I have a New Year's wish for the combined company. Let's have PeopleSoft display some of the doggedness and focus of the Oracle team, and have the Oracle team display some of the customer-focus, humbleness of the PeopleSoft team. Imagine a team of laser-focused, customer-minded professionals who happen to care how they treat each other and how they're perceived in the marketplace?

Blow out some of the dead weight in both organizations, including the idiots who think managing by spreadsheet is management, and watch what can happen.

I've worked for both companies (but don't any longer) and feel both needed a shakeup. Put your politics aside and think long-term instead of "I need to win" and there finally, finally may be a viable competitor to SAP. If personal politics and just plain mean-spiritedness rules the merger plans, then this will turn into one expensive fiasco.

Good luck to both companies.

I was an implementation consultant with PeopleSoft for nearly eight years, I made very good money, and had a lot of fun doing it. I've never worked with a greater bunch of people. Thanks Dave!!

So at what point does PSFT find itself de-listed on the Nasdaq? And when does the merger actually become a formal fact?

New Year's Resoltions for PeopleSoft Employees:
1. I will not listen to Duffield again
2. I will not listen to Conway again
3. I will get my resume up to speed
4. I will visit the monster.com web site daily
5. I will tell all my customers that Larry really means well.( And smile when I say it)
6. I won't sell my 100% vested options cause they are still worthless (sorry, does not apply to Duffield, McVaney, or Conway -
or the rest of the Board)
7. I will visit Dice.Com daily
8. I will create 8 different resumes, just in case.

Or the other resolution will be, based on how much truth I have been told to date...

1. I will believe all these folks that say I won't get laid off.
2. I will believe the Oracle folks will be half the makeup of those laid off
3. I will toss my resume out the window, I don't have time to update it as I am too busy making Larry, my new best friend, alot of money. And I trust him!!!
4. I will delete all refereces to the Monster and Dice job sites, as my new boss is soooo coool and really wants me to stay. Gosh, I might even get a raise as soon as pigs fly!!

Didn't I read somewhere that if they lose their jobs in the takeover, PeopleSoft and Oracle executive officers will receive up to two times their annual base salary and bonus?

Even the fall of rank-and-file employees finding themselves on the street will be cushioned by "tin parachutes" - 12 weeks of salary and health benefits, and the ability to exercise and sell their stock options immediately.

I mean, this isn't ALL bad, right?

I wonder if Duffield's car has one of those bumper stickers on it that PeopleSoft employees were joking they wanted to put on their cars: "Mean people suck. Fortunately most of them work at Oracle."