[appleflaxen]

> If you can't value the state-of-the-art research being done in your labs, then you don't really value a thing.

that's a bit simplistic. vowpal wabbit is cool, but if the corporation can't figure out a path from the research to revenue, then it's smart to spin it off or shut it down.

maybe the more amazing thing is that they couldn't find a competitive advantage in the vowpal wabbit project.

[crackpotbaker]

yeah, it is a bit too black-and-white

Microsoft is doing great stuff with it in finance, ads, and MR is doing amazing stuff.

[rezashirazian]

Lets not forget that they too shutdown part of their R&D department (Microsoft Research Silicon Valley) back in 2014.