Op/Ed: d3adlyc0d3c for CEO of Linden Labs
by Alphaville Herald on 17/03/08 at 10:58 pm
A perma-banned griefer’s perspective on Labs leadership changes
by d3adlyc0d3c, ex-griefer
As many of you are aware CEO Philip Rosedale has just announced his intention to step down as CEO of Linden Lab. This is big news for all of us. Admittedly, upon hearing the news I expected to see widespread panic and predictions of economic collapse. Though it may still be too early to tell, I am pleasantly surprised that instead of the usual chicken little cries that ‘the sky is falling’ I am actually seeing a lot of optimism.
Personally, I am in agreement with most of these reports. Mr. Rosedale’s stepping down does indeed seem to open many doors for the company and the platform it has created. Mr. Rosedale is a visionary to be sure and a very talented engineer.
Despite what critics may say he has succeeded where many individuals have failed. Sure there are problems, this happens, and in a world as expansive as Second Life its insane to think it would be any other way. I’m positive that at some point LL can and will improve stability. I know it has likely been very difficult for Mr Rosedale, a man seeing that his creation, his vision, his dream that is so very important to him needs the management of someone else in order to continue to survive.
How many here would trust their dreams and their life’s work to another? Are we really justified in stamping our feet so impatiently thinking that this should have been done so long ago? Is this a reasonable expectation?
Many people are cheering now expecting new changes that they have been waiting on for months or even years to occur overnight. This is unrealistic.
I just do not see how everything can be blamed on one man. With over 12 million accounts and over 500,000 hardcore users and thousands of servers,with having to police the metaverse and ensure that everything is in compliance with international laws, I do not for one moment feel that anyone can blame all of their problems on this man. He is only one man, managing thousands of employees and millions of customers. Being god is surely a daunting task.
Where do we go from here?
The answers are simpler than one might think. We need to strengthen the economy. We can do that if Linden Lab will:
1) Reduce land tier fees
2) Bring back First land
3) Make SL more stable and user-friendly
LL needs to use the ‘Wal-Mart Strategy’ – the best way to expand quickly is to lower prices. I have learned this from first hand experience. Will it happen overnight? Absolutely not, but I guarantee it WILL work.
Lindens, if you lower tier prices I can promise you that you will see a sudden surge in land purchases as residents begin to buy even more land as a result of lowered costs. If you bring back first land or add other incentives for users to upgrade from basic accounts to premium accounts you will see a sudden surge in upgrades as well.
Honestly, there is a lot of whining and complaining going on about things that don’t even matter. If we all saved it and actually complained about what IS important, LL might have an easier time wading through all of the garbage they are bombarded with to concentrate on important issues.
Unverifieds
With a sudden decline in griefing there is no reason for the game gods to discontinue unverified accounts. Unverifieds are an excellent marketing strategy. They allow people to try before they buy. These individuals have the freedom to experiment in the expansive world for as long as they like before upgrading and thats just good business. I would upgrade if I knew I could do so without being discovered and banned.
Banking Ban
Contrary to what many are claiming LL has not actually banned banking at all, they have banned banking when it generates interest and that has very little effect on the economy at all. Most SL Banks existed to trick you into funding their own business ventures, sometimes those ventures worked out, sometimes they didn’t. Most people are smart enough not to put money in such institutions. Linden labs is our bank.
VAT
Blaming LL for taxing europeans is absurd, LL has to operate in compliance with international laws or they risk losing infinitely more business than they would if they did not.
I have heard individuals complain that the fact that North Americans are not being charged tax as a cause of ‘friction’. This in essence means that you believe that since Europeans are being charged tax that North Americans should be too. LL implemented those taxes for legal reasons and eventually they will implement taxes for Americans as well, however, they aren’t going to do that until they have to. They would not have charged VAT unless they had to either, LL knows that they lost some business over it.
AgePlay
Some are blaming LL for banning ageplay. Again, all morals aside, this boils down to international law. In some countries images of naked children performing lewd acts are against the law whether they be real children or just pixels. LL must abide by these laws. Personally I’m not too keen on pedophiles anyway and somehow I doubt that they will be missed by many.
Gambling
LL had no choice but to outlaw gambling or else they could be criminally prosecuted for illegal gambling. LL is an American company based out of San Francisco and in most states in America gambling is against the law. LL can never reverse this ban, it was not a desicion that they wanted to make. Choosing between jail and banning gambling, however, makes these decisions pretty simple.
Governance
To address the governance issue, I would like to announce my candidacy for the position of CEO of Linden Lab. As president I will first un-ban myself to better serve the community, and as a gesture of goodwill to the W-Hat goons, I will also un-ban Plastic Duck. My third act will be to give the PN their own sims to bombard <3
One can always dream – though for what its worth, like most of the people complaining, I couldn’t even do it as well as Philip has.
Angel
Mar 17th, 2008
I’d prefer Jimbo.
N3X15Fag
Mar 17th, 2008
Oh wow this is rich.
Even without my upcoming associates degree in Computer Information Systems, I’m over 9000x more qualified than you. Go beat off somewhere else, stupid.
Anonymous
Mar 17th, 2008
N3X15Fag says: “Even without my upcoming associates degree in Computer Information Systems, I’m over 9000x more qualified than you. Go beat off somewhere else, stupid.”
O wowz. An associates degree. Those aren’t a dime a dozen.
Come back when you got a bachelors, then I won’t say you got the brains of a toaster oven.
anon
Mar 17th, 2008
N3X15Fag: WOW HOLY SHIT AN ASSOCIATES DEGREE DUDE
Can I be treasurer? My plan is to spend millions of dollars on creating a nuclear-decay powered anti-gravity Doomsday cube with rudimentary self-replication capabilities. Then I will build a Elitist Superstructure replica yellow submarine off Puget Sound and make Watermill my co-pilot with Koffing at conn, ^ban^ as tactical officer, and JWAN as ship janitor. The money will eventually go to a better cause than investing in CyberSexantlife would ever be, and I’d get a cool submarine.
:(
Mar 18th, 2008
Ageplay and pedophilia are two different things.
That aside, good article.
d3adlyc0d3c
Mar 18th, 2008
‘
Oh wow this is rich.
Even without my upcoming associates degree in Computer Information Systems, I’m over 9000x more qualified than you. Go beat off somewhere else, stupid.’
Firstly, it was a joke. Secondly, you would be nowhere near as qualified as me. Baaaawwww.
lol
Mar 18th, 2008
Holy shit, who is this idiot nobody ever heard of calling himself nexifag or whatever. What a loser.
troglodyte
Mar 18th, 2008
“I’d prefer Jimbo.
Posted by: Angel | March 17, 2008 at 11:30 PM”
I agree Jimbo Quality > Deadlycodec
Witness X
Mar 18th, 2008
I think it’s really cute how the PN and the PN they threw out all think they’re media stars or something. “The only reason I stopped being a secret asshole is because even the PN don’t trust me now, so now I’ll just be an asshole in public, and oh, yeah I’M A CLOSET FURRY.”
Just like N3X15. Upcoming associates degree. That’s like what, a two year certificate? That’s one step up from mudskipper.
So tell me, Nexis? Do you like Mudskippers?
Marc Woebegone
Mar 18th, 2008
Yes, I like it, or better yet, I vote for myself as CEO, Marc Woebegone at your service…
http://secondlife.typepad.com
goodbye to the hawker outside the circus tent…. se la vie’
MW
anon
Mar 18th, 2008
what the hell witness x i think you’re doing it wrong
B.A. > A.A.
SEXYORK
Mar 18th, 2008
@c0d3c
Want a tissue for your sweet little tears?
The truth hurts, now doesn’t it?
If you were to run everything, you damn well know that everything will collapse in a gigantic BAWWWWWWWW.
n3x15 gets my vote. For obvious reasons. :3
Whatever
Mar 18th, 2008
I vote for Penny.
Greefin Oh
Mar 18th, 2008
I lol’d at the Goon/Plastic Duck reference. Poor Plastic.. he’s not as popular as he use to be T_T.
Ric Mollor
Mar 18th, 2008
I have a few comments that may be a bit off topic but certainly are as close as many of the others posted here.
Though Mr. Rosedale may have led Second Life through it’s infancy and following growth period the ideas behind a persistent, user created, 3D world certainly are not unique nor exclusive to his vision. He was fortunate enough to “be at the right place at the right time” but to consider him a visionary would be doing a great disservice to the true pioneers that blazed the trail long before him. A long history of MOOs, MUDs, modded multiplayer 3D games, and previous 3D worlds existed well before Second Life’s development. Additionally, the basic concept of a ‘virtual world’ has been explored in science fiction literature nearly as long as the genre has existed.
Second Life reached it’s current level of success because of the widespread deployment of PCs with accelerated graphics, high adoption levels of broadband access, and a society with an abundance of free time to spend exploring amusement. Even if Second Life had never been imagined another virtual world would have risen to the same level of prominence. The stage was set and an abundant supply of actors were vying for the roles.
What level of success has Second Life truely achieved?
Of the nearly 13 million accounts created a _much_ smaller number has actually become regular users of the service. Linden Labs own economic statistics show that just slightly more than 200,000 spent more than 500 lindens (less then $2 USD) during the month of February. One can draw their own line as to what constitutes a ‘hardcore’ user but if the cost level for the most popular online game (World of Warcraft) is considered (~$15 monthly) the number shrinks even further. The economic statistics don’t supply a breakout at that exact point but at 5,000 L monthly (approx $18 USD) only 108,000 participated at this level or higher. I am aware that these numbers don’t consider tranasctions made outside of Second Life but to consider a product with a economically involved userbase of slightly more than 100,000 as ‘very successful’ is a considerable stretch of imagination.
Mr Rosedales announcement was made solely to appease current or future investors of Linden Labs. The wiggle room allowed by the “Tao of Linden” could easily have allowed him to adjust his responsibilities in any manner and then just state ‘that’s what our CEO does.’
Plans for an IPO, partnership, or sellout are certainly in the works.
Best of luck to you with the new position. :^)
FrizzleFry101
Mar 18th, 2008
Vote for me, and you’ll never see another furfag again, also I’d base SL on the Unreal 3 engine, or Source, depends.
Also, Witness X, stop using the closet defense if you don’t want to be laughed at, it’s an old and typical response used by any fetishist as a reaction to internet bullying, furries, infantilists, pedophiles, ect, they’ve all used that line.
lol
Mar 18th, 2008
“If you were to run everything, you damn well know that everything will collapse in a gigantic BAWWWWWWWW.”
Personally, I’m of the opinion that it’d be that way if the PN was running things. I mean look at yourselves, your so butthurt that codec ditched you that you follow him around to cry in all his articles.
I can’t believe you still have the balls to even use the term ‘BAAWWW’, but then again, you guys always were hypocrites and closet furries.
Razrcut Brooks
Mar 18th, 2008
Sidenote: A recent Philip Rosedale video interview (48 hrs before the announcement) can be found here http://nwn.blogs.com/ (scroll down a little, video concerning SL starts 3 minutes into it) What is up with Phil’s avatar pants?
And
I think d3adlyc0d3c , as CEO , should initiate an investigation into what Torley is on….then share it with the rest of us as I wish I could be as happy as he seems to be. …….”Ha-Ha!” “Friendly Greetings!!”
d3adlyc0d3c
Mar 18th, 2008
‘A long history of MOOs, MUDs, modded multiplayer 3D games, and previous 3D worlds existed well before Second Life’s development’
And did any of those MMO’s have anything in common with SL except for the fact that they were online where users could interact? Did any of them have a currency with an exchange rate with real world currency? Did they have their own scripting language? Could users buy or rent land? How much freedom did they have to create content? How much freedom did they even have to explore? Not much by comparison, not much at all. Give credit where credit is due. Thats not logic you’re peddling there, it smells more like butthurt.
‘I am aware that these numbers don’t consider tranasctions made outside of Second Life but to consider a product with a economically involved userbase of slightly more than 100,000 as ‘very successful’ is a considerable stretch of imagination’
You mean 100,000 in the month of february right? Which is not by any means the total amount of users economically involved in Second Life. FYI there was still over 25 million USD circulating just between users in february. Of course that doesnt count profits LL makes in tier, for texture uploads, monthly fees for premium accounts, money they take when you cash out and a whole hell of alot of other stuff.
It’s obvious that LL is now making a genuine effort to fix problems that have been plagueing the platform, just calm down and be patient. It’ll come.
It all started with the establishment of the GTeam, then physics system upgrades, new search system and from there we are going to see alot more bigfixes and improvements. The lindens know about our greviances and they’re taking action to make changes to improve usability and to appease us. It just takes time, LL did have a time where they were complacent but that time is not now.
Lets not forget that LL is a business and they operate for profit. If the users are unhappy then their pockets tend to get lighter. They want your money and anyone with enough technical ability to engineer this whole thing is going to be intelligent enough to know what it means if he can’t keep his customers happy.Change is on the way. Look out, here it comes.
Witness X
Mar 19th, 2008
No, StirFry, you misunderstand me. I’m not trying to troll you. I just think all the PN are uneducated hypocritical idiots. If an A.A. degree is a big deal to your feckless leader, then what does that make the rest of you?
I think it’s cute the way you think you know what you’re doing.
Witness X
Mar 19th, 2008
Of course, then again the same thing could be said about most of Second Life. Bravo to you for aat least getting some education.
fasfsadfasfsfdsafasfds
Mar 19th, 2008
Do you ever shut up Angel Fluffy -err- Witness X?
Sigmund Leominster
Mar 19th, 2008
Although in the microcosm of Second Life Philip Rosedale’s move counts as big news, the reality is that in business, this sort of thing happens frequently. Every day thousands of executives move on for a variety of reasons, which includes CEO, CIOs, CFOs, and a host of other obscurely acroynmed managers. This is not a “bad thing.” Nor does it typically presage more than a change of faces. Sure there will be a little shuffling of tasks back at Linden Labs, but unless they are abnormally incompetent (and despite what some rabid posters may feel they are no more incpmpetent than the average small/mid-sized company) then things will go on.
Servers will hum, staff will turn up to work, money will exchange hands, software engineers will continue the day-to-day patching of bugs, and Herald readers will continue to cheer, cry, scoff, whine, moan, bitch, harangue, laugh, and bluster.
As they say, “Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme.”
Witness X
Mar 20th, 2008
Hey, BINGO, hit a nerve.