Is HP's Dunn done?

The flap over Hewlett-Packard chairwoman Patricia Dunn's ordering of an investigation into media leaks from the boardroom has sparked a blogstorm of criticism and speculation.

Dunn launched the investigation of fellow board members following leaks to the media, in particular a News.com article on an HP retreat to discuss the company's long-term strategies. The investigation, which was handled outside of HP, made use of a controversial data-gathering method, known as "pretexting," according a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Bloggers, for the most part, seem pretty shocked by how the investigation was handled. Some say Dunn is finished. Others offer kudos to HP director Tom Perkins, who resigned in protest of the board investigation. Others still are wondering where have all the "good" computer companies gone?

Blog community response:

"Are there any good companies left to buy computers from?...Really, it's becoming a daunting task as a consumer wanting to buy reasonably priced computer products and services from companies that aren't involved in questionable activities."
--Make You Go Hmm

"Why not just confront the directors in a closed door board meeting and ask who did it, and remind everyone that the business of the board is private and confidential?...This is a sad story from a proud and honorable company. Hewlett-Packard was a pioneering company with solid values and a great image. Hopefully everyone learned a valuable lesson from this mistake and corporate governance will be better for it."
--Don Dodge on The Next Big Thing

"Hewlett-Packard's chairwoman Patricia Dunn apparently thinks she is Patrick Fitzgerald...Perkins was correct to be outraged, and its heartening to see a corporate insider like him stand up for his principles and ethics instead of for his cronies. As for HP shareholders, they should now be asking themselves what was really gained by the investigation, and whether it was worth all the bad press that its unveiling is now generating."
--B2Blog

"But now that the story is out, it's pretty clear that Keyworth and Perkins aren't the only ones out at HP. Dunn's days are clearly numbered."
--SiliconValleyWatcher

"It's time HP shareholders did what HP's board lacked the balls to do: Call for Ms. Dunn's resignation...The only remaining question(s): What did ex-HP CEO Carly Fiorina know, and when did she know it? It seems clear she was increasingly irritated at her board, and created a culture where investigating one's own board wasn't beyond the pale."
--Paul Kedrosky's Infectious Greed

"The methods to find this person are over the line, though. If I found out my employer were using that kind of method I'd be looking over my shoulder and finding another job. I dont want to work for the KGB. Even worse? The methods used to get the phone records involved lying to the phone company (which is against the law)...How far HP has fallen since the days of Hewlett and Packard. It's sad."
--Scobleizer