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A tipster writes to tell us that a number of fellow Sun employees have either coincidently decided to quit the Sun Microsystems en masse, or are being given the pink slip in a round of layoffs that's rumored to include anywhere from 30 to 65 percent of the marketing department. Has Sun's ponytailed CEO, Jonathan Schwartz, decided that his blog is all the marketing Sun needs? He must be hoping that once Wall Street catches wind of the cost-cutting, it'll boost the company's stock, which has lost over half its value in the last year. After the jump, a gracious parting letter from an employee who had been with the company for over a decade. Our suggestion is that if the layoffs bump up the company's share price, the departed might want to sell before it sinks any lower.

After [more than ten] years in Sun's Marketing organization, I am bidding you all a fond farewell today. It's been a great ride. Although I haven't always agreed with every decision made, I have always been impressed with the quality of people in marketing. Funny, smart, passionate, and adaptable. I can't begin to express my thanks for providing such a phenomenal work environment. I've learned a tremendous amount and enjoyed it along the way.

No question, this is a tough time as I've spent most of my adult life working for Sun, but I'm very optimistic and excited about what's next on the horizon for me.

I truly hope that Sun will be successful in the future (and not just because I still own a boat-load of stock), but because I am leaving lots of great friends here.

Best wishes to everyone staying and those who are leaving today,