[I have been behind on Politech this week because I have been commuting (it seems like nonstop) between DC and scenic Wilmington, Delaware to cover the Oracle v. PeopleSoft case. --Declan] http://news.com.com/Oracle+e-mails+urge+scare+tactics/2100-1012_3-5399272.html Oracle e-mails urge scare tactics Published: October 6, 2004, 10:12 AM PDT By Declan McCullagh Three days before Oracle publicly announced its intention to buy PeopleSoft, the deal was already viewed as a way to sow seeds of doubt in the minds of PeopleSoft customers. Mark Jarvis, who was Oracle's chief marketing officer at the time, suggested in an internal June 3, 2003, e-mail that the company "use this news in order to create FUD with prospects and customers alike." FUD is a common term in the computer industry that describes a campaign to spread misinformation or exaggerations. Jarvis' e-mail, sent before the hostile takeover was revealed on June 6, 2003, came from the marketer once billed as Oracle CEO Larry Ellison's right-hand man. Jarvis has since left the company. CNET News.com has reviewed a confidential court document that includes excerpts of Jarvis' e-mail and other Oracle documents that mention FUD. A June 2003 memo with no author listed, for instance, instructed Oracle salespeople to exploit the acquisition to "create FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) with prospects and customers alike as they understand the implications of this acquisition." [...] _______________________________________________ Politech mailing list Archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ Moderated by Declan McCullagh (http://www.mccullagh.org/)
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