Is this really Linden Lab?

10/28/2004
Linden Lab(R), creator of the acclaimed 3D digital world, Second Life(R), announced today it has closed a financing round of $8,000,000 led by Benchmark Capital and with participation from Omidyar Network, a new organization lead by eBay founder, Pierre Omidyar. Existing investors including software pioneer Mitch Kapor also participated in the round.

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About Benchmark Capital

Benchmark Capital was founded in 1995 to help talented entrepreneurs build great technology companies. Benchmark's partners take a team-oriented, labor-intensive approach to venture investing to deliver a superior level of service to the firm's portfolio companies. Benchmark's portfolio includes franchise companies such as eBay (Nasdaq:EBAY), Juniper Networks (Nasdaq:JNPR) and Red Hat (Nasdaq:RHAT). Managing more than $2.5 billion in committed venture capital, Benchmark focuses on investing in entrepreneurs with original ideas. For more information on Benchmark, visit its web site at www.benchmark.com.

About Omidyar Network

Omidyar Network seeks out investments that are "of the people, by the people, for the people." The Network is founded on the simple core belief that every individual has the power to make a difference. We exist for the one purpose: So that more and more people discover their own power to make good things happen. Since June 2004, Omidyar Network has funded efforts in a number of areas: Microfinance, Bottom-up Media, Open Source, Intellectual Property, Voting and Software. As we learn through partnering and investing, our focus areas will continue evolving. To learn more about us and the people we're working with, please visit www.omidyar.net.

Source: http://freshnews.com/news/fresh-money/article_20126.html?Intel

An interesting quote from the Omidyar Network web:

“Linden Lab
Linden Lab is the producer of Second Life, an online world imagined, created and owned by its residents and guided by its participatory democracy“

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2004 Omidyar Network For-Profit Investments
Blue Orchard Microfinance
Feedster, Inc.
Linden Lab
MicroVest
OneWorld International
Socialtext
SourceForge.net

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While I personally don’t think there is anything wrong with an investor expecting to make a profit. I believe there is a right way and a wrong way. I read several pages this morning on the investment of 8 Million US by Ebay founder Pierre Omidyar. I do not believe that profit should come at the expense of the residents who laid the foundation of SL and literally built it into what it is today.

I noted that this Ebay Island bid is currently at 4000.00 US and has not yet met the reserve also. This leads me to believe this is probably a test run of some sort. Since Ebay came on board I have been expecting the auctions to be held on Ebay. Seems the logical choice. I think LL will tell us “What does it matter where the bids are posted its all the same.” In my mind its not it pulls away at the fabric of what is LL. Pulling all relevant content from the site to other sites that invest in LL 10K US for a virtual island, let’s get real here. The only person who would buy such a thing is a person who was paid to do so. A friend of a friend of someone who has a high stake in LL/Ebay or both .

I completely agree with many statements in this thread Cienna hit the nail on the head in several ways. Anshe, damn girl I am seriously starting to worry not about you but for you.

On a side note can someone drop Chip a LL Cheerleader outfit. We get your views Chip “LL can do no wrong EVER” ra Fricken ra.

But LL is still billing its self as a democracy, thank God!

Bottom line for me if LL honestly believes that some “average Joe” not someone who is given 10k US by LL or Ebay will buy any Virtual Island with or without perks for 10K US then they have become delusional about the worth of their product. I think long and hard about rl investments before I make them. If I was to go to my husband and say “Honey I want to buy a 10K US island” he would first ask me “Where is it?” my reply “
It’s virtual land, we don’t really own it we just rent the server from LL” I thought when they raised the price the last time to over 1k US they were pushing the limits of what ppl would pay to development any online world. 10K US why do I even need LL at that point, I would instead invest that money in my own version of SL. Online worlds are nothing new some were started in ppl’s basements with nothing but a dream. Like SL was.

I think they completely missed the mark this time. The only way I see LL getting back on the right track is to start running some real IW regulated polls and find out what their ppl really want.

What I hear LL saying is “While we appreciate all you little ppl, we wish to really cater to the very rich”

Yeah thanks, toss me in the “average Joe” pile please I am much more comfortable there regardless of the size of my bank account I still give a shit about integrity.

Mar

Good point, I forgot about the reserve. For a second, I thought it would be like owning one without tier, which would be really nice. But no - they aren't stupid, are they

Still interested to see where it ends up, and with whom.

Apparently $6k of the price is for 120 hours of development by Bedazzle or Foxy Xevious.

Of course it is because there is no other talented teams of ppl in SL other than Bedazzle. Why do I say that? Because they are the only team that gets consistantly picked for any big projects. Good to know which side my bread is buttered on these days.

Mar

Look who crawled out of the woodwork to spew more paranoid and bitter conjecture. Don't let me get in your way.

You're going to have to rest it, because you certainly have no idea whatsoever what I am doing or why, and you show no real inclination to ask, apparently, preferring your assumptions.



If you really do not understand how this confirms that you're not only assuming a lot, but judging a lot, I reckon I'll just have to be done with you. I know, I know, you're going to cry yourself to sleep. (wry grin)

As much as I hate to repeat myself... oh well.

Thank God for democracy Chip old man. More like crawled out of bed, been too sick to post sorry to disapoint but it has nothing to do with woodwork.

Happy Holidays;

Mar

Yes, and clearly that's due to my mental deficiency and not any flaw in your method.

Actually, it is due to you avoiding that I have told you I have the research, refusing to do any of it yourself, and then wanting to insist that anyone who has done it is just being 'cynical, bitter, and negative'.

If you actually wish to PAY me for it, I'll be happy to educate you to reality and the fact that Linden Labs will either not be around this time next year, or will have changed hands by then.

And yes, please do mark this post for future reference, but be aware, you won't be able to get to it this time next year for the above-mentioned reasons.

Iodine deficiency is the leading, preventable cause of mental disability in areas of the ... Idiot indicated the greatest degree of mental deficiency

eat your salt mr! lol sorry had to

If any of the above is true (which I seriously doubt) what are you trying to do here, rub salt in their wounds? How nice of you.



And there's the aforementioned arrogant desire to be able to say "I told you so." I think some people seriously need to find a new hobby.

Usually on forums I stick to the golden rule: Ignore the trolls. However, I just couldn't resist pointing out that this has to be the most long-winded way of saying "I am rubber, you are glue" that I have ever seen...

More assumptions. How disappointing.



Well, nice to see you drop the act and admit you're assuming. Not that I didn't know, of course.

New hobby? I suppose the slot for forum nanny is taken, eh Chip?

Oh, irony.

My thoughts exactly. Thanks for putting them so concisely.

Cienna, not to come between you and Design Master Chip Midnight, but some people said the exact same thing about a little company called Apple. They are still very much alive and kicking. I saw a bit of Steve Jobs in Phillip's eyes when I met him, so I think all things are possible.

This is a cutting edge industry and some things that become the next big thing may seem a bit radical to some. But who knows, this buy a sim for a year with all perks included might appeal to someone. It will definitely put ideas in some heads that wouldn't have been there otherwise.

I hate to break it to you, but MMOs as products are no longer 'cutting edge'. The graphic engines are only considered so as a matter of marketing. Apple was a technology company, not a game. They presented as such, marketed as such, and won as such.

No offense, but comparing Linden Labs to Apple is like compairing beef jerky to filet mignon.

Apple had the savvy to make their own market. Linden Labs demonstrates time and time again that they cannot manage to do so.

Apple had an R&D unit that not only created amazing things, but were willing to put those things out there and support them strongly. Linden Labs doesn't know the meaning of strong support, nor how to effectively give it in either technology or service.

Apple almost failed under the onslaught of the 'pc revolution' and it was only upon realising that open systems was the future that they rallied and moved to growth and prosperity. Linden Labs refuses to accept that their baby will grow better without their hands around its neck, so naturally this baby is strangling.

Apple was led by people who weren't more than idealists and knew the benefit of making a decision and actually sticking to it. Linden Labs flip-flops more than a possum freshly nailed to the interstate by a passing semi.

The analogy of small start-up with sense and savvy fails because Linden Labs demonstrates they lack both.

It seems every 6-12 months I see these posts about the sky is falling!!!! But somehow they never happen..... Preicting what LL will do or wont do is pure speculation.

I am not going to let any of the doomsayers bother me, its just a repeat of the past

Happy Landings.

But...but...Cienna said mark this post for future reference! And said that LL switching hands or being gone entirely this time next year is FACT! Not hypothesis, conjuncture, or blowing smoke out her ass, FACT! IT MUST BE TRUE! (At some point in the future! Which she's been to and she's back to tell us! Over and over again!)



EDIT: We're both hedging our bets Cienna, I just choose not to use dead possum references and I lack your cahones to call something that has yet to happen a stone-cold fact.

You know, I wouldn't usually bother... let alone say it, but I think I am going to particularly enjoy telling you 'I told you so'.

Why stop now? You're doing it proactively in every post.

Your reading comprehension isn't my problem, tootz. There's a difference between saying there's a problem, saying what the problem is, and saying 'I told you so.' If you can't figure out what that difference is, here's a link for you:

http://www.rhlschool.com/reading.htm

Good luck.

But, I've heard from people who know people who heard from other people that spoke with a very highly placed source that SL will be turned into a kindergarten age babysitting tool as soon as they perfect a way to plug in the tots directly, keep the heads up display screen strapped to their heads and debug the baby talk translator functionality. Should be within the year, I hear, right after Havoc.