Our own MG Siegler is attempting to shoot live video of the ongoing MySpace all hands meeting where the new executive team, including new CEO Owen Van Natta, is addressing the troops.
The result? Total failure. We had to try since the meeting is being held outside. MySpace’s Los Angeles headquarters has no place for a thousand or so people to congregate, so they are holding the meeting outside in the courtyard, facing a public street. So far, so good. But security put up a fence around the courtyard and checked everyone’s badges carefully. MG tried, and tried again, but was turned away.
Ever diligent, MG then tried to video the event from outside the fence. But the audio is so bad that nothing could be heard. On the upside he was kicked out by security and told he’d be arrested if he didn’t leave the property. He’s now trying to find a back way into the courtyard, and I’ve promised to bail him out if it comes to it.
The full video, which contains absolutely no useful content whatsoever, is below. Next time we’re renting a helicopter.
fail try, what was he using to film?
Qik on the iPhone. But it was windy in LA which made is fairly useless.
Isn’t this what the reporters do?
Man i left reading or listening to news for this same reason ….
Yes, enquirer reporters
Yes, perfect reporter M G Siegler. Though you failed this time, wish you better luck next time. Especially with the rented helicopter.
Finally did you find out what was conveyed at least in the meeting. Did you hear something?
Love this part: “The full video, which contains absolutely no useful content whatsoever, is below.”
Classic MA.
Michael,
You got to give it to MySpaces Security though…at least their doing their job…
i was hoping for more drama. they could have at least roughed MG up a little.
We should set up a play-date. You guys can come back sometime and we’ll make you work for it
LOL
At what point is TC going to join the ranks of TMZ, US Weekly, People Magazine, and Perez Hilton to name a few publications which do not recognize that there are some limits? Is nothing sacred to you guys?
And you wonder why someone spat at you and you needed to get security?
And BTW, if you get a helicopter, I am pretty certain that the audio would be useless as well.
Next thing, we will read about TC paying off employees to steal internal memos and record private meetings just to get a story.
At what point is TC going to join the ranks of TMZ, US Weekly, People Magazine, and Perez Hilton to name a few publications which do not recognize that there are some limits? Is nothing sacred to you guys?
And you wonder why someone spat at you and you needed to get security?
And BTW, if you get a helicopter, I am pretty certain that the audio would be useless as well.
Next thing, we will read about TC paying off employees to steal internal memos and record private meetings just to get a story.
For next time- an elevated position across the street, after some purchases from here, should do the trick: http://www.thespystore.com/
you guys are kinda gangster
Thanks Adisa, that makes me feel better.
What the hell?
An “all hands meeting” how inefficient. A nicely tailored video released publicly would of been the way to explain things.
Cheers to the new leadership!
let me summarize and (interpret):
1) Thanks for joining us here (You really didn’t have a choice, so stand there and shut up slackers)
2) Obviously a tough time, but exciting time (If you hadn’t screwed all this up, i wouldn’t be here, so thank god i didn’t wack all of you)
3) We owe a ton of gratitude to Chris and Tom (not really, but i have to say this so mike arrington doesn’t kill me for it — they are jerks who screwed this place up)
4) Owen, Mike and Jason are thrilled to be here and take the reigns. (the three are studs and so much smarter than you all that they will help fix this cesspool)
5) We’re all in this together, so let’s all band together and create greatness ! (most of you will be fired and replaced — because if you were any good, we wouldn’t be in this mess)
TechCrunch is turning into no more than a gossip blog. What a shame !! It would have been better if MG Siegler would have been arrested for this. Mike, don’t you guys have anything else to do ??
I fail to see what the gossip was. We wanted a look at the first new CEO meeting, that’s news not gossip. It was definitely worth a shot.
It was “MySpace Employee Only All-Hands” meeting. And clearly you were NOT invited. I mean what was the point in gate crashing in what was meant to be an internal event for MySpace. CEOs come and go. Whats the big deal with it.
One day somebody will buy TechCrunch (I highly doubt that will happen looking at the quality of stuff you guys are putting out here) and they will fire Mike. And you would try to gate crash TechCrunch’s new CEO meeting (if you are out of jail).
Common guys you are capable of writing better stuff. Please keep doing it and forget this gossip stuff.
yeah you’re not allowed to come here anymore. banned.
Bannonymous!
It is not gossip. It is MySpace’s first meeting after exec team change and every web savvy person has rights to know what is happening/decided in the meeting.
you could have rented the vacant apartment across the street.
I seriously debated trying to get on that place’s roof for a second.
A valiant effort nonetheless, MG.
Appreciate it Eric.
losers try their best. winners go home with the prom queen.
whatever i went to prom with the prom queen one year.
Here’s a nice quote:
“The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.”
-Dale Carnegie
Wasn’t that a line from a movie with Sen Connery and Wesley Snipes?
It was Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage from “The Rock,” and the line is “Your best? Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and fuck the prom queen.”
MG, a queen in drag doesn’t count.
LMAO
I ♡ MG
Perhaps a Miracle Ear would do the trick? Then, if you get close enough to shake Owen’s hand, spread a little Mighty Putty on your palm. I hear it creates “an everlasting bond”, at which point you will no longer need the Miracle Ear. Thank God for “As Seen on TV”…
leave them alone, seriously
no.
by the way MG, get back up here to silicon valley. you wasted a whole day on this nonsense.
you’ve wasted a career on it
don’t you have someone’s boots to lick?
Send him down more. We need the tax revenue.
you need a shotgun mic
hopefully someone will post the gist of it soon
everyone there is afraid they are going to get canned
MG, perhaps those security guys were former CIA interrogators, where if you keep insisting on trying to get into the courtyard, they may in turn whisk you away to a safe-house somewhere in LA for waterboarding. If they do that and you confess, just admit that you’re a writer for TechCrunch where you’re just trying to do your job and I am sure they’ll let you in.
Next time hire Michael Weston or James Bond to do your reportage!
Jeesh! Do I have to crowdsource everything myself?
nice try but i think seigler needs some gorillilla warfare training. should have called me. might as well come over and interview locator dude while your down here. i got some meat and potatoes for tc’s kitchen.
KitchenLocator.com – lets eat
yeah i agree. I expected way more from this.
How about mr. locator gets “lost” and stops advertising in the forums?
A dirigible with a boom mic could work better than a helicopter. Or just a smiley-face balloon with a dangling mic/stealthcam and a wireless transmitter.
: – )
yeah but helicopters are cool.
I second that
The repeated attempts is priceless.
One correction. Winners go home with the prom queen and losers go home with a handful of bishop.
will spend 45-60 dasy to “Evaluate businesses”.. lots of heads going to roll in a month or two
dang its beautiful in Cali. Outdoor meetings? Would never happen up here in Portland!
Anyway, time for CrunchGear to hook MG up with some gadgets for audio recording! Don’t let those guys slack off like that!
Dorks.
I’d have coughed up some chainge and rented an apartment across the street. Then it’s gray area if you set up recording equipment on the roof. At least no one from the other end of the lens has any legal ability to do anything other than smile for the camera.
Now if only the websites security was as efficient as their guards it might not be a wasteland of hooker spam and teenagers. Also they wouldnt need to figure out how to become relevant again.
Wow.
First, FIM security is second only to the Secret Service.
Second, that new TechCrunch office looks very public, hope LA gets a chance to “drop in” sometime too.
FWIW, I quit working at myspace today after 2.5 years there. The changing of the guard made it that much easier.
chris, you are a good guy and very talented.. but do whatever that makes you happy.. .. whoever gets u on-board after this will surely be very blessed, unless u are starting ur own thing
Hey Christian, good luck with whatever you do next. and please don’t forget to forward any interesting confidential documents to me on your way out.
His computer is already gone, so his e-mail is probably already shut off.
Anyways, jumping ship because the old guard changed is not really a valid reason. If you were worried about getting fire, or about the ship sinking, then go for it.
who said that’s the reason he left?
Didn’t you, Mike, just write an article criticizing Owen Van Natta’s ethics regarding leaving Project Playlist? Clearly from the comment above, you personally could give a shit about ethics. The question is then, why should anyone take you seriously? You’ve clearly turned into a pathetic narcissistic joke.
thank you.
I have been a long time reader – but I read many blogs via RSS and rarely comment.
This stunt, however got me to come to this page. It was irresponsible and I would have thought far below the fine standards you have set.
If you had actually printed anything that you STOLE, I would have already taken you off my RSS feed. Stealing, even in the name of “journalism” is still stealing.
Sad. Very sad.
i just think its funny that you flew someone out for this.
Dear Santa Crunch,
Please get MG a Crystal Partners Big Ears Parabolic Microphone Super Kit. Oh, and cocktail of super oxygenating blood dopants, pain nexus targeting morphine dermal implants, and rapid acting anabolic steroids to fend of pesky security guards.
The end.
-Jay
For all I know – He could have got into the meeting by just showing his hotel room key card or any key card for that matter. The security doesn’t really check your pics to make sure you really are who you say you are.
Being a little tactical and somewhat smart takes you a long way rather than looking sneaky and taking a video of the wall
Thanks for keeping us up-to-date on your unsuccessful attempts at undercover/investigative reporting.
Full marks for trying
MG! Hit me up next time. I have a good friend that works at MySpace and might have been in attendance at that meeting. I could have gotten you two to correspond somehow.
kind of comical, in a non-journalistic kind of way. but i just lost a few minutes of my life that I will never get back. If you have no story, then don’t post a story.
I’m actually kind of fired up that some of you guys have some fight left.
Your arrogance & need to delete those who disagree with you speaks volumes.
We SO do. I think this is a ship we can definitely turn around.
At the meeting: the first thing i thought when those “pool” jets went off was “frak, I can’t hear” followed by “hee, hee, techcrunch spy audio just got kinked”
Ahha i definitely did not quit because of the changing of the guard. I quit because my opensource project i worked a year on, tirelessly, got canceled. Since my allegiance is with Linux and Free Software, I had no reason to continue there.
So right now im investigating doing a few new things. One of which is a replacement for memcached, which I’m writing right now from the comfort of my couch.
So if anyone wants a replacement for memcached that provides a transparent cache and would like to hire me as a consultant please let me know
Well, good luck with that. Try being a little less cocky in the future. You’ll do better.
And if your allegiance is not with businesses, you will be far better off as a consultant, make more and probably see more of your work implemented.
glad you know about that too.
Yeah, its true. It’s a bit too easy to get cocky in a sea of mediocrity.
And FWIW, my project was successful. It just turned into a power play to use against a large software corporation in negotiations instead of being actually implemented. I guess thats pretty typical of the executive team’s style as exemplified in the photobucket acquisition.
Last year, when I quit the first time, I made them commit that they were not going to do that if they wanted me to stay. Well they did.