Qarl Linden Axed – Sculpties Burn In Protest
by Pixeleen Mistral on 06/08/10 at 11:10 am
Sculptie fires rage across the grid, as angry content creators protest the layoff of Qarl Linden – a senior developer deeply involved in various forms of mesh support for the previously prim-based virtual world. It appears that Qarl did not signed the non-disparagement agreement that was a compulsory part of the severance package for the last round of layoffs. Rather than meekly logging out from his former place of employment, Qarl questions his layoff in a blog post saying "i’m completely baffled at the decision, as are all my coworkers (and my boss, and…)"
Qarl goes on to document assurances that any layoffs would be based on performance and his most recent manager review.
Can I say how invaluable you are to the render team? You burned through a large number of crashes and critical rendering bugs. Without a lot of direction, you completed the feature/gpu table on S3 project, thought through a LOT of the complexities, and produced something incredibly useful. You enabled RenderDivisor to work on low end hardware (even if the hardware couldn’t take advantage of it in the way we hoped.). You did a ton of work to get mesh ready for public beta. You’ve fought long and hard trying to get Apple to fix their drivers while seeing if we can handle our textures better. And that was just this quarter (And you did all this while the company was undergoing a major reorg and giving us TONS of direction changes). You consistently brought things to fruition that worked well the first time. I love working with you. As does everyone on the team. You rocked it.
23 July 2010 – Q210 Manager Review
Apparently management reviews now count for little inside the Lab – perhaps because the Love Machine has taken over?
Qarl’s departure appears to be part a continuing blizzard of pink slips at the struggling metaverse service provider. Second Life resident Latif Khalifa has been tracking Linden dissappearances from the search people list and noted these departures over the last two weeks: Dana Linden, Driscoll Linden, Ferny Linden, Heff Linden, Kate Linden, Molly Linden, Norm Linden, Perry Linden, Qarl Linden, Reuben Linden, Sejong Linden, Silver Linden, Tay Linden, Tess Linden, Weber Linden, Zen Linden.
Overall reaction to the removal of Qarl and Zen Linden varied from "wtf?" to "WTF!!!!!!", as players parsed the implication of the departure of significant members of the rendering team. Is the Lab packaging itself for sale to Electronic Arts? Further development of the basic platform seems unlikely.
Yep
Aug 14th, 2010
“Rumor has it that the 16 yr olds on up will be joining the adult grid.”
Now that would be funny hearing about perverted goreans being arrested for enslaving a minor. Better keep it in your pants boys.
Little Lost Linden
Aug 15th, 2010
Things are going to get a little….weird. That’s for certain.
The very starteling conversation of the Q&A speaker at 1:04:00 really made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Give it a listen if you dare:
http://thebotzone.net/2010/08/14/second-life-teen-grid-gets-the-chainsaw/
Concerned Avatar
Aug 15th, 2010
Molly Linden was layed off too? Tisk tisk. I’m beginning to wonder how much longer we have to use secondlife.
Bubblesort Triskaidekaphobia
Aug 15th, 2010
I think you posted the wrong link, Lost. There is no video there. Great blog post, but no video (unless you are talking about the link to the clip from Teen Wolf, which is also awesome).
Yep
Aug 15th, 2010
It is kinda hidden.
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/8922472
Little Lost Linden
Aug 15th, 2010
Yeah, it;s kinda hidden a bit. I messed it up with the right here part I suppose. Need to make it more clear next time.
Little Lost Linden
Aug 15th, 2010
I updated the link now Bubblesort, let me know if it is a little less hidden now. Should be more clear and easier to see now:
http://thebotzone.net/2010/08/14/second-life-teen-grid-gets-the-chainsaw/
Bubblesort Triskaidekaphobia
Aug 15th, 2010
Got it now. Thanks, Lost!