M Linden's SLB5 Speech: Any Apologies / Clarifications coming?

My translation went something along the lines of:

You are all pwned.

Even though I am in no way, shape or form an early adopter - I would have been proud to be one even in light of those remarks. If being different and imaginative means we are marginal then heck...marginal I would rather be.

As long as concurrency stays at 60,000, SL can't add new users without getting rid of older users.

Who were SL's early pioneers? Mainly, people who were socializing, creating communities, and playing house.

These people are great in the short-term, because they have served as beta-testers, free sources of content, and have given SL the numbers and the media coverage to be credible.

These people are not long-term sources of income for SL. By and large, there is little-to-zero profit margin with these users. The consumption-of-resources by these people, compared to the money they give LL, is not in a favorable ratio.

The future profit is in the "corporate partnerships."

Reading Mitch's speech without context, it seems highly optimistic about the future of SL's pioneers. In the context of every business decision that LL makes, it sounds much more like a eulogy than a promotion.

As always, Desmond makes the most erudite post in the thread. For the benefit of people who can't quite parse the humorous statements, what he's getting at is that the notion of "marginal" is relative, and well relative to mainstream society SL as a whole is definitely quite marginal. Kapor was just putting some spin on the obvious fact that SL is not mainstream America. Personally I think the phrase "nothing left to lose" is a little over the top, but everything else certainly sounds like he's describing me and all my personal acquaintances.

But that COULD make it very unappealing to the Misfits.

Mmmm not sure I agree with that assessment, if he was talking about *all* of SL, then A) he would not have said "not everyone", B) he would not have referred to early adopters as wild west settlers but the whole customer base plus LL itself as the wild west settlers together and C) I doubt LL would have liked the analogy in B) much so he probably would not have been allowed to say it.

Which brings me to another point, I seriously doubt this guy said anything that was not reviewed beforehand, speakers have notes at the very least to enable them to stick to a time constraint and remind them of the subjects they want to talk about. If LL didn't review those notes beforehand then they are nothing like most other corporate entities.

For heavens sake, Mitch can say whatever he wants. I doubt we would even have SL today if it weren't for his financing.

Sure he can, just like anyone but there always consquences when we say dumb things. You can also say SL would not be here today without it's userbase. So what's your point?

Given Linden Lab's inauspicious history of communicating with residents, I doubt that there is anyone on Linden Lab's staff who is qualified to review Mitch Kapor's speech.

You might have something there, but how sad is that? No wonder they have been putting their foot in their mouths recently *sighs*

EDIT: On second thoughts, exactly how qualified do you need to be to see that elements of that speech might upset the userbase? Oh wait that is probably your point...nm

... and there it is.

Mitch had the wrong Wild West analogy.

He compared the first SL residents to the homesteaders in the Wild West. However, the homesteaders actually got a tangible reward for all their hard work as pioneers: they got there own land.

The more apt Wild West comparison would be with the building of railroads. Immigrants and former slaves (SL pioneers) labored hard for minimal wages to build the railroads (disruptive technology SL) for the financial benefit of the railroad companies and other big corporations using the railraods (the pragmatists entering SL).

Righto, Phoenix. Anyone who is offended by anything Mitch said is either a crybaby OR too stupid to understand.

Riiight. Couldn't possibly be anything he said, or anything Philip, a while back, said.

When SL residents are described in these ways - hmmm, must be true.

I wonder. If he or Philip had said "You are a bunch of losers," using those exact words, would anyone be saying, "He's right, we're all losers, I admit it?" Would you be saying that anyone who didn't agree is either a crybaby or too stupid to understand what he *really* meant?

Apparently so.

And when when someone protests that they are not a loser, a victim of an oppressive regime, or a maginalized person with nothing worth losing, etc. - why would someone else take issue with that?

I suppose because some people wants to believe everyone else is a loser, too, since they feel that way about themselves.

And what is it - I'm serious - what is it that causes people to be so eager to excuse this (and Philip, before this), and even try to believe it is something good?

"Oh that's okay, he didn't really mean that."

"Well he did, but that's okay because he's right, I am marginal and dispossessed."

"Well he did say that, but you just don't understand the meaning of those words. Marginal and disposessed is a GOOD thing!"

What are you waiting for, I wonder? WORSE insults?

Spin on. I just don't know why anyone would. What is it? Some sort of neurotic sycophancy? The likes of which I've never seen anywhere else?

Seems to me it's one thing to say it doesn't bother you, cause when you get down to it, what do we care, anyway, about what he or Philip or the LL staff thinks of us?

But to try to pretend, at this point, that their view of most residents is anything except dismissive and condescending - well, seems to me that some people are kind of overly willing to be treated poorly. And even lap it up and beg for more.

And for those who agree we ARE all losers, I say, speak for your own self. Better yet, grow a modicum of self-respect.

This was a birthday celebration, and the talk COULD have been something nice about us.

coco

Perhaps Mitch sees SL's early population as similar to that of another place:
When a world is new and devoid of civilization, it often attracts those who hope to make a better life there. If that's insulting, then shhhh don't tell the modern-day inhabitants of the US and Australia anything about their forefathers!

...except settling in a virtual world is not like settling in a *real* foreign country. You could not just log out from Australia and continue a different life that runs alongside which may in fact be completely different and less extreme.

Unless you are suggesting that *all* people who come to SL are desperate people who have no alternatives in their life but to give living in SL a try in an attempt to improve their lot in life?

I've yet to meet an Australian who gets insulted about anything.

/me grins and avoids the topic of forefathers

Oh, I think that Mitch sincerely meant everything he said in his speech, and he truly meant to have the highest praise for the "SL pioneers."

Mitch's vision of Second Life, and the factual reality of Second Life, are so, so sadly disconnected.

Mitch's role in speaking at the celebration was to be a cheerleader for Second Life. And he's a great cheerleader. This is why LL trots him out frequently. When I read his speeches and other things he's written, I so much want to believe him.

His role in speaking was not to communicate corporate policy or the current business plan.

Despite Mitch's high optimism for Second Life being the future of the internet, I doubt he uses it much, if at all.

Mitch Kapor does have a Second Life avatar (I assume the one named "Mitch Kapor" is his; am I correct?) He hasn't written a profile, has no profile pic, doesn't have any groups listed. That doesn't sound like a community participant. Tellingly, SL's investment wizard has "No Payment Info On file."

Since I've only read the text of his speeches so far, and not watched video, I cannot confirm what his avatar might look like.

He took no questions after his speech, so he really didn't interact with anyone.

We had a thread on Linden sightings in Second Life; aside from speeches, are there Mitch Kapor sightings in Second Life?

It's notable that his favorite Second Life moment, that he talks about again and again, is something he did not actually experience in Second Life. His favorite Second Life moment is the Suzanne Vega performance. He wasn't there in Second Life for it; he watched it on video clip later.

Mitch's speech was great for what it was: A motivational speech. But it is loaded with irony (in the true meaning of the word).

Hmmm.. I'm pretty thickskinned so I guess I'm incapable of understanding. Thanks for clearing that up.

Except it didn't seem to motivate anyone...unless you mean motivate them to leave that is?

Not yet anyway. They are probably being pragmatic, not wanting to adopt anything too early.

*gives Brenda a hug* Just remember you cannot understand some people but not because they are intellectually above you...

I would not hold my breath on that then.

TYVM

Luckily, though arrogance and condescention are usually easy to understand

In that case I would say that them saying that you are incapable of understanding is not quite the same thing as actually being incapable. Perhaps it shows a lack of them understanding you

ahahahaha

Seriously, you're finding an anology between SL's frontier days and the U.S.'s frontier days offensive? Wow.

Many early adopters in SL were curious technologists. Many were graphic artists. And many were simply folks with time on their hands, which of course included a disproportionately large representation for those with health problems, shut-ins, stay-at-home moms, retirees, students avoiding studying ... folks whose first life was not full at the time. This is an obvious truth, and I think all that Mitch was trying to say.

He went on to point out that we're now reaching the point where SL has attracted enough attention and enough has been built that it's becoming part of folks', and enterprises', first life. Again, an obvious truth.

*hands out chill pills all around*
.