The Chosen Ones Have Been Announced

While the statement is true, it could also be said about Microsoft's operating system over the past decade...yet they're the largest software company in the world. LL has been working diligently on scalability concerns for over the past year. That alone is a Herculean task, let alone the bug fixing and new feature introduction. When you're growing 15-20% a month, its incredibly hard just to keep an operation as complex as Second Life's head above water.

Regards,

-Flip

I honestly don't think that there are 8 people that could ever be picked to truly represent the whole spectrum of SL players.

Now, if there were opportunities for discussion on specific subjects, that's a different thing... but I just get the feeling this group is an unelected quango who will be given virtually unlimited opportunities to tell SL how they think things should be, with no opportunity for other views to be heard.

What may be a reasonable outcome would be for people to discuss things in their little group, then put as a vote "do we agree yes/no" - but now we have free signups and limitless alts, any vote is really a bit of a waste of time.

I can, however, think of a lot of people I would *not* want to go and be representative of the community. No doubt I'd make several people's lists too - showing entirely the fallacy of the whole thing.

As Joanna Cramer stated... if SL won't use their own 'platform', as a forward-thinking groundbreaking company, and revert to traditional methods... what hope is there for any of us?

Jopsy... when Linden Labs are promoting SL as 'the future of the internet' and 'the metaverse'... why resort to reality? Why can't they use this as a groundbreaking method using skype conference and webcams showing on screens around the room so that you can have 'as good, if not better' than a face to face meeting?

Or is, as I expect, this whole 'web 3d' thing just a buzzword that actually means nothing?

Lewis

Am I mising something here ? Lewis, did you even attend the last Town Hall meeting ?

Can we get this stickyfied?

No, I wasn't able to because it was at a non-euro friendly time. I have been to several in the past though, and do plan to attend further ones. I have even set up a Skype account so that I may participate fully should the opportunity.

I'm assuming you are saying that I missed something. Care to elaborate?

Lewis

A company that ignores the wishes of its customers is doomed to failure.

At the moment, SL has no serious competition. Once there is, I expect to see the 'currently in-world' numbers plummet, because of the way us consumers are ignored.

Lewis

HELLZ yeah. They couldn't have picked a better person.

Apart from their use of this "groundbreaking" Skype technology of which you speak, isn't it exactly what you're bitching about ? A regular, in-world meeting, open to all. What more do you actually want other than an all expenses paid trip to the States ?


I'm in the UK too and don't recall the timing of the last meeting to be particularly onerous.

I think one point is being missed - from my understanding the SL Views program is going to be a *series* with different people in each series.

For this first one, there was probably a much larger pool of residents they contacted about participating, but due to scheduling conflicts and whatnot they were not able to attend.

Personally i'd like them to continue using this method. Because when you do virtual meeting first and _then_ revert to traditional way of doing things going as far as to pay the travel expenses for invited people... it doesn't make it sound like 'the virtual meeting' concept passed the field test with anything resembling flying colours. And doubt it's in LL's interest to create such impression.

Lewis- I've used nearly every style of electronic communication there's been in the last 30 years... Any substitution for real people face to face with real people is a compromise for convenience or cost.

Sorry. There is no "as good" face to face there is no "if not better". There just isn't.

It's not about proving that SecondLife can replace everything in FirstLife... it's about picking and using the right communication medium for the task at hand. Sometimes that's using in-world meetings, sometimes teleconference, sometimes forum announcmenets, sometimes email announcments...

Linden LAB (singular, not plural) decided to make this a face to face deal. Why? Maybe they respect the opinions of this set of people... and they want to 'up the bandwidth' for better communication with them to see what comes of it. I don't expect nor necessarily want them to represent me, if they champion some of my issues great. If they champion some issues that I don't care about or actively dislike, fine. They're 8 people with a chance to provide a high volume of feedback.

I just hope someone is taking notes during the visit.

Speaking of quality feedback... when was the last time you wrote a constructive well-thought out piece of email to Andrew, Philip, Robin, Torley, ... or any of the Lindens? (mind you, one that wasn't preachy and demanding, but one that reflected both sides of a situation, measuring pros vs. cons fairly). There are times when a well thought through document is better than face to face communication. No one is standing in your way on that channel.

I think it started at 11pm. That's bedtime when you have to be up early the next day, as I usually do.

Lewis

They are continuing with that method. The one doesn't replace the other.

As far as this particular program goes, it does.

"The next step is to start face to face, real life meetings and design discussions.

The Second Life Views program will be a series of meetings at Linden Lab. There'll be eight Residents included in each meeting, chosen based on their participation in Second Life's community, as well as at least one in each group chosen at random. The Residents will be brought to San Francisco for a day to meet with Linden Lab staff to discuss feature design and policy."

(from http://secondlife.blogs.com/change/2006/05/announcing_seco.html)

But this is in addition to the town halls, which are using the method you wanted to continue, is it not? This is an additional program.

Yes. but it shows developer's lack of faith in their own platform just the same.

"for focused meetings with small, hand-picked groups to provide us with precious feedback, we've decided it's more beneficial to have them all fly to our physical location where we can spend 2-3 hours talking face-to-face, than it'd be to spend that time plus the time they all have to spend on travel... discussing these issues in our world".

I thought LL is trying to challenge communication and business stereotypes with their product, rather than reinforce them...

I don't think so at all. It's just like Jopsy said, you use the most efficient tool for the job at hand. They're obviously looking for something more focused and intensive here.

Also, have you considered they may want to show them some stuff, to garner feedback, that may not be possible to demonstrate another way?

What Jopsy said is pretty much the same thing, just wrapped in nicer sounding package. Developer of 'next generation communication platform with no barriers' doesn't find their platform efficient enough for the job at hand to offset the extra cost of flying number of people from around the world to their place so they can be spoken with for couple hours.


No. Especially with SL and its lightweight client i don't see what they could want to show that can't be shown with single-machine small scale 'developer preview grid' and updated client build.

This kind of 'face to face meetings with playerbase representatives' approach as part of development process has been tried by quite a few MMOs up to date. The results of that are universally non-existent, because such kinds of meetings are publicity stunts first and foremost... which in case of SL actually backfires, because these 'normal MMOs' aren't trying to be something that's competition to traditional ways of meeting and communication.

I agree Lewis... None of them speak for me.

Why should I trust them just because they have been here a while. I believe, I have been here longer than a few of them (I came into SL in November 2003). Being long life member does not trust make.

I say this:

If you want to make Real World money, Then Either get a Real World Job, or Foot the Government Regulations, Business Loans and Government oversite and Start a REAL WORLD business.

I believe LL should ban the pratice of trading Lindens for U.S. Dollars (but there is nothing wrong with buying Lindens like they did over in There)

90% of the people here could care less about business. They are here to escape the Real World, not bring the Real World into SL.

*blush* ... Fade still get's props for saying it with more efficiency!




Hm. I think I've figured out what it is that I disagree with in your point:

I don't believe that LL is trying to make SecondLife a replacement for existing forms of communication.

I think they're trying to carve out a distinct new communication space in which SL's convenience, cost, and immersivne nature can bring value... to a wide variety of people and in different ways.

It's bold vision with *many* obstacles and uncertainties.

Whether or not LL ultimately delivers a true metaverse... they are making mistakes that they and others will learn from in the years to come.

And in my book... if you're not making mistakes... chances are you're not making anything.

OMGZ, outrage!

No wait, i'm just kinda hungry.

I really think they should have invited a few delusional, arrogant mouth pieces to get a truer cross section.

You don't need to even use the word "conspiracy." Conspiracy implies something is hidden.

This is a group of people chosen to quite literally be a permanent "feted inner core" right in front of our faces.

coco

I believe that you have the intelligence of a foot stool when it comes to economics. Does that make it true? Is it an insult to foot stools world wide? Will they revolt at such negative implications?

See, Magnum, opinions such as yours are purely subjective, and it does not in any way mean that because Magnum thinks it so shall it be. Live and let live. If people want to make money so be it. If you do not want to do this then so be it. I don't care what you do in SL. If I want to cash out my Lindens from time to time. I will do so without a second thought.

By the way if 8 people do not represent the SL population chosen for SL View in your opinion, how can YOU voice the opinion that 90% of the people are here for entertainment. Have you asked 90% of the people in SL why they are here? Is there some statistics you are quoting? Are you just talking out your ass? In any case, You really should look up the word hypocritical it might enlighten you a bit.