Today, he's still not sure what compelled him to tell the world about the conference room named Lucy or his last free triple nonfat latte from Yahoo's Beantrees cafeteria. "It was a very lonely day," Kuder said. "Everyone was afraid to talk to each other and twittering gave me an opportunity to feel like I was talking about it with people."

Millis, who was working at Yahoo this fall under a six-month contract, wasn't laid off herself. But she got caught up in the anxiety of her co-workers after the company announced layoffs an hour before it threw a big Oktoberfest party, complete with beer, bratwurst and German chocolate cake. The celebration struck some people as insensitive, Millis said. Tension continued to build during the reorganization that preceded the December layoffs.

A professional singer-songwriter, Millis, who performs under the name Michelle Chappel, was practicing with her band in November when one of the band members asked her why she was so stressed out. "I just started making up the song on the spot," Millis said. "The bass player joined in and gave it so much energy that it just sort of got a life of its own, and practically wrote itself." The song made fun of the Internet giant's "stupid cubes" and its famously fattening cafeteria.

The song made Millis feel better and she decided to share it with Yahoo employees as they were packing up their desks and heading out the door.

Kuder also decided to reach out. He asked his new employer, a software company named Koombea, to build a site where ex-Yahoos could find one another, and more important help one another find work. He called it the "Purple People Collective." Newly launched, it already has posts for 65 job openings.

Kaplan, who went on to found AdBrite, a successful Internet advertising network, said he's had multiple requests to bring back his site but has no plans to do so. AdBrite recently had to lay off employees and Kaplan said snarky posts about collapsing companies just don't seem funny to him.

He does, however, have a project in the works to help the victims of layoffs, and he will defend people's right to vent, even if it is about him.

"I'm the ultimate example of don't dish it out if you can't take it," he said.

Yahoo declined to comment on the Millis video.

On YouTube, layoff posts get mixed receptions. When someone is perceived as seeking attention, they get flamed. In other cases, strangers offer up heartfelt encouragement.

"Hello. feel very sorry for what you are going through," went one typical response. "I have been in similar situation in the past. Good luck."

Contact Elise Ackerman at eackerman@mercurynews.com or (408) 271-3774.

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