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Conference 7.286::digital

Title:The Digital way of working
Moderator:QUARK::LIONELON
Created:Fri Feb 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5321
Total number of notes:139771

378.0. "How should one deal with rumors about DEC?" by CIMNET::JOHNSON (Matt Johnson) Thu Sep 03 1987 16:31

    Last night I was eating in a restaurant in Lawrence.  At the
    table next to me was a realtor and another woman.  The realtor
    was trying to convince the woman to buy property in the area.
    At one point she said that Digital was going to move in with
    a "Executive Facility" that was bound to make the property
    values soar.  
    
    I can't remember Digital ever announcing a move into Lawrence.
    In fact, the only facility in the area (South Lawrence) is being
    (has been?) phased out.  Though I didn't have solid information
    at hand, I wonder if what I heard was 1. misrepresentation to
    a client or 2. improper use of insider information.
    
    I have two questions:  1. Has Digital announced an intention to move
    into the area?  If so, it'll set my mind at rest.  2. Assuming
    Digital hasn't made such an announcement, what should I do in 
    such a situation?  Remember, this is a restaurant, and though
    it was hard not to hear what she was saying, the woman would feel
    I had been eavesdropping if I made any response.
    
    MATT
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
378.1Speak at 0 dBA unless you're an official spokespersonINK::KALLISPlease speak slowly and clearly.Thu Sep 03 1987 17:5020
    An interesting two-degree problem.  
    
    Maybe resolvable this way:  suppose it was something you heard that
    _wasn't_ about Digital.  Let's suppose you overhearrd something
    that you were fairly certain just wasn't so, such as, "Ritz crackers
    are really made by General Motors, and they're about to announce
    a hexagonal version, so this is a good time to buy General Motors
    stock." [Obligatory disclaimer: the foregoing is purely made up.]
    Now would you, as another person sitting in a restaurant, try to
    dissuade a customer of the stockbroker because of a conversation
    you overheard?  Even if I were 99.999% convinced the statement was
    false, I'd feel funny about butting into a private conversation
    under those circumstances.
    
    Now, the other side:  Suppose you _knew_ that this little-known
    [or speculated upon] fact was true, and you were a GM employee;
    might not verifying such a claim come under the classification od
    insider information?
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.
378.2There goes the neighbourhoodMAY20::MINOWJe suis Marxist, tendance GrouchoThu Sep 03 1987 18:398
There's a lot of information in the real-estate trade press (and in
the Globe real-estate section) about Digital's purchases.  Purchases
are publicly-available information, and large leases are generally
accompanied by press releases from the happy landlord (not to mention
the happy broker).

Martin.
378.3I'm not one of the Landers sisters, but...TLE::SAVAGENeil, @Spit BrookThu Sep 03 1987 19:546
    Whether you reply or not has little to do with the subject of Digital.
    If you are in a position such that the speaker would not expect you to
    have overheard the remark (such as speaking quietly, not facing in your
    direction, at some distance away, and so forth), it would be best that
    you do not respond.  The only exception would be in matters of safety
    of person or property.
378.4no time to play Boesky, but trust an RE agent?DELNI::GOLDSTEINAll Hail Marx and Lennon (Bros. & Sisters)Tue Sep 08 1987 15:3417
    So long as you don't make it to those people that you heard them,
    keeping your ears open isn't always a bad idea.  But the salt shaker
    comes in handy.
    
    "Lawrence Area" includes Andover, the town from which Lawrence was
    cut some years back.  We have publicly stated intentions to build
    more there, and are well along in building the Dascomb Rd. facility
    in South Andover. 
    
    The VWO (South Lawrence) facility is leased space, and may even
    be included in the (may not go ahead) Emerson College move.  It's
    still open.

    BTW, if you "overhear" inside information and trade stock on it,
    it's not insider trading under the law.  Some Wall St. types frequent
    certain restaurants for that reason...
         fred