Archive for June, 2009

Today was the opening of SL6B (Second Life 6th Birthday) celebration with a speech of Philip Linden, the founder and creator of what Second Life is (well, actually himself and his team). The picture above was taken during that speech. Just after the speech i started to think about how residents see Linden Lab and its events, specially when a friend said to me:

Wishing i was that enthusiastic about a Linden event.

In the last couple of years Linden Lab had a “tense” relationship with the residents, specially about one issue: the maturity of content and the grid, there was also quite a bit tension about the land prices but that was occasional. Nipples, child avatars, etc… all those were quite a conflict in some Linden events, at least in Burning Life and SL5B. At the same time, in this period, it seems Lindens are away from the residents and possibly this can be one of the reasons of this conflicts. Of course there are other reasons, like the pressure of some media and politics and the image of Linden Lab as business, possibly they don’t want to look like a sexual service, or a place where perverts have their games. Of course i understand their position is not easy, between the residents and the media + politics, but in the past i think they didn’t do thinks as good as they would.

After some time i presume i feel “in peace” lately with Linden Lab although all those mistakes, or at least after all those actions i think were not right. And i feel this peace because i think they are doing it better, or a few better. I think is a good idea to promote SL as an education tool, i think is a good idea to give the Linden Prize to organizations like Virtual Ability (with a program of help to real handicapped people in SL), i even think is not a bad idea to concentrate all the “sex industry” of Second Life in an special continent. At the same time, with this last action about “Adult” content the limits are clear and are not particularly “narrow” for what i saw and read. One can agree or not, but at least the statements are quite clear, or at least clearer. After this times feeling a bit upset with Linden Lab as resident and as customer it feels weird to talk good about them.

Of course this would never be “the last word”, Linden Lab can do it better… or worse. Anyway, while i was at Philip’s speech, i was wondering where M was. Well, i don’t like M much, you know it, actually i think things were quite worse after he started being CEO. I don’t know if the last actions i talked about are part of his strategy, but someway i see him as an administrator more than as a “president”. M doesn’t has the charisma Philip has, M is more “grey”, more like an office man in a dark suit and white shirt. So i wonder if M was not there because this lack of charisma, because he was on holidays or because things will change again at Linden Lab soon. Well, i presume we will know sooner or later.