"My Hands Are Shaking While Writing" About IBM's Mass Layoffs at Red Hat

A long, emotional account from a former Red Hat employee describes leaving the company after IBM-driven mass layoffs as the loss of a home and family, not a voluntary departure. The piece cites a net loss of about 2,000 Red Hat staff last month and documents attempts to get mainstream outlets to cover those cuts, only to be rebuffed. It accuses corporate media of willful silence tied to IBM payments - naming The Register as having accepted money while denying influence - and reports that multiple European publishers refused to investigate. The tone frames the closures as “bluewashing,” a corporate strategy that masks downsizing with PR, and warns that Red Hat is “shrinking out of existence.”

Beyond the personal testimony, the argument targets systemic failure of journalism and unchecked tech power: media survive on money, eyeballs, and trust, yet have been uncritical of big tech’s influence on regulation and public discourse. Specific complaints include an alleged IBM bailout disguised as a spinoff (Anderon), parallel reports of mass layoffs across GAFAM and AI units, and broader institutional opacity at places like the EPO. The piece insists the silence is intentional, equates modern media behavior with authoritarian standards, and urges scrutiny of corporate influence over reporting and employment practices in the tech sector.