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There is a huge difference between a leadership-endorsed strategy memo like the Nokia/Elop "Burning Platform" memo (1), and a memo by a random engineer like Steve Yegge's Platform rant (2).

Random engineer memos can certainly still be influential, but they do not dictate company direction.

(1) https://www.engadget.com/2011-02-08-nokia-ceo-stephen-elop-r...

(2) https://gist.github.com/chitchcock/1281611

To me, "memo" implies it being for the business. If this was written by leadership or intended to be some sort of instruction to others, then I think it would be more reasonable to call it that.

But it wasn't. It was an opinion written down by an individual, for no other reason than to share their personal opinion. It was closer to an HN comment, not a document necessary as part of business operations.

Anywhere I've worked, junior engineers have put together ridiculous memorandums, especially when they're on the way out. That does not mean that the opinions of the author align with the company's.