M Linden Appears on “The 1st Question” Game Show

About a year ago, Second Life Newspaper took a look at Pooky Amsterdam’s “The 1st Question," a game show in Second Life shown on treet.tv someone called “a cross between having lunch with Albert Einstein and ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire?’ “ Since then, the show has continued to appear every Tuesday at 7 PM SL time, always drawing a packed audience, and having among it’s contestants a number of noted residents, some well known, some important, and a few whom were both.

On Tuesday April 20, the contestants included one of the more well known residents of the metaverse: M Linden, aka Linden Lab CEO Mark Kingdon.

The other contestants were Sydney Caramel (real-life journalist Boonsri Dickinson), FutureGuru Haiku, and Professor Springflower. But all eyes were on M Linden. The center of the room had been circled with “M”s as well. So the question on our minds was, would the CEO come out on top, or end up getting his tail kicked? A couple people in the audience joked that a Linden loss would result in the sim suddenly disappearing.

The sim was packed more than usual, with 66 residents in the place at one point. This caused lag and other complications. Some residents crashed and were unable to get back in, including Sydney Caramel. Co-host Hydra Shaftoe later commented he should have capped the avatar limit at fifty or fifty-five. So it was up to two other contestants to stand up to the head Linden.

But with the first few questions, it was becoming clear M Linden was holding his own, able to answer tricky puzzles. Although the others were ahead in points at the start, M soon took the lead and held onto it, eventually winning the show. It is unclear what prizes M Linden won from his victory on the game show.

The archived episodes of “The 1st Question” can be seen Here , with the April 20th show most likely appearing on their within a few days.

Bixyl Shuftan

Linden Labs Purchases “Avatars Unite” Social Network Site “For MMOs”

On January 29, M Linden announced on the Second Life blog that Linden Lab had acquired “Avatars United.” They were now the owners of the “web-based community site designed especially for avatars” through buying the company that runs it, “Enemy Unknown” of Sweden, “We’re proud to announce that they are now part of Linden Lab.”

M Linden explains that “Our goal is to extend and support the great work done by so many on their SL-related blogs and Web sites, because they are a powerful network in themselves. We want to give you more tools, feeds, and connection points to build even more richness and depth into the experience of SL.” Buying up Avatars United, M Linden says, “will soon start to give Residents new and better ways to connect with each other and with the rest of the world.”

Of those with no connection to Second Life already on Avatars United, M Linden says they will continue to be supported, “we're committed to keeping this ideal of a place where avatars from multiple worlds and games can come together.” They also promise to respect the privacy of those “who keep a strict separation between SL and the rest of the Web.”

Taking a look at the website, one can put up pictures, install applications, or give gifts to others using Avatars United own virtual currency, as well as posting updates. There do seem to be a few minor bugs, such as the "Feed Reader" application not being able to work quite right.

It is noteable that M Linden’s blog post states that among Linden Lab’s future plans is “Optional registration and sign-in using credentials from other properties (Facebook, Yahoo!, etc.)” For those who have been asking for integrating Second Life with popular social networks, a welcome move. Looking at the comments to the blog post, one called it, “the first thing since Havok4 that I’ve seen done right.”

One question is how Avatars United will compete with other social networks that already have large numbers of Second Life residents, such as Flickr, MySpace, and SLprofiles. Time will tell how Linden Labs’ move into social networking turns out.

For the complete blog post and comments, Click Here.

On a lighter note....Prad Prathivi has fun with Linden email

Prad Prathivi actually managed to get into a top Lindens gmail account? Seriously you have to read this, see it full size HERE. Well done Prad this is absolutely genius just at a time when everyone needs a little lightening up!

The $10,000USD buy off?

" Announcing the $10,000 Linden Prize
I am very excited to announce the inaugural Linden Prize.
The Linden Prize will award one Second Life Resident or team with $10,000 USD, paid in Linden dollars, for an innovative inworld project that improves the way people work, learn and communicate in their daily lives outside of the virtual world. The award is intended to align with Linden Lab’s company mission–to connect all people to an online world that advances the human condition."

With all the furor regarding the openspaces Linden Lab obviously thinks we need a pacifier and offers Residents a chance to win this prize!
Don't get me wrong its a great initiative and the award itself is a good idea but right now its another slap in the face for angry, frustrated residents living in the Lindens' virtual world.
Not only has M Linden angered many, he has also snubbed any attempts at two way communications. The Lindens asked for and received feedback in the 'hidden away from the world' forums with initially 3000+ posts and many good ideas for fixing the problem Linden lab had caused.
Linden Lab made a pretence of listening to feedback. I say a pretence because the end result of 'listening' is far worse for most residents, with only educational facilities better off, than the original change proposed.
After the second 'Letter to residents' M Linden again took it to the 'hidden from the world' forums and asked for feedback. To date there are over 2500 responses with not a single response from M Linden and I believe only about 4 other Linden replies - Is that listening? Is that communicating? Is that building trust in Linden Lab?

This prize can now only be seen as a weak attempt to divert attention from the issue that has affected most of Linden Labs' staunchest supporters!
A lot of the residents and estate owners, I personally have spoken to, have all said the same thing - Linden Lab were perfectly aware of the use the openspaces were being used for and actively encouraged those uses, leading many to accuse Linden Lab of a 'Bait and Switch' manoeuvre by taking a working product and substituting a second rate product or, of course, paying extra for the same product (with more restrictions) that you originally bought.
With this and the forum snub from M Linden many residents are abandoning their sims, both openspace and full, and flocking to other developing grids.
Dana Vanmoer

Dear M(ark)

Regarding the openspaces mess you have got yourself into.
James and I were discussing this issue and disagreeing since James looks at things purely from a business owners perspective whereas I tend to look at how your decisions have affected the people. There was no argument purely a theoretical discussion and to be honest he had certain points but none which excuse the way you have treated your customers.
So you underestimated the demand for openspaces, you underestimated the usage and you continued to sell the product even after problems started to materialise and after the realisation that something had to be done.
The problem then was how to deal with it and no matter what solution you manage to come up with the Residents would be the ones to pay for it.
The point is not that you had to fix the problem but the way you, as a company, think you can treat your loyal customers. If, after the realisation that there was a huge problem that would have to fixed, you had come to us 1, you would have had all the feedback you got after your terrible announcement and 2, you would have kept the faith and trust that you have now lost to a huge degree, instead of which you have ended up making most people think of 'bait and switch'
If you had admitted you had messed up and apologised many would not have dumped their islands and Secondlife, the way you have condescended and patronised your customers is the reason Secondlife is dying and people are looking for alternatives.
Most can swallow price rises, and to a degree expect it from any service, but because of the appalling way this has been handled you have lost something very precious - TRUST.
Losing trust may not mean a lot to a company in the short term but in the long time you have damaged your reputation which was already in decline, as far as Residents were concerned, due to lack of communication and the impression that Residents do not matter to Linden Lab.
You have said you want discussion and are working on better communication yet even on this you do not take it seriously, I have been following the FORUM discussion - 4 replies in 88 pages is not a discussion and none from you yourself. Yet you expect people to take the forum seriously as a way to communicate - is this yet another smokescreen? Just a way to allow us to let off steam? It certainly isn't for discussion because that implies two way communication.
Please stop insulting your customers we are not 'passionate' but smart enough to see through your pretty words we do not need to be talked to like children we need honesty and transparency.
Making people feel like they are second rate is not a smart move - you should take your 'cap in hand' and apologise although its probably too late for many.
You have messed up and if I were in your position I would fire my PR advisers and start working very hard on trying to earn the trust back you have lost, if that is even possible now.
Many may have been smoke screened by the apparent changes and on the whole the end package you have decided on is not much different from the original except maybe slightly fairer to educators and sailing communities (if the script allowance doesn't kill those off too) but in time most will see through the smokescreen and feel even more duped.
I urge you to act now before any more damage is done to Linden Labs reputation.
You owe your residents an apology and in your last letter that is what most people were looking for once they realised not a lot had changed.
Dana Vanmoer

Virtual breast cancer conference in Italy

At a time when the grid was awaiting developments on the 'Openspace' mess M Linden took the time out to appear at a virtual breast cancer conference held simultaneously from Modena into the Secondlife Virtual Cancer Institute.
M Linden addressed the conference. He spoke enthusiastically about the important work this group is doing and about the increasing use that is being made of Second Life by health care providers and educators.
The Policlinic of the University of Modena is hosting the real life three-day "Meet the Professor" advanced course on breast cancer which will be streamed into Second Life.
SL residents can follow the conference in real time at the Virtual Cancer Institute on the ISN Visions sim, Thursday and Friday from Midnight to 10.30 am SLT.
Gabriel Hortobagyi, Chairman of the Department of Breast Medical Oncology at the M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston, TX and Pier Franco Conte, Director of the Department of Oncology and Haematology at the University of Modena, Italy, are the joint directors of the Advanced Course on Breast Cancer being held this week in Modena. As DrHortobagyi Bravin and PierfrancoConte Blinker they came in world and answered questions put to them by avatar physicians, the press, and other interested people at an open Q&A session at the Virtual Cancer Institute.
The professors, who answered questions live from Modena, were enthusiastic about the potential of holding conferences in Second Life and for people to 'attend' from different countries without having to travel. Italian physicians are able to get Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits for attending the course in Modena. Although virtual attendance does not, yet, qualify for CME credits, they foresee that this is a real possibility in the future once the practical issues are overcome.
The conference still has two days to run. The full program can be downloaded at: http://isnvirtualworlds.com/VirtualCancerInstitute/download/program.pdf
Source:
Many Thanks to Poppy Zabelin
Read her Blog post on this HERE

M(ark) Lindens letter to residents:

In A Letter to Second Life Residents M Linden outlines the new plans for Openspaces and some at least can breath a little easier.
Places like the sailing communities that use the openspaces the way they were originally intended.
But on the whole adding the new homesteads is not much of a change you will still have to pay more for your home but this charge will be stepped - going to $95 in January and then to $125 by July and scripts and avatars will also be limited on these sims - so although you will be paying more for your current openspace you will be getting less for your money.

I zipped around the grid to get immediate reactions:
IntLibber BnT: "I am deeply offended to see M Linden speaking at a breast cancer convention on the same day he released this rapacious policy, when so many residents of SL started their businesses in SL because they or a family member was homebound due to having to cope with cancer striking their lives. Linden Lab policy has steadily been destroying the businesses that these people depend upon for their livings. This is the worst sort of predation upon the most fragile members of our society.I launched my own business in SL to help pay for my fathers cancer treatments, as I was homebound to care for him and my disabled mother. His cancer may be returning to strike his colon. If LL continues these policies, his blood is on their hands.
While the real world has elected new leadership with Hope For Change, the best we can do in SL is hope for spare change after LL robs us of everything we earn and drives our residents away from our businesses."

Other residents on the D'Alliez estate are confused and looking for answers which of course will take some explaining - renters are, of course, harder to sort out especially on an estate as large as Alliez Mysterios'
Alliez Mysterio: I still have to go over it again but it seem like LL is trying. They have given options but overall not much has changed for renters the price will still go up and they will be more limited in what they can do on the openspaces they have and if you rent them out you will be homesteaded.

I also Spoke to Charlene Trudeau of Skybeam Estates and asked for her reaction:
Charlene Trudeau: The slower increase is good for people needing to adjust to the new pricing. It will still force some large scale changes in structure on the new Homestead product, however, especially for those who rented them out to more than one tenant per region. For my own estates, I am glad that my moves to adjust to the initial changes have not be negated, they are still prudent decisions for a long term outlook. Short term, more of my OS regions might have been retained for a time by their occupants, but this gets the painful adjustments over with sooner
dana Vanmoer: so it is still going to be a painful experience, what could LL have done to negate this and is there anything you would have liked to have seen?
Charlene Trudeau: I would have liked the plan that is in place now to have been thought out thoroughly from the beginning. And the only thing I would have liked to see in addition to the current is a willingness to also waive *move* fees in situations where a region is left floating remote from areas that were part of the contiguous estate before. Other than that, the new changes solve most of my major concerns. The pain comes far more from watching residents who have built so much have to tear down because they can't afford the increases.
I was heartsick as I helped everyone tear apart their lives. I've moved on into a 'looking towards tomorrow' mindset now. In fact, I've named my two newest regions based on that theme :)

At first glance the post looks positive and in the short term it is a change for the better BUT overall nothing has changed except the timescale for most openspace owners.

The best place to find out whether you are affected and what you will have to pay is in the SUPPORT PORTAL where a detailed explanation and table are shown BUT again although it say scripts will be limited on homesteads it does not say how much.
Hopefully we can expect more technical details in the near future.
More responses can be seen in the FORUM created for this purpose.
Dana Vanmoer

Another 'M' Pep post!

4 months at the Lab
I recently celebrated my fourth month at the Lab and it has been a terrific adventure so far. As the leader of this amazing company, what have I been focused on? Leading the company’s efforts to make Second Life more relevant, more usable and more reliable.
How are we doing?

Good question M(ark) ......
First M sets out to let us all know how much better our inworld experience has been over the last month: "We wrapped up a very busy and productive Summer here in the Northern Hemisphere with great results to report." - umm maybe he should ask the Residents instead of the number crunchers? Up until the last 10 days I would have agreed with him, but I guess he is looking at averages.
"First off, each week since August 31st has brought a concurrency high. Yesterday, the peak hit 71,232 – that’s an increase of 6% in less than a month." I would love to know the ratio of actual users to BOTS!
"We simplified the registration process to make it easier for Residents to join, registrations are continuing at a healthy clip" See comment above.
"All are indications that Second Life is becoming more relevant, more usable and more reliable."
Great job 'M' except you are not listening to the actual people who use it, numbers cannot give you a complete picture as long as you allow alts/bots etc! But it certainly makes you look good to commerce looking for figures.
"First Hour Experience: Shortly after I started, we kicked off a project to reinvent what we call the “first hour experience” (our web experience, the viewer, and the way we acclimate and acculturate users inworld) for new users. We’ve made great progress and will be working with an award-winning interactive design firm to help us complete the reinvention and bring it to life. Yes, we are creating a viewer that is new user friendly! Stay tuned for updates."
Great idea - thanks to Dusan writer who came up with it a while ago, maybe you should look at some of the ideas that came up there? After all they were Resident created!
"We are now at a stage in our development where we need to add additional product strategy, product development and product management experience to help us better tailor our product offering for each of our key markets. We’ve found just the right person to lead this important transition in the company. His name is Tom Hale (he will be called T Linden) and he is a technology industry veteran, having spent the last 14 years at Macromedia and Adobe where he held a variety of product strategy, development and management roles. Tom joins Linden Lab as Senior Vice President, Chief of Product. Read more about T Linden here."
Congratulations to Mr Hale - I hope he knows what he has taken on!
"Linden Lab is buzzing with activity. We’ve just completed a major strategy project to define the areas of focus for the next 18 months and we are in the process of translating those strategies into tactical action plans." Again sounds good, but what strategies? What plans? Guess its on a 'need to know' basis and we the Residents 'don't need to know'?
"To support the strategic initiatives we’ve identified, we’ll be hiring 60-70 more people over the next several quarters. This is all part of our commitment to ensure Second Life remains the largest and most successful virtual world." More staff can only be a good thing, lets hope they can focus at some point on Resident experience!
On the positive side of things I would say it is good to see some improvements and see the areas where Linden Lab is focusing - all area's and in need of improvement.
The discussion is in full swing in the FORUM with 'M' actually clarifying some points there.
Although from reading the post I find it slightly condescending and half trying to convince us, as Residents, that things are getting better. I feel that Linden Lab as a company is pulling further and further away from the Residents, this has been happening for quite some time. It is good that they are utilising the forums a lot more but the place most of us go for information is the blog which is pretty much dead now.
As for Resident early experience the one tool that all newbies (and older Residents) need to utilise is Torleys Tutorials yet these have been shoved to the side and removed from the main blog where they should be! Bring Torley back 'M' - he is the one Linden that actually cares about Resident experience, shoving him to the side is paramount to declaring you don't care!
By Dana Vanmoer

Letter to Second Life Residents by M Linden.......

In a letter to residents posted on the Secondlife blog M(ark) Linden tells us about the advancements he has seen and we have felt.
These things are important to residents and without looking any deeper or reading meanings into the timing of the letter it certainly reads as a pacification for residents:

'Our growth has come at a cost which you felt, and still feel - platform stability, viewer performance, lag, inventory management, etc. It’s important for you to know that we are ALL OVER these problems and that we’re making progress.'

With the longest RC cycle still ongoing it seems that at least they are internally working on the stability issues before forcing an unstable client on the users:
'Our next viewer, when it comes in full release, will offer a much better inworld experience. With more than 50 crash fixes, you’ll have fewer viewer failures and we’ve fixed some irritating elements in the interface. '

Also attempts to make usability a bigger priority, at present a massive majority of new users never last past their first hour due mainly to the complexity of the secondlife platform and the huge learning curve.
One of the problems with this is of course the more residents who stay the more lag and stability issues we all face. I would think that making the platform stable should be the ONLY priority for Linden labs right now. Without stability we are losing great content creators and replacing them with newbies without a clue. This will also have a huge impact on the inworld economy in the long term.

Further in the comments M responds to a lot of questions on the land issues:
'M here. Thank you for your kind words and comments and also for sharing your concerns. One topic mentioned several times in your comments was Land. Land is an integral part of the inworld economy and one we are taking active steps now to improve. We are putting new processes in place to allow for more thoughtful product planning, management and support specifically focused on Land.'

On the whole though the stability issues are getting better for the majority (fingers crossed) and communication seems to be on the up too, so the letter is positively received. Of course you will always get the jaded everyone needs to read between the lines.

So now we know M can talk the talk only time will tell if he can also walk the walk.
Dana

Source: Secondlife.com

SL5B opens with speeches from Phillip Linden and M

Philip Linden opened the birthday celebrations with a speech that reflected on his amazement at how much secondlife has grown:

"I feel I have lived a lifetime in that 5 years, it feels almost like 50 years"

He also surprisingly addressed the problems surrounding the celebration itself:
"I know there has been tension, protest and stress around this event and I think its great, its emblematic of what secondlife is all about and why it's special. To attempt to make a celebration of what secondlife is about is bound to fail"

I wonder if those excluded think its 'great'?

He goes on to talk about the progress that has been made on the grid itself and notes that Linden Lab are 'working hard on stability' thats it is a 'big focus' for LL to work towards.

M(ark) Linden also touched on a tender subject that of IP rights:

"One of the fundamental elements is on IP rights. Its really really important that people who create great content are able to enjoy it and protect it, its one of the things philip put in place and which has underpinned the economy today."

But although he did mention the topic and admit that creative content is the backbone of the economy there were no answers as to how this was to be achieved or even if Linden Lab were doing anything about content theft.
There was a lot of corporate bolstering and obviously the speeches were tailored to boost that image but on the whole I felt the speeches were aimed at the residents without actually solving any of the present resident concerns, both speeches taken together did acknowledge those issues exist and let everyone know that Lindenn Lab have been listening and they are aware of the problems facing ordinary residents.
I can't say there was any reassurance that these issues would be fixed, just that the Lab is aware. To me that was a reassurance in itself an acknowledgement of the work they still need to do.
The speeches felt to me like a placification for those that have issues and concentrated on the creative content to be seen over the 20 sim exhibition.
There is some incredible content to be seen over there and I urge everyone to take the time to 'wade through the honey', as the lag has been labled, and have a look at what is now possible in Secondlife.
I hope there are some hair displays around too as M pointed out to Philip 'its been 4 years since his avatar was updated and although his hair is the best in SL it is also the oldest' showing perhaps the human side of the Lab. I wonder if some of the hair creators out there could send him some prim hair based on the newbie style he is wont to use.
M Linden himself has obviously been shopping and looks a good deal better than his newbie CEO pictures :)
Happy Birthday Secondlife

If you want to watch the entire speech see the blog HERE