As Rick notes below, the P-I brass have made yet another statement of complete ambiguity. They may or may not close the paper, or sell it, or go online, in the next 24 hours or sometime in the future. This is seriously some of the oddest corporate behavior ever. What could possibly be the point of torturing and confusing their employees in this manner? When an automaker is going to close a plant, they announce when it’s going to close, and then they close it. When a company makes a decision about Internet strategy, they make that decision behind closed doors and then reveal it. They don’t announce that they’re busy trying to make up their minds and still haven’t figured it out. It’s just totally weird behavior that is either a sign of incompetence or some sort of negotiating stratagem that’s really hard to fathom.The theatrical announcement sixty days ago that the paper would close if no buyer emerged could be seen as an attempt to shake out any potentially civic-minded deep-pockets. But what is to be gained from the current flailing and feinting–giving certain employees online-job offers, and then saying that really, you’re not sure you’re going to do anything online after all? Is there a potential buyer in the wings for whom this whole performance is being staged? And if so, to what end?