Thank You Linden Lab!
No, I'm not stoned, drunk, or in any other way effected physically or mentally. Today, over at the other place I visit, while I was taking my monthly drive to Omaha to see my Physician and take a peek at my brain, Linden Lab finally did something that makes me happy.
Today, Hamilton Linden announced the Inventory Loss Reduction Initiative and what Linden Lab is doing, is planning to do, and will be doing, to alleviate the Inventory Loss problem that has plagued the Second Life World for well over SIX (6) Months now.
The only "gripe" I have is that it took our friends SIX (6) Months to post clear and concise information concerning this issue. If only they would have started this style of communication 6 months ago, I wouldn't have had to go postal (blogging wise) on our friends.
With that said though, I must tell you, I am VERY HAPPY that this new initiative has been announced and done in such a professional manner that it really appears that perhaps Linden Lab has finally heard the Second Life Community and is trying hard to make changes to the way they (Linden Lab) deals with us.
Thank You Uncle Philip, Aunty Robin, and Hamilton Linden for this welcomed announcement, I'm happy that I'm not having to scream, holler, cajole, or insult you into some action, you've once again given me reason to say; THANK YOU.
Keep up the good work friends!
Friday, October 12, 2007
The Community's interest at heart?
A pretty nice article was posted on CNET this morning, giving a much better description of the "announcement" that was made by Linden Lab this past week concerning a new partnership with IBM and how both are working to make it possible for your SINGLE AVATAR to pass seamlessly between Second Life and other virtual worlds. Again, let me point out, this announcement had absolutely NOTHING to do with IBM agreeing to help "stabilize the grid" of Second Life, no matter just how badly worded Everett Linden posted.
In the article it talks about the major companies that are coming together to make this seamless operation happen. Then a foreboding note is struck, when the writer brings up that Raph Koster, of OSI/UO Fame and SWG Fame, comments in his blog:
"I was a bit bothered by (the assumption) that seemed to exist in the room," Raph Koster, the founder of virtual world platform developer Areae, said in a posting on his blog after the Tuesday meeting, "that moving avatars or objects across virtual worlds is actually much of a market need." Indeed, Koster added in his blog post that it struck him as odd that at the meeting, "entertainment, which accounts for 98 percent of all virtual world users and revenue, was not really represented well in the room."
The Community's interest at heart? I don't think so, more like, "how can we make MORE money off this!"
In the article it talks about the major companies that are coming together to make this seamless operation happen. Then a foreboding note is struck, when the writer brings up that Raph Koster, of OSI/UO Fame and SWG Fame, comments in his blog:
"I was a bit bothered by (the assumption) that seemed to exist in the room," Raph Koster, the founder of virtual world platform developer Areae, said in a posting on his blog after the Tuesday meeting, "that moving avatars or objects across virtual worlds is actually much of a market need." Indeed, Koster added in his blog post that it struck him as odd that at the meeting, "entertainment, which accounts for 98 percent of all virtual world users and revenue, was not really represented well in the room."
It really is interesting to see someone of Raph's stature tell it like it is, and trust me, Designer Dragon has never had a problem with telling it like it is. Raph Koster is probably one of the most devoted game developers I've had the pleasure of knowing. He has definite ideas on what he wants in the worlds he creates, how he wants them, and above all else, he places them there because he wants it to be FUN for the Players/Residents, not just to be the next "Cool Thing" in the gaming world.
It is also very telling that Raph Koster saw right through this so called "conference" and quickly pointed out that the Residents weren't included. It's very hard for me to imagine that someone who doesn't spend time in the virtual world could express how I or YOU feel about what we want. As Raph Koster states, 98% of those in these virtual worlds were NOT REPRESENTED, so just how does Uncle Philip and Aunty Robin think that they are best serving the Residents of Second Life by participating?The Community's interest at heart? I don't think so, more like, "how can we make MORE money off this!"
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Sorry, the Old Guard has just changed uniforms
Today, once again, over at that other place I visit, the "overseer" of all that is considered "worthy speech" on the Linden Lab comments, decided my OPINION and FREE SPEECH wasn't as valued as they first thought.
As I was reporting on Char Linden's recent conversion to Commadant of Propaganda for Linden Lab Support, I said the following:
"things sure have changed from the Good Old Days Char, I thought you had more class then that"
I guess that is just something Linden Lab can't handle, that one of their customers would call into the light that one of their valued employee's had stopped pushing so hard for the Community, and has now gone over to the Dark Side.
Guess I was wrong, the Old Guard isn't dead, they're just wearing Nazi Censoring Uniforms.
As I was reporting on Char Linden's recent conversion to Commadant of Propaganda for Linden Lab Support, I said the following:
"things sure have changed from the Good Old Days Char, I thought you had more class then that"
I guess that is just something Linden Lab can't handle, that one of their customers would call into the light that one of their valued employee's had stopped pushing so hard for the Community, and has now gone over to the Dark Side.
Guess I was wrong, the Old Guard isn't dead, they're just wearing Nazi Censoring Uniforms.
Someone forgot to turn out the lights...the old guard is dead
Well, here's something I NEVER in my wildest dreams would have thought would happen, but it's finally here, the END of the Old Guard at Linden Lab.
Apparently, the last remaining holdout, Char Linden, has finally been converted over. Now she's the "Propaganda Minister" to Linden Lab Support.
It's a sad day really, Char was my very first "Mentor Boss" and I really enjoyed working under her (shut up you filthy minds). When she left for the "Teen Grid", I was actually jealous that Linden Lab was transferring their best asset to the Teen Grid, instead of the high revenue generating Adult Grid. I understand the need for those kind of things, but to lose Char Linden like we did, just didn't feel good to me.
Then today, the worst happen, Char posts a "Welcome New Employee's" Blog Posting and then, in the 3rd Comment, actually says that, well, let's get it right shall we:
"They work together answering requests and tickets coming in through our groovy Support Portal which a link can be found in world at Help/Additional Help or at our website Support section."
That Groovy Support Portal? You mean the one where people spit back Knowledge Base Articles and close your Trouble Ticket as SOLVED when they do? This is what Char's definition of "GROOVY SUPPORT" has become?
You know, there was a time in Second Life, when you could IM ANY Linden online and ask for help, and the funny thing was, they'd do it. Try that these days and see what happens. Everyone runs around with their BUSY mode enabled, not caring about the average Resident in-world, if you need ANY kind of help today, you have to go through the, "Groovy Support Portal", which is really a waste of time. Quite frankly you could read a book and learn something you didn't know, which is a lot more then what you are going to get from the "Groovy Support Portal".
Anyway, I really did have hope that Char wouldn't sell out like this, that she was above the fray, and would stick to the Old Guard ways, but alas, it looks like I'm wrong, the last of the Old Guard is dead, and I fear with it, so shall Second Life be in the soon coming months.
Turn out the lights when you leave tonight, there's no one left on OUR Side!
Apparently, the last remaining holdout, Char Linden, has finally been converted over. Now she's the "Propaganda Minister" to Linden Lab Support.
It's a sad day really, Char was my very first "Mentor Boss" and I really enjoyed working under her (shut up you filthy minds). When she left for the "Teen Grid", I was actually jealous that Linden Lab was transferring their best asset to the Teen Grid, instead of the high revenue generating Adult Grid. I understand the need for those kind of things, but to lose Char Linden like we did, just didn't feel good to me.
Then today, the worst happen, Char posts a "Welcome New Employee's" Blog Posting and then, in the 3rd Comment, actually says that, well, let's get it right shall we:
"They work together answering requests and tickets coming in through our groovy Support Portal which a link can be found in world at Help/Additional Help or at our website Support section."
That Groovy Support Portal? You mean the one where people spit back Knowledge Base Articles and close your Trouble Ticket as SOLVED when they do? This is what Char's definition of "GROOVY SUPPORT" has become?
You know, there was a time in Second Life, when you could IM ANY Linden online and ask for help, and the funny thing was, they'd do it. Try that these days and see what happens. Everyone runs around with their BUSY mode enabled, not caring about the average Resident in-world, if you need ANY kind of help today, you have to go through the, "Groovy Support Portal", which is really a waste of time. Quite frankly you could read a book and learn something you didn't know, which is a lot more then what you are going to get from the "Groovy Support Portal".
Anyway, I really did have hope that Char wouldn't sell out like this, that she was above the fray, and would stick to the Old Guard ways, but alas, it looks like I'm wrong, the last of the Old Guard is dead, and I fear with it, so shall Second Life be in the soon coming months.
Turn out the lights when you leave tonight, there's no one left on OUR Side!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Bait and Switch...a new trick from San Fran
Our friends in San Fran are at it again, but this time are using a NEW tactic, bait and switch!
They are telling us of this great collaboration that they are involved in with IBM and how this will help stabilize the GRID. At first read, this sounds like exciting and welcomed news, but as usual, if you dig just beneath the surface, you find something completely different.
While I was unable to get to the "Official" IBM Press Release, I was able to find this little ditty from CNN Money, talking about stabilization:
"Platform stability: Making interfaces easier to use in order to accelerate user adoption, deliver faster response times for real-world interactions and provide for high-volume business use."
I knew it was when they started messing with the OLD UI that Second Life started turning to crud, but wow, to think that the UI is what's causing the Grid to be de-stabilized! Who would've thunk it!
Better yet, who really believes it?
They are telling us of this great collaboration that they are involved in with IBM and how this will help stabilize the GRID. At first read, this sounds like exciting and welcomed news, but as usual, if you dig just beneath the surface, you find something completely different.
While I was unable to get to the "Official" IBM Press Release, I was able to find this little ditty from CNN Money, talking about stabilization:
"Platform stability: Making interfaces easier to use in order to accelerate user adoption, deliver faster response times for real-world interactions and provide for high-volume business use."
I knew it was when they started messing with the OLD UI that Second Life started turning to crud, but wow, to think that the UI is what's causing the Grid to be de-stabilized! Who would've thunk it!
Better yet, who really believes it?
Hypocrisy is once more at work...no surprise though
Our friends in San Fran, specifically Matthew Linden, apparently hasn't heard that Hypocrisy isn't what we want at Linden Lab.
Today, Matthew Linden, our wonderful friend, posted a Blog Posting and of course, as usual anymore, left the COMMENTS CLOSED to stifle any criticism that the Community might choose to vent upon Linden Lab.
When will our friends actually understand that they can't say they value "Free Speech" and our opinions and then not give a forum for those to be brought up?
Until this veil of Hypocrisy is lifted at Linden Lab I will continue to make sure everyone knows that these people aren't out for the BETTERMENT of Second Life or it's Community, but for their own self-serving greedy needs.
So, Uncle Philip, what about it? Or is it just too hard to hear all those criticizing your precious "Social Experiment"?
Today, Matthew Linden, our wonderful friend, posted a Blog Posting and of course, as usual anymore, left the COMMENTS CLOSED to stifle any criticism that the Community might choose to vent upon Linden Lab.
When will our friends actually understand that they can't say they value "Free Speech" and our opinions and then not give a forum for those to be brought up?
Until this veil of Hypocrisy is lifted at Linden Lab I will continue to make sure everyone knows that these people aren't out for the BETTERMENT of Second Life or it's Community, but for their own self-serving greedy needs.
So, Uncle Philip, what about it? Or is it just too hard to hear all those criticizing your precious "Social Experiment"?
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
We are listening...but we only hear what we want
If you haven't yet jumped over to that other place I like to visit, you should, and try and read through the comments concerning Ginsu Linden's Blog Post half-heartedly apologizing for making fun of the Yankee Group (at least they tried to apologize).
Notice about comment number 140 or so, Robin Harper comes on to say, "I am ultimately responsible for the communication that goes on here, and I'm sorry we have failed on multiple points". The PROBLEM is Robin that the issue isn't that you don't listen, it's that you only HEAR what you choose to hear. The main breadth of comments in this Blog Posting covered one single issue, providing a MORE STABLE WORLD. Yet, you choose to selectively hear what people are saying.
When will Uncle Philip finally come out of his hole and say, "I'm ultimately responsible for Second Life, and I've let it fail on multiple points, and starting today we aren't adding ONE MORE THING until the world is as stable as it was TWO YEARS AGO!"
When that happens Uncle Philip, I'll get off your back, and back on your bandwagon, but until then, you guys are just playing the "poor innocent victim gaming company who's just trying to make a wonderful world and golly gee it's just not fair people are making fun of us!"
You belittle Yankee Group for criticizing you, you then say you want to know what people in Second Life want, then you completely ignore the main amount of posters who asked for a Stable Grid, but still asked Robin to be the sacrificial lamb concerning Communications. The only problem Linden Lab has in Communications as far as I'm concerned is their boss is either drunk off his ass and doesn't know what's going on OR has just completely decided he doesn't give a shit anymore and therefore the world be damned. Now until you prove me wrong on that Uncle Philip, then all I say is, "Second Life is dying, and you are killing it."
Notice about comment number 140 or so, Robin Harper comes on to say, "I am ultimately responsible for the communication that goes on here, and I'm sorry we have failed on multiple points". The PROBLEM is Robin that the issue isn't that you don't listen, it's that you only HEAR what you choose to hear. The main breadth of comments in this Blog Posting covered one single issue, providing a MORE STABLE WORLD. Yet, you choose to selectively hear what people are saying.
When will Uncle Philip finally come out of his hole and say, "I'm ultimately responsible for Second Life, and I've let it fail on multiple points, and starting today we aren't adding ONE MORE THING until the world is as stable as it was TWO YEARS AGO!"
When that happens Uncle Philip, I'll get off your back, and back on your bandwagon, but until then, you guys are just playing the "poor innocent victim gaming company who's just trying to make a wonderful world and golly gee it's just not fair people are making fun of us!"
You belittle Yankee Group for criticizing you, you then say you want to know what people in Second Life want, then you completely ignore the main amount of posters who asked for a Stable Grid, but still asked Robin to be the sacrificial lamb concerning Communications. The only problem Linden Lab has in Communications as far as I'm concerned is their boss is either drunk off his ass and doesn't know what's going on OR has just completely decided he doesn't give a shit anymore and therefore the world be damned. Now until you prove me wrong on that Uncle Philip, then all I say is, "Second Life is dying, and you are killing it."
Monday, October 8, 2007
Hypocrisy...such an ugly word...especially when it fits
**Updated at 11:31PM CST GMT-6 Oct. 8, 2007**
Our friends in San Fran have decided to apologize for their Hypocrisy. For this they get a Gold Star! Now, if they open up the Blog Comments on everything but fluff pieces, they will get a RED STAR!
**Updated at 11:31PM CST GMT-6 Oct. 8, 2007**
Our friends at San Fran can add a new title to their acclamation; that of Hypocrite!
A few days back, our friends posted this little ditty and of course, made quite fun of those that were being "critical" of our loved friends.
I find it amazing that our friends would stick their necks out this far, especially when they, who are the great believers of "Free Speech" and "Expressing Opinions" have once again closed their comments on ANY Blog Postings that have to do with any problems concerning Second Life.
Perhaps Uncle Philip would like to take the time and explain how he can commission someone to write such a hypocritical fluff piece like this, when Linden Lab themselves can't be bothered to follow their own Philosphies, or are those just little lies you put out there to fool us Uncle Philip?
Before you criticize someone else's critique of your company, perhaps you should clean up your own back yard, then perhaps it will mean something. Right now it just proves how little Linden Lab has become, needing to attack and belittle another company that reports something negative about it.
Our friends in San Fran have decided to apologize for their Hypocrisy. For this they get a Gold Star! Now, if they open up the Blog Comments on everything but fluff pieces, they will get a RED STAR!
**Updated at 11:31PM CST GMT-6 Oct. 8, 2007**
Our friends at San Fran can add a new title to their acclamation; that of Hypocrite!
A few days back, our friends posted this little ditty and of course, made quite fun of those that were being "critical" of our loved friends.
I find it amazing that our friends would stick their necks out this far, especially when they, who are the great believers of "Free Speech" and "Expressing Opinions" have once again closed their comments on ANY Blog Postings that have to do with any problems concerning Second Life.
Perhaps Uncle Philip would like to take the time and explain how he can commission someone to write such a hypocritical fluff piece like this, when Linden Lab themselves can't be bothered to follow their own Philosphies, or are those just little lies you put out there to fool us Uncle Philip?
Before you criticize someone else's critique of your company, perhaps you should clean up your own back yard, then perhaps it will mean something. Right now it just proves how little Linden Lab has become, needing to attack and belittle another company that reports something negative about it.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
A bug it isn't, or is it, do they know?
Last Tuesday, our friends in San Fran wrote a BLOG ENTRY to explain that Stipend and Group Payments weren't actually broken, it was really because the User-Base has grown so overwhelmingly large that it just takes more time then previous weeks; apparently in one week 7 million more Residents must have signed up!
This week, on Tuesday again, our friends in San Fran wrote ANOTHER BLOG ENTRY saying that Group Dividends were apparently broken, and things were being looked into. The question that I have now is, who's correct? Were our friends correct a week ago or are they correct this week? Was it a PROBLEM last week and not just SLOW, or is it just SLOW this week and not really a PROBLEM? As you can see, this is one of those "chicken and the egg" arguments because both cannot be correct. I suspect our friends are being more honest this week, then last week, and finally admitted that there is a problem.
I find it amazing really, that our friends are choosing to LIE to the Community rather then admit there is a problem. I mean, we are all too aware there are MANY MANY MANY problems in Second Life(I wanted to provide a link to show how many KNOWN BUGS there are, but that information is apparently no longer available, or so well hidden in our wonderful new JIRA program that it would take days, if not weeks, to find.), adding another isn't really going to cause the Community to pack it up and go away; although I see our European Community friends are just about ready to do that, HEY! Why not have a LONDON TEA PARTY and show Linden Lab just how outraged you are!
This week, on Tuesday again, our friends in San Fran wrote ANOTHER BLOG ENTRY saying that Group Dividends were apparently broken, and things were being looked into. The question that I have now is, who's correct? Were our friends correct a week ago or are they correct this week? Was it a PROBLEM last week and not just SLOW, or is it just SLOW this week and not really a PROBLEM? As you can see, this is one of those "chicken and the egg" arguments because both cannot be correct. I suspect our friends are being more honest this week, then last week, and finally admitted that there is a problem.
I find it amazing really, that our friends are choosing to LIE to the Community rather then admit there is a problem. I mean, we are all too aware there are MANY MANY MANY problems in Second Life(I wanted to provide a link to show how many KNOWN BUGS there are, but that information is apparently no longer available, or so well hidden in our wonderful new JIRA program that it would take days, if not weeks, to find.), adding another isn't really going to cause the Community to pack it up and go away; although I see our European Community friends are just about ready to do that, HEY! Why not have a LONDON TEA PARTY and show Linden Lab just how outraged you are!
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