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What is Linden Lab's Mission?

AJ DaSilva
woz ere
Join date: 15 Jun 2005
Posts: 1,993
11-05-2005 13:49
For a while now I've considered Second Life to be a continual work in progress. I believe that the way they're working at Linden Labs is kinda revolutionary and what they're aiming for with second life wouldn't be possible to achieve for a long time using traditional practices.

As pieces of software I wouldn't say Second Life has even reached what would be considered as a beta yet. I'm not even sure that the software is even the main focus of things and, perhaps, that developing protocols and methods for working with persistant realtime 3D on the internet is the intention. I'd certainly put my money on the server software being available to the masses eventually, much as web server software is available now. It's just not prudent at the moment since it's not mature enough yet.

Customer service and other aspects to do with financing things are obviously important, since otherwise development would be far too expensive considering the technology required to run the intended end result isn't even available yet and there's a lot of new ground being broken here so there's very few established practices to work from. Not only that, but since there's really nothing like this in existance having users interacting with it is a great way to find out what it is people are going to want from it and how they're going to use it. In a way we're all lab rats.

Think the World Wide Web, which I feel it's fair to say is the standard way of serving and viewing 2D data. What is possible now far exceeds what could be done when it was young, I think the same will happen with Second Life: as it matures it will reach a point where it isn't viewed as this one thing as it is now; but as a way of accessing and interacting with content from all accross the internet, much as a web-browser is today. Imagine, for instance, computer games of the future not being an engine and content but just the content. To play a game you visit it's site, like a webpage, you don't load the game itself but a viewer that will make sense of the game data being sent from the server. I'm sure you can make the analogies to homesites and corporate websites yourselves. ;)

So what would I say Linden Lab's mission is? Usher in the next phase of the internet maybe? Try to get a headstart on everyone else? Make money? ;) Maybe Phillip just saw something like I've outlined and thought "wouldn't it be cool..."

Enabran, you said you'd looked around on Linden Lab's website. Did the white papers throw any light on the subject? I haven't had a chance to read them yet.
Logan Bauer
Inept Adept
Join date: 13 Jun 2004
Posts: 2,237
11-05-2005 14:24
To create the metaverse. Or, a big virtual world that is infinitely user-extendable, adding in a virtual economy and in effect creating an entirely different platform which will one day rank up there with the telephone and television in the history books...
Additionally, like any business, we'll put a litigious TOS at the beginning to make sure everything is outlined, hell we can take all their money or content if we want to. Upon providing a superior platform without any strong competitors out there, when it breaks we'll still have them by the balls.
Torley Linden
Enlightenment!
Join date: 15 Sep 2004
Posts: 16,530
11-05-2005 14:25
I had a dream where some of my fave rappers were on SL. That's not a mission statement or even a visionary one, but it certainly speaks to big business—hip-hop culture is YUGE, and I reckon it's only a matter of time before we see more sims like Los Altos as a parallel to the wildly successful (speaks to investors) world of Grand Theft Auto.

I have dreams sometimes, where Rza finally makes his way with the rest of the Shaolin into Second Life, and they set up a temple. Man o man. We've had Snoop Dogg avs before, but it's kinda like a TV dinner with a missing section to me at this point: somethin's gonna come and fill that up.

So, one of several possibilities:

"Linden Lab's mission statement is to keep it real. Virtually real."
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Enabran Templar
Capitalist Pig
Join date: 26 Aug 2004
Posts: 4,506
11-05-2005 14:28
From: AJ DaSilva
For a while now I've considered Second Life to be a continual work in progress. I believe that the way they're working at Linden Labs is kinda revolutionary and what they're aiming for with second life wouldn't be possible to achieve for a long time using traditional practices.


Thank you for your very thoughtful post. I think you've made some very thoughtful points.

As for SL being revolutionary, I think that you're most certainly right. Going well off the beaten path means far fewer maps and signposts to guide you. However, at this stage, there are years of experience behind Linden Lab. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a company to learn from its mistakes and change practices that are obviously not working. I am willing to concede that progress isn't always easy, but is it really okay for Second Life to be unusable for any number of its users weeks after every point release?

Now, I understand unreliable pre-beta software as an argument in Linden Lab's defense. Ultimately, though, we are spending money and time in exchange for the SL product. I'm not convinced that abominable performance is acceptable as mandatory for every point release. Something isn't working somewhere in the testing cycle.

From: AJ DaSilva
I'd certainly put my money on the server software being available to the masses eventually, much as web server software is available now. It's just not prudent at the moment since it's not mature enough yet.


More importantly, Linden Lab needs the money from private island and tier fees to pay their bills and salaries at the moment. It's not going to be released until Linden Lab shifts to a different sort of business model that is not dependent upon such fees.

From: AJ DaSilva
Think the World Wide Web, which I feel it's fair to say is the standard way of serving and viewing 2D data. What is possible now far exceeds what could be done when it was young, I think the same will happen with Second Life: as it matures it will reach a point where it isn't viewed as this one thing as it is now; but as a way of accessing and interacting with content from all accross the internet, much as a web-browser is today. Imagine, for instance, computer games of the future not being an engine and content but just the content. To play a game you visit it's site, like a webpage, you don't load the game itself but a viewer that will make sense of the game data being sent from the server. I'm sure you can make the analogies to homesites and corporate websites yourselves. ;)


Yes! I agree, that is the potential that we're seeing in an early form via Second Life. I think that's an awesome way to go. But is it okay to charge for access to a tech demo? To develop software on the backs of customers who are getting a sub-par user experience? (Obviously it is okay with me -- I have a hard time imagining my life without SL, now and in the future, even with my disappointment in performance)

From: AJ DaSilva
Enabran, you said you'd looked around on Linden Lab's website. Did the white papers throw any light on the subject? I haven't had a chance to read them yet.


I did not dig into the white papers. Maybe they're there! I'm not as concerned with the contents of the white papers and other marketing and PR, though, as I am the strategic decision making very high up that informs policy and ultimately shapes our day-to-day experience.

Surely there must be a better way than going through this at regular intervals. What happens when we hit the 500,000 user mark and no one wants to tell their friends about SL? Except how, "It's kind of cool, but every time I log in nothing works right."

That would be a damn shame. I see such potential here. I can't bear the thought of it being squandered as a result of bad policy or mis-placed priorities.
_____________________
From: Hiro Pendragon
Furthermore, as Second Life goes to the Metaverse, and this becomes an open platform, Linden Lab risks lawsuit in court and [attachment culling] will, I repeat WILL be reverse in court.


Second Life Forums: Who needs Reason when you can use bold tags?
Pol Tabla
synthpop saint
Join date: 18 Dec 2003
Posts: 1,041
11-05-2005 14:34
From: Enabran Templar
Haha, nice, is that the real one?
No, but I did try to take a serious swing at it. After all, there's a siegebot on the line.

For six siegebots I'll whip up a business plan.
Huns Valen
Don't PM me here.
Join date: 3 May 2003
Posts: 2,749
11-05-2005 15:04
AJ DaSilva
woz ere
Join date: 15 Jun 2005
Posts: 1,993
11-05-2005 15:22
From: Enabran Templar
Thank you for your very thoughtful post. I think you've made some very thoughtful points.
No, thank you for starting a thread where I could write about these things. It's a passion of mine that goes as far as starting to design a similar system until I found SL and realised someone had beaten me to it. (Not that I would have ever had the capital to get it off the ground :p)
From: Enabran Templar
However, at this stage, there are years of experience behind Linden Lab. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a company to learn from its mistakes and change practices that are obviously not working. I am willing to concede that progress isn't always easy, but is it really okay for Second Life to be unusable for any number of its users weeks after every point release?
While it's certainly not good that the system becomes so unusable for so long I don't think there's much they can do to help it. I mean, 1.7 preview was running fine, I expect LL were as suprised as we were that things went quite so bad when the rolled out the update accross the main grid - they would have expected some loss of performance and are probably working on ways to reduce it for future updates but they're only human. If anyone's got ideas on how to avoid hiccups like this I'm sure they'd be more than willing to listen. At the end of the day, no, it shouldn't have these problems. It does though and I'm sure there's bullet points on a whiteboard somewhere listing these problems as things people are working on.

One opinion I have is that really you're not paying for the software, anyone who wants to use it can download it for free now (I myself don't have the money for any land and wouldn't be using SL at all if there were any kind of recurring fee). The way I see it is that while profit from tier fees and such goes to developing the software and paying salaries what you're really paying for is the servers and their maintenance. I heard talk of LL looking into finding a new business model, but this will obviously take time.

From: Enabran Templar
Yes! I agree, that is the potential that we're seeing in an early form via Second Life. I think that's an awesome way to go. But is it okay to charge for access to a tech demo? To develop software on the backs of customers who are getting a sub-par user experience?
If the tech demo wouldn't be there otherwise I think it's perfectly fair ("Your World" indeed!). And, just to be picky, since there isn't anything else quite like SL it's not a sub-par experience, it's the only experience. Like the old 'boneshaker' bicycles; it was much smoother to walk, but if you wanted to be at the cutting edge you had to put up with some discomfort.

From: Enabran Templar
Surely there must be a better way than going through this at regular intervals. What happens when we hit the 500,000 user mark and no one wants to tell their friends about SL? Except how, "It's kind of cool, but every time I log in nothing works right."
Surely there must be. Like I said before; LL must be working on this exact problem but it's gonna take time to sort it.

From: Enabran Templar
I see such potential here. I can't bear the thought of it being squandered as a result of bad policy or mis-placed priorities.
From what I've read of Mr. Rosedale; I wouldn't be half supriesed if he felt the same.
Enabran Templar
Capitalist Pig
Join date: 26 Aug 2004
Posts: 4,506
11-05-2005 15:44
From: AJ DaSilva
One opinion I have is that really you're not paying for the software, anyone who wants to use it can download it for free now (I myself don't have the money for any land and wouldn't be using SL at all if there were any kind of recurring fee). The way I see it is that while profit from tier fees and such goes to developing the software and paying salaries what you're really paying for is the servers and their maintenance. I heard talk of LL looking into finding a new business model, but this will obviously take time.


Sure, that's a fair assessment. But either way, bad user experience means you're not getting full enjoyment of the server use and maintenance for which you are paying. :(

From: AJ DaSilva
If the tech demo wouldn't be there otherwise I think it's perfectly fair ("Your World" indeed!). And, just to be picky, since there isn't anything else quite like SL it's not a sub-par experience, it's the only experience. Like the old 'boneshaker' bicycles; it was much smoother to walk, but if you wanted to be at the cutting edge you had to put up with some discomfort.


On this I must agree! It's the only show in town if you want the sort of experience and opportunities we do. I mean, what're we going to do? Take our business elsewhere?

We're tied, and I suppose they know it. I think that that's probably a big part of their strategic planning, even if they don't say it. If you're free of competition in a sector with enormous barriers to entry that include both research and infrastructure, you get to play a little fast and loose with your customer satisfaction. It's just a fact of life.

One, I think, that cannot be counted upon forever.
_____________________
From: Hiro Pendragon
Furthermore, as Second Life goes to the Metaverse, and this becomes an open platform, Linden Lab risks lawsuit in court and [attachment culling] will, I repeat WILL be reverse in court.


Second Life Forums: Who needs Reason when you can use bold tags?
Cienna Rand
Inside Joke
Join date: 20 Sep 2003
Posts: 489
11-05-2005 18:48
I think I speak for everyone when I say it should be:
From: someone
It is our mission to efficiently network market-driven infrastructures in order to conveniently create virtual information to exceed customer expectations.
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You can't spell have traffic without FIC.
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Conversation : Coming soon!
Enabran Templar
Capitalist Pig
Join date: 26 Aug 2004
Posts: 4,506
11-05-2005 18:51
From: Cienna Rand
I think I speak for everyone when I say it should be:


It's cheating if you put it through one of those automated stupid mission statement generators. ;)
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From: Hiro Pendragon
Furthermore, as Second Life goes to the Metaverse, and this becomes an open platform, Linden Lab risks lawsuit in court and [attachment culling] will, I repeat WILL be reverse in court.


Second Life Forums: Who needs Reason when you can use bold tags?
Jsecure Hanks
Capitalist
Join date: 9 Dec 2003
Posts: 1,451
11-05-2005 18:56
From: Cienna Rand
I think I speak for everyone when I say it should be:


Do you know where I can get to one of those mission statement generators? :) I want one to put some, uh, additional material at the bottom of my CV :p
Alan Palmerstone
Payment Info Used
Join date: 4 Jun 2004
Posts: 659
11-05-2005 19:50
Huns, I think this one is more appropriate:

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Visit Parrot Island - relax on the beach, snuggle at the waterfall, ride the jetskis, make a movie and buy a pool!
Alan Palmerstone
Payment Info Used
Join date: 4 Jun 2004
Posts: 659
11-05-2005 19:53
LL's mission:

78,190 strangers are put into a virtual environment where they may not leave, or have any contact with the outside world, and must vie for $2 a week.

Things, as you could imagine, get a little raw. Personalities clash, alliances are made, relationships are explored and feelings get hurt. The amount of plotting in this reality show rivals a professional chess game.
_____________________
Visit Parrot Island - relax on the beach, snuggle at the waterfall, ride the jetskis, make a movie and buy a pool!
squall Murakami
Burning SOMETHING
Join date: 5 Sep 2005
Posts: 84
11-05-2005 20:02
MISSION STATEMENT:

to be the best, period, end of statement
SuezanneC Baskerville
Forums Rock!
Join date: 22 Dec 2003
Posts: 14,229
11-05-2005 20:04
From: Logan Bauer
up there with the telephone and television
Three dimensional telemarketer avs, 10 thousand sims and nothing to watch.
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So long to these forums, the vBulletin forums that used to be at forums.secondlife.com. I will miss them.

I can be found on the web by searching for "SuezanneC Baskerville", or go to

http://www.google.com/profiles/suezanne

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http://lindenlab.tribe.net/ created on 11/19/03.

Members: Ben, Catherine, Colin, Cory, Dan, Doug, Jim, Philip, Phoenix, Richard,
Robin, and Ryan

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Charissa Korvin
Registered User
Join date: 15 May 2005
Posts: 138
11-05-2005 20:11
LL's Mission:
1:To create a virtual environment so diverse, flexible and unpredictable that it will be more challenging for Linden Labs to create a mission statement that will fully and efficiently encompass our run-away creation because, as much as LL breaks things, they must enjoy "ice skating uphill".

2: To create an open-source soap box for people with entirely too much free time. i.e: The forums.

3: To provide a reliable case study on effective mass enragement. In otherwords, finding an efficient means to use to piss off as many people simultaneously as possible. This may be difficult as other MMO environments in multiple formats have at the very least given this a very good try.
Osgeld Barmy
Registered User
Join date: 22 Mar 2005
Posts: 3,336
11-05-2005 20:37
...
Picabo Hedges
Second Life Resident
Join date: 12 Nov 2004
Posts: 262
11-06-2005 03:39
From: Enabran Templar
I looked around for a mission statement on the LL website, but I came up dry.

In any case, what is Linden Lab's mission? What is the one guiding principle or goal that drives every single decision? Do they have one?
The answer is amazingly simple - to make money with the least amount of time and effort. Is it obvious after each client side or server side "software upgrade"
Enabran Templar
Capitalist Pig
Join date: 26 Aug 2004
Posts: 4,506
11-06-2005 07:53
From: Pol Tabla
Linden Lab is a San Francisco-based company dedicated to encouraging self-expression, social interaction, and fun by creating technologically innovative shared 3D environments.


Pol wins the prize.
_____________________
From: Hiro Pendragon
Furthermore, as Second Life goes to the Metaverse, and this becomes an open platform, Linden Lab risks lawsuit in court and [attachment culling] will, I repeat WILL be reverse in court.


Second Life Forums: Who needs Reason when you can use bold tags?
Templar Baphomet
Man in Black
Join date: 13 Sep 2005
Posts: 135
11-06-2005 08:14
From: Les White
mission statement :

To get as many accounts as possible (even if the account only lasts 20 minutes before quiting in disgust) to bloat projected income. To dumbdown the sims to the (below)minium playable level to allow as many sims on a server as possible to make projected operating cost lower. Sell to a sucker company as the next big thing. Drink beer on the beach.


If so, then the poor suckers in the rank-and-file that are working 80-hour weeks for stock options have never heard the term "reverse split". This model only pays off the CxOs and the venture capitalists who have bought seats on the board with their investment. The people who actually make it happen end up getting screwed. They should be watching ... if they have options on common stock and there exists preferred stock ... they're hosed already.
Malachi Petunia
Gentle Miscreant
Join date: 21 Sep 2003
Posts: 3,414
11-06-2005 09:33
I'm not feeling too bad for the "rank-and-file" because as far as I can tell, policy is "we won't make you work weekends even if the grid is falling apart". As this is all speculation anyway, it might be the case that the developers couldn't work extra hours even if they wanted to. I could be wrong, and I do feel bad for the Liaisons who do have to deal with the "ZOMG, X is broken" all weekend long without being able to do a bloody thing about it.
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Pol Tabla
synthpop saint
Join date: 18 Dec 2003
Posts: 1,041
11-06-2005 11:10
From: Enabran Templar
Pol wins the prize.
I'd just like to thank Enabran for changing me from a short, mild-mannered avatar into a relentless killing machine.
Jamie Bergman
SL's Largest Distributor
Join date: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 1,752
11-06-2005 11:20
From: Alan Palmerstone
LL's mission:

78,190 strangers are put into a virtual environment where they may not leave, or have any contact with the outside world, and must vie for $2 a week.

Things, as you could imagine, get a little raw. Personalities clash, alliances are made, relationships are explored and feelings get hurt. The amount of plotting in this reality show rivals a professional chess game.


Brilliant!
Huns Valen
Don't PM me here.
Join date: 3 May 2003
Posts: 2,749
11-06-2005 18:34
From: Alan Palmerstone
Huns, I think this one is more appropriate:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Tateru Nino
Girl Genius
Join date: 13 Sep 2005
Posts: 312
11-06-2005 19:16
I've got a final one for you, Enabran (I know it's past time. I don't do competitions anyway):

"Maximise shareholder value" - Whatever a company's mission statement might be, at the end of the day, isn't this both a contractual and legal obligation?

If you don't make the shareholders happy, they'll shut you down (or out) and everything you're doing, without a care for what the customers think. And yes, I've spent a while on both sides, as well as wedged unhappily in between the two.
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