Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Facebook Leaves Sun Microsystems Sign To Remember What Can Happen


I visited my oldest son, John, who is a Software Engineer at Facebook.  Below is a picture I took of Facebook's sign that faces in toward Facebook employees as they leave the campus (if they look toward their left as they leave the main entrance) that Sun Microsystems used to own.  Oracle purchased Sun and Oracle sold the campus to Facebook.  Facebook purposely reversed the sign and left Sun Microsystems on it to remind their employees what can happen when companies to not stay sharp.  I think that is a brilliant idea by Facebook.


Facebook renamed the road from Network Circle to Hacker Way.  The building numbers are the same.   I went in as a guest and Facebook has improved the campus in a number of ways.  It was very nice to see young, smart folks working there and clearly having fun - just like the "good ole days of SUNW".  What was strange to me was how they changed all of the buildings and the cafeteria to be more modern.  I guess I am old school, I like carpet versus concrete floors :-)  I had a chance to see Mark Zuckerberg who was sitting in a meeting in one of the buildings as we walked by after John and I had lunch together.

Best of luck to Facebook!  I really hope they do not turn into Sun Microsystems when Sun got old and lost focus.  Follow Steve Jobs advice from his Stanford 2005 Commencement Address where he quoted The Whole Earth Catalog, "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish."