MySpace's kiss-off letter to employees

Laying off 500 people can't be a pleasant experience, but CEO Mike Jones is getting trashed by some of his now-former employees for the way he handled the dismissals. Of particular irritation is a letter sent out to those who lost their jobs: "I want to personally thank you for your dedication and commitment to MySpace," the letter begins. Just one problem - "It's just a xerox copy," a former employee tells TechCrunch. But here's the part that apparently has folks steaming the most:

Although we can't continue on this journey together--I hope you will all stay connected with MySpace and know that your contribution to the business was a unique moment in time and that you participated in something that few have been part of in our industry.

Sort of like a girlfriend breaking up with you and saying that she wants to remain friends. Ugh. From NY magazine:

There were accounts of lazy managers who managed to keep their jobs by sacrificing their underlings.There were stories about CEO Mike Jones driving hundreds of people to work "20 hour days, even 48 hour sleepless stints, for a company that everyone else in the world said was dead," fueled by coffee and inspirational words like, "Do you believe in this company or not?" (We're guessing the latter.) The reason for all those sleepless nights was MySpace's relaunch as a "social entertainment portal" (presumably a different one than YouTube, Hulu, etc.). Both the new look and the massive layoffs were designed to make News Corp.'s struggling property look better to prospective investors as Rupert Murdoch tries to sell.

Now the rumor, according to Cnet, is that if a buyer isn't found by summer, Bev Hills-based MySpace will be shut down.