Stagnant bonus payouts and the 'performance' excuse

The irony of the .com monopoly funding stock buybacks while employees deal with stagnant pay isn't lost on any of us. It’s a classic move: prioritize the shareholders at the absolute expense of the people who actually maintain the infrastructure. When the company is generating that kind of reliable, consistent revenue, the 'struggling startup' narrative is just insulting. It’s hard to stay loyal when your compensation doesn't even track with basic inflation, let alone the actual value you're bringing to the table.

Same boat here. It’s frustrating because leadership knows exactly how locked-in they are with the registry business, yet they treat every budget cycle like we're barely keeping the lights on. They’re banking on the fact that we’ll stay out of habit or fear, but morale is taking a massive hit. If they have enough cash to prioritize buybacks over retention, they’re telling us exactly where we stand on their list of priorities. Don’t hold your breath for a change in attitude; it’s all about the optics for the street.