tfabris: (Default)
tfabris ([personal profile] tfabris) wrote2006-11-17 02:57 pm

Too cute for its own good.

(Disclaimer: I don't know how many buildings on the Microsoft campus this applies to, since I've only been in a few, but anyway...)

The buildings on the Microsoft campus are somewhat maze-like. It takes a week or so to get used to the building layouts. And since each floor is more or less identical, you can quickly find yourself lost if you happen to end up on the wrong floor. As a result, every room and conference room is numbered with little signs outside the doors.

The first time I interviewed on the Microsoft campus several months ago, I giggled at the signage for the conference rooms. The signs were shaped like oversize replicas of 3.5" floppy disks. Once a symbol of modern computing, they now look almost as archaic as a punch card. Pretty darn cute, I thought.

Today, as I pass an occupied conference room, I notice that these little signs have a feature: You slide the little silver "door" on the floppy disk to uncover the text indicating "conference room in use".

I hope I didn't look like too much of a newbie when I laughed out loud.

Seanan: Unlimited free Diet Dr Pepper here.

[identity profile] damiana-swan.livejournal.com 2006-11-17 11:03 pm (UTC)(link)
If you think your building is confusing, you should go wander around 10. :-) When I was there (my first building) they ended up having to paint the different wings different colors, to help keep people from getting too lost.

[identity profile] cadhla.livejournal.com 2006-11-17 11:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Seanan: Unlimited free Diet Dr Pepper here.

Okay.

Get me a job now please.

Will relocate.

[identity profile] tfabris.livejournal.com 2006-11-17 11:21 pm (UTC)(link)
It would be fun having you up here!

http://www.microsoft.com/careers/
http://jobs.volt.com/

Volt is the company that places temps into Microsoft, like me. I have a hunch that it's easier to get in as an orange-badge (Volt) than it is as a blue-badge (Microsoft). But try both, you never know. :-)

[identity profile] elynne.livejournal.com 2006-11-18 12:24 am (UTC)(link)
Some of the newer buildings aren't that bad; the "X-wing" buildings are the worst. And, yeah, the placards shaped like 3.5 disks... heh. :)

[identity profile] tithonium.livejournal.com 2006-11-18 02:07 am (UTC)(link)
When I was a contractor there, they had /rules/, actual written-down RULES about the 'free soda'. One possible interpretation of one of those rules was that if you walked off campus with one, you were stealing.

Now, popcap on the other hand.. "JAMES! We ran out of diet dr pepper again!" "Oops. I'll increase the side of the order again this week." "And, um, can I get some almonds? I don't like picking thru the mixed nuts." "Ooh. Ok. What kind?" "Smoked is fine, dry roasted, whatever. Just not unsalted." "K." "Do we /really/ go through this much vitamin water?" "Yeah. I'm still trying to figure out how much to order." "Why the little kiwis?" "Someone wanted them."


Ok, well, that conversation got increasingly made up as I went along, but it's all 100% plausible. Thru the almond part it's almost entirely verbatim.

And then, of course, today I started encouraging him to leave the front desk so I could go thru the leftover haloween candy looking for laffy taffy...

[identity profile] vixyish.livejournal.com 2006-11-20 05:53 am (UTC)(link)
HEE! I would've giggled like a very giggly thing.

Fishy thinks they should've used the read/write tab for that instead.
jenk: Faye (Default)

[personal profile] jenk 2009-01-27 09:25 pm (UTC)(link)
O RLY?

I was in that building when it repainted in 98 or so. :)

[Yes, I sometimes read old LJs. I'm harmless.]