do you want no band? Do you want the small band we have just to stand on the field and play a few songs? Do you want to try to recruit a couple hundred more students to pretend like they're playing instruments and march in grand designs?

The biggest problem with the current LSJUMB is censorship. They are too much under the thumb of the AD. So now we have a band that irritates traditionalists who like John Phillip Sousa and pretty straight line marching as well as disappointing those of us who have appreciated their sharp witted social-political satire. The band is not going back to a traditional form. Better to loosen the censorship and apologize to our opponents as necessary.

Great great post. 

To me the only thing that they should be trying to improve is musicianship, and I am not sure what they can do about that.  Experimenting with some amplified set pieces that provide some sort of original showcasing for some of the players? 

[jacketree]

Maybe the band can start working from home.

[jacketree]

Maybe the band can start working from home.