A New Skipper At The Helm Of Amazon
February 2, 2021 4:00 PM Subscribe
Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has announced his plans to step down as CEO in the latter half of 2021, with AWS head Andy Jassy to take over the position. (SLCNBC)
Bezos states he will remain involved with Amazon, but will be focusing on his other holdings like Blue Origin and the Washington Post.
Bezos states he will remain involved with Amazon, but will be focusing on his other holdings like Blue Origin and the Washington Post.
Interesting that it's Jassy taking over- he's the cloud guy, just like Nadella was the cloud guy at Microsoft before taking over from that idiot Ballmer.
posted by jenkinsEar at 4:44 PM on February 2, 2021 [8 favorites]
posted by jenkinsEar at 4:44 PM on February 2, 2021 [8 favorites]
Things will change at Amazon.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 4:45 PM on February 2, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 4:45 PM on February 2, 2021 [3 favorites]
He wants to spend more time in his lair under a volcano with his family.
posted by betweenthebars at 4:46 PM on February 2, 2021 [6 favorites]
posted by betweenthebars at 4:46 PM on February 2, 2021 [6 favorites]
Yeah, Jassy taking over makes it clear where Amazon's focusing these days - it feels like they're a server farm with an ancillary retail operation now.
posted by NoxAeternum at 5:03 PM on February 2, 2021 [23 favorites]
posted by NoxAeternum at 5:03 PM on February 2, 2021 [23 favorites]
He wants to spend more time in his lair under a volcano with his family
If he literally just didn't get incredibly publicly divorced, that would have been right in the press release. Instead it's "gonna focus on The Post!!!, and Rockets!!!!"
posted by sideshow at 5:11 PM on February 2, 2021 [4 favorites]
If he literally just didn't get incredibly publicly divorced, that would have been right in the press release. Instead it's "gonna focus on The Post!!!, and Rockets!!!!"
posted by sideshow at 5:11 PM on February 2, 2021 [4 favorites]
What better way to own the news your rockets make.
posted by clavdivs at 5:14 PM on February 2, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by clavdivs at 5:14 PM on February 2, 2021 [1 favorite]
He wants to spend more time beneath the Lonely Mountain atop his hoard.
posted by leotrotsky at 5:33 PM on February 2, 2021 [15 favorites]
posted by leotrotsky at 5:33 PM on February 2, 2021 [15 favorites]
Yeah, Jassy taking over makes it clear where Amazon's focusing these days - it feels like they're a server farm with an ancillary retail operation now.
I mean, if you’re in a commodity business it pays to be absolutely fucking huge.
posted by leotrotsky at 5:35 PM on February 2, 2021 [3 favorites]
I mean, if you’re in a commodity business it pays to be absolutely fucking huge.
posted by leotrotsky at 5:35 PM on February 2, 2021 [3 favorites]
I do not like this idea of Bezos spending more time with his fingers in the Washington Post.
posted by mediareport at 5:41 PM on February 2, 2021 [8 favorites]
posted by mediareport at 5:41 PM on February 2, 2021 [8 favorites]
Live footage from Amazon right now.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 5:47 PM on February 2, 2021 [9 favorites]
posted by Huffy Puffy at 5:47 PM on February 2, 2021 [9 favorites]
If what I've heard is true, the lives of Amazon workers likely just got even worse.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 6:20 PM on February 2, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 6:20 PM on February 2, 2021 [4 favorites]
Jassy has been a central figure strengthening Amazon's ties to the petroleum and gas industry in recent years, to the consternation of many Amazon employees.
At last year's CERAWeek, an energy industry conference in Houston, he promoted Amazon's machine learning technology as a way for oil companies to figure out which wells would produce the most oil before drilling. Jassy also had some encouraging words for a fossil fuel industry worried that it's no longer perceived as "cool".
posted by theory at 6:55 PM on February 2, 2021 [7 favorites]
At last year's CERAWeek, an energy industry conference in Houston, he promoted Amazon's machine learning technology as a way for oil companies to figure out which wells would produce the most oil before drilling. Jassy also had some encouraging words for a fossil fuel industry worried that it's no longer perceived as "cool".
posted by theory at 6:55 PM on February 2, 2021 [7 favorites]
I never like to count someone else's money, but I think he can afford to take some time off while deciding his next move.
posted by AugustWest at 7:34 PM on February 2, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by AugustWest at 7:34 PM on February 2, 2021 [1 favorite]
I think he can afford to take some time off while deciding his next move.
That's what scares me.
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:57 PM on February 2, 2021 [8 favorites]
That's what scares me.
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:57 PM on February 2, 2021 [8 favorites]
Jassy has been a central figure strengthening Amazon's ties to the petroleum and gas industry in recent years, to the consternation of many Amazon employees.
Counterpoint: literally the exact same stuff runs Metafilter.com
posted by sideshow at 9:42 PM on February 2, 2021
Counterpoint: literally the exact same stuff runs Metafilter.com
posted by sideshow at 9:42 PM on February 2, 2021
So everyone I've met at Amazon (software people) either are grudgingly waiting to cash out or a cult member. Is there any indication Jassy will change the terrible work environment, or is he a true believer in Bezos' employee philosophy?
posted by benzenedream at 10:15 PM on February 2, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by benzenedream at 10:15 PM on February 2, 2021 [3 favorites]
I doubt you can become #2 (and then #1) of a huge, incredibly successful market leader by believing it's doing the wrong things.
posted by meowzilla at 10:27 PM on February 2, 2021 [6 favorites]
posted by meowzilla at 10:27 PM on February 2, 2021 [6 favorites]
Finally, an Amazon employee gets to take a break.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 12:09 AM on February 3, 2021 [18 favorites]
posted by GallonOfAlan at 12:09 AM on February 3, 2021 [18 favorites]
I dunno... I work for AWS; have for a decade. I wouldn't say I'm a "cult member" (honestly, that's pretty insulting) nor am I waiting to cash out. It's a pretty good job, with pretty good colleagues, doing things that I enjoy and that I think are marginally a net good for the world. The company ain't perfect -- far from it! -- but... seriously, it's not a prison or a cult.
posted by ChrisR at 12:45 AM on February 3, 2021 [21 favorites]
posted by ChrisR at 12:45 AM on February 3, 2021 [21 favorites]
I have no doubt AWS workers are treated better than Amazon warehouse employees. These employees will not benefit from a CEO who was not involved with the operations that effect their work conditions.
posted by like_neon at 2:10 AM on February 3, 2021 [6 favorites]
posted by like_neon at 2:10 AM on February 3, 2021 [6 favorites]
I also find it amusing that it’s announced Bezos is stepping down the day that it’s announced Warren joined the Senate Finance Committee. It’s probably a coincidence but still amusing.
posted by like_neon at 2:11 AM on February 3, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by like_neon at 2:11 AM on February 3, 2021 [5 favorites]
Maybe he could spent the rest of his years being a philanthropist like Gates or, you know, the other - better! - Bezos who has already donated billions of her wealth.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 3:58 AM on February 3, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by Foci for Analysis at 3:58 AM on February 3, 2021 [5 favorites]
He finally found some Kryptonite and he's going after Superman, isn't he!?
posted by loquacious at 6:39 AM on February 3, 2021 [9 favorites]
posted by loquacious at 6:39 AM on February 3, 2021 [9 favorites]
Man, this is all so depressing. A reminder that while individual villains can make things worse, the systems they create go on and on and on.
On the other hand, perhaps we can envision a better future where we nationalize all this stuff, improve working conditions, pay workers a decent wage, etc. Name it something else, get rid of the logo, repurpose the structure to do better things.
posted by Frowner at 7:05 AM on February 3, 2021 [3 favorites]
On the other hand, perhaps we can envision a better future where we nationalize all this stuff, improve working conditions, pay workers a decent wage, etc. Name it something else, get rid of the logo, repurpose the structure to do better things.
posted by Frowner at 7:05 AM on February 3, 2021 [3 favorites]
About 6,000 warehouse workers will begin casting ballots on February 8, in the company's first union vote since 2014. Ballots have to be returned by March 29, and will be counted beginning March 30. If successful, it would be the first time Amazon employees have formed a union in the US, and could lead to other unionization drives in Amazon's hundreds of US warehouses, Reuters reported.
posted by latkes at 9:03 AM on February 3, 2021 [10 favorites]
posted by latkes at 9:03 AM on February 3, 2021 [10 favorites]
I guess a quarter trillion counts as "fuck off" money for Bezos.
No doubt he knows shits gonna hit the fan and he better start getting on that whole Mars thing sooner rather than later.
posted by symbioid at 9:05 AM on February 3, 2021
No doubt he knows shits gonna hit the fan and he better start getting on that whole Mars thing sooner rather than later.
posted by symbioid at 9:05 AM on February 3, 2021
I have no doubt AWS workers are treated better than Amazon warehouse employees.
Warehouse mistreatment is the hot story these days, but we've hearing about miserably treated Amazon workers for over 20 years, longer before Amazon had any warehouses employees, or sold anything but books.
posted by sideshow at 9:33 AM on February 3, 2021 [2 favorites]
Warehouse mistreatment is the hot story these days, but we've hearing about miserably treated Amazon workers for over 20 years, longer before Amazon had any warehouses employees, or sold anything but books.
posted by sideshow at 9:33 AM on February 3, 2021 [2 favorites]
He finally found some Kryptonite and he's going after Superman, isn't he!?
I feel like comparing Jeff Bezos to Lex Luthor is pretty offensive. You're talking about a guy who has substantially improved people's lives, provided jobs to many talented individuals, and served as an example of humanity's ability to overcome any struggle. Bezos doesn't even come close.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 12:02 PM on February 3, 2021 [16 favorites]
I feel like comparing Jeff Bezos to Lex Luthor is pretty offensive. You're talking about a guy who has substantially improved people's lives, provided jobs to many talented individuals, and served as an example of humanity's ability to overcome any struggle. Bezos doesn't even come close.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 12:02 PM on February 3, 2021 [16 favorites]
The Onion: ‘Then You’ll Put Out A Nice Press Release Stepping Down As CEO,’ Whispers Rogue Fulfillment Bot Holding Bezos At Gunpoint
posted by JoeZydeco at 1:30 PM on February 3, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by JoeZydeco at 1:30 PM on February 3, 2021 [4 favorites]
> sideshow: "we've hearing about miserably treated Amazon workers for over 20 years, longer before Amazon had any warehouses employees, or sold anything but books."
Are you referring to the three year period between its founding in 1994 and the opening of its first two warehouses in 1997?
posted by mhum at 4:55 PM on February 3, 2021 [1 favorite]
Are you referring to the three year period between its founding in 1994 and the opening of its first two warehouses in 1997?
posted by mhum at 4:55 PM on February 3, 2021 [1 favorite]
A reminder that while individual villains can make things worse, the systems they create go on and on and on.
Amazon Delivery Vans Will Soon Have Always-On Surveillance Cameras: Report — If the delivery vehicle is on, so is the camera—and the driver can’t turn it off., The War Zone, Stef Schrader, February 3, 2021:
posted by cenoxo at 9:29 PM on February 3, 2021 [3 favorites]
Amazon Delivery Vans Will Soon Have Always-On Surveillance Cameras: Report — If the delivery vehicle is on, so is the camera—and the driver can’t turn it off., The War Zone, Stef Schrader, February 3, 2021:
Amazon plans to install always-on surveillance systems in its delivery vehicles which will monitor and record drivers' behavior as well as what's going on around the vehicle, reports The Verge. The system is called Driveri [link] —that's pronounced "driver eye"—and it's made by Californian company Netradyne [link]. It uses artificial intelligence to analyze camera and sensor data and flag potentially dangerous situations. Amazon's stated goals are to reduce collisions and encourage safer driver behavior when making deliveries.Technical details and driver/employee reactions in the article.
The Information unearthed this unlisted training video from just a week ago explaining how Driveri works, and while we can't embed it here, it's definitely worth watching for the informative explanations and chipper but dystopian vibe...
posted by cenoxo at 9:29 PM on February 3, 2021 [3 favorites]
"we've hearing about miserably treated Amazon workers for over 20 years, longer before Amazon had any warehouses employees, or sold anything but books."
No, it refers to that anecdotal idea that Amazon hires junior developers on the software side and burns them out with long hours and low pay.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:44 AM on February 4, 2021
No, it refers to that anecdotal idea that Amazon hires junior developers on the software side and burns them out with long hours and low pay.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:44 AM on February 4, 2021
He could buy ten Lamborghinis a day for the next fifty years.
posted by adept256 at 8:02 AM on February 4, 2021
posted by adept256 at 8:02 AM on February 4, 2021
At last year's CERAWeek, an energy industry conference in Houston, he promoted Amazon's machine learning technology as a way for oil companies to figure out which wells would produce the most oil before drilling.
To the extent that the oil that will be extracted was going to be extracted anyway, that's not actually a bad thing. Drilling a dry hole is a waste energy. Energy that is produced by burning diesel fuel.
Oil companies should continue to exist, though at a much smaller scale. We need their product for a boatload of chemical processes. We need it for the plastics that keep medical equipment sterile among other good uses of plastic. What we don't need is to keep burning oil or otherwise wasting it.
posted by wierdo at 9:37 AM on February 4, 2021
To the extent that the oil that will be extracted was going to be extracted anyway, that's not actually a bad thing. Drilling a dry hole is a waste energy. Energy that is produced by burning diesel fuel.
Oil companies should continue to exist, though at a much smaller scale. We need their product for a boatload of chemical processes. We need it for the plastics that keep medical equipment sterile among other good uses of plastic. What we don't need is to keep burning oil or otherwise wasting it.
posted by wierdo at 9:37 AM on February 4, 2021
He could buy ten Lamborghinis a day for the next fifty years.
Ha, Joke's on him. Lamborghini only manufactures a little over 3000 cars so he'd be stuck with 500+ Urus. [I'll never understand why anyone buys a sport car manufacturer's truck though I'm glad they are probably saving the company].
posted by Mitheral at 10:01 AM on February 4, 2021
Ha, Joke's on him. Lamborghini only manufactures a little over 3000 cars so he'd be stuck with 500+ Urus. [I'll never understand why anyone buys a sport car manufacturer's truck though I'm glad they are probably saving the company].
posted by Mitheral at 10:01 AM on February 4, 2021
> The_Vegetables: "No, it refers to that anecdotal idea that Amazon hires junior developers on the software side and burns them out with long hours and low pay."
Ah, yes. That makes sense. The bit that threw me was the "before they had warehouse employees" part because Amazon has basically had warehouse employees the entire time.
posted by mhum at 10:39 AM on February 4, 2021
Ah, yes. That makes sense. The bit that threw me was the "before they had warehouse employees" part because Amazon has basically had warehouse employees the entire time.
posted by mhum at 10:39 AM on February 4, 2021
Jassy has been a central figure strengthening Amazon's ties to the petroleum and gas industry in recent years, to the consternation of many Amazon employees.
Counterpoint: literally the exact same stuff runs Metafilter.com
At the risk of being snarky, no, that's not what a counterpoint is. Nor is Metafilter.com run on "a central figure strengthening Amazon's ties to the petroleum and gas industry in recent years."
If you're simply trying to point out that teeny, ancient, text-based and user-supported website Metafilter.com runs on AWS (a point that manages to be made every single time anything to do with Amazon or Bezos comes up), then just say that. Not that you need to, because again. Every single Amazon thread.
But to imply that this is in any way the same . . . like, I'm not even sure what is the same as what here, but I'm gonna need a diagram or something if you're drawing any larger parallels between Metafilter and Amazon than both started websites in the web 1.0 days, and one rents computational services from the other.
posted by aspersioncast at 3:58 PM on February 4, 2021 [4 favorites]
Counterpoint: literally the exact same stuff runs Metafilter.com
At the risk of being snarky, no, that's not what a counterpoint is. Nor is Metafilter.com run on "a central figure strengthening Amazon's ties to the petroleum and gas industry in recent years."
If you're simply trying to point out that teeny, ancient, text-based and user-supported website Metafilter.com runs on AWS (a point that manages to be made every single time anything to do with Amazon or Bezos comes up), then just say that. Not that you need to, because again. Every single Amazon thread.
But to imply that this is in any way the same . . . like, I'm not even sure what is the same as what here, but I'm gonna need a diagram or something if you're drawing any larger parallels between Metafilter and Amazon than both started websites in the web 1.0 days, and one rents computational services from the other.
posted by aspersioncast at 3:58 PM on February 4, 2021 [4 favorites]
Amazon Is Forcing Its Warehouse Workers Into Brutal ‘Megacycle’ Shifts
The company has been quietly transitioning warehouse workers at Amazon warehouses nationwide to a 10-hour graveyard shift.
The shift runs from 1:20am to 11:50am:
"The new schedule is unworkable particularly for many mothers, those who care for elderly relatives and others who need to be home in the morning hours," they continued. "In this COVID-19 environment, kids are home and learning virtually and a parent needs to be with them."
The ultimatum presented to workers at DCH1 reflects a broader strategy in the U.S. for Amazon. The company has been quietly transitioning warehouse workers at delivery stations nationwide to the "megacycle" shift in recent months. The megacycle shift collapses shorter shifts into one 10-hour shift that begins around 1 am and ends around lunchtime.
posted by mediareport at 5:43 PM on February 5, 2021
The company has been quietly transitioning warehouse workers at Amazon warehouses nationwide to a 10-hour graveyard shift.
The shift runs from 1:20am to 11:50am:
"The new schedule is unworkable particularly for many mothers, those who care for elderly relatives and others who need to be home in the morning hours," they continued. "In this COVID-19 environment, kids are home and learning virtually and a parent needs to be with them."
The ultimatum presented to workers at DCH1 reflects a broader strategy in the U.S. for Amazon. The company has been quietly transitioning warehouse workers at delivery stations nationwide to the "megacycle" shift in recent months. The megacycle shift collapses shorter shifts into one 10-hour shift that begins around 1 am and ends around lunchtime.
posted by mediareport at 5:43 PM on February 5, 2021
DCH1 Amazonians United, on Twitter:
Can you imagine working 1am-noon, 4 days a week? What time will we sleep and live life?! How do we adjust during our weekends? This change will be nationwide at Delivery Stations—Amazon is setting an example for how other companies can exploit workers with this inhumane shift.
And:
We demand Amazon provide shift accommodations and transportation, a $2 shift differential for working those unhealthy hours, and our 20 minute paid breaks need to be respected at every site. National change = national petition, ask coworkers to sign it!
The petition on Google Docs.
posted by mediareport at 5:46 PM on February 5, 2021 [2 favorites]
Can you imagine working 1am-noon, 4 days a week? What time will we sleep and live life?! How do we adjust during our weekends? This change will be nationwide at Delivery Stations—Amazon is setting an example for how other companies can exploit workers with this inhumane shift.
And:
We demand Amazon provide shift accommodations and transportation, a $2 shift differential for working those unhealthy hours, and our 20 minute paid breaks need to be respected at every site. National change = national petition, ask coworkers to sign it!
The petition on Google Docs.
posted by mediareport at 5:46 PM on February 5, 2021 [2 favorites]
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