Second Life Forums Archive - Lindens are you planning to commit suicide?

Clinton Stravinsky

Registered User

Join date: 12 Sep 2004

Posts: 33

02-01-2007 14:05

I'm on since Oct 2004.

So i've seen heaps of shit hitting the fan. I went with you through some very tough times, but that was always related to technical issues or unexpected peak usage.

But this one was on purpose. At some point you decided to strangle yourself and started to offer free accounts, without preparing the appropriate infrastructure.

You can't treat paying customers like this over a longer period of time.

No additional cursing and foot stomping from Clinton.
I'm one of the silent guys.
But you can't say nobody told you.

Sincerely,

C.

Malachi Petunia

Gentle Miscreant

Join date: 21 Sep 2003

Posts: 3,414

02-01-2007 17:57

I've said it elsewhere, but it amuses me so I'll say it again. SL is following the Friendster business model:

create a social networking thingy
get a zillion people to join
magic happens here
profit

except for friendster - and as yet LL - step #3 is problematic.

There is a NewYork Times article which gives a little insight into what happened to Friendster. From the article:

There is no single reason that explains Friendster’s failures, Professor Piskorski added, which is what makes it academic fodder. “It’s a power story,” he said. “It’s a status story. It’s an ego story.” But largely, he said, Friendster is a “very Silicon Valley story that tells us a lot about how the Valley operates.”

_____________________

Raven Ivanova

Registered User

Join date: 4 Dec 2006

Posts: 70

02-02-2007 12:33

Great article.

SL has been clever enough to go Open Source, but even with that up their sleeve, if stability and performance doesn't improve, I can see myself happily transferring to a future SL copycat that will offer me *consistently* good performance at least 80% of the time. (and way fewer hazardous and deadly "updates"

Here are some tidbits I took out of the article, which may reflect the scenario we are currently experiencing at SL.

-----------------------------------------------
"But the board also lost sight of the task at hand, according to Kent Lindstrom, an early investor in Friendster and one of its first employees. As Friendster became more popular, its overwhelmed Web site became slower. Things would become so bad that a Friendster Web page took as long as 40 seconds to download. Yet, from where Mr. Lindstrom sat, technical difficulties proved too pedestrian for a board of this pedigree. The performance problems would come up, but the board devoted most of its time to talking about potential competitors and new features, such as the possibility of adding Internet phone services, or so-called voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP, to the site.

THE stars would never sit back and say, ‘We really have to make this thing work,’ ” recalled Mr. Lindstrom, who is now president of Friendster. “They were talking about the next thing. Voice over Internet. Making Friendster work in different languages. Potential big advertising deals. Yet we didn’t solve the first basic problem: our site didn’t work.”

In retrospect, Mr. Lindstrom said, the company needed to devote all of its resources to fixing its technological problems. But such are the appetites of companies fixated on growing into multibillion-dollar behemoths. They seek to run even before they can walk.

“We completely failed to execute,” Mr. Doerr said. “Everything boiled down to our inability to improve performance.”
-----------------------------------------------

I hope SL will overcome this current inability before the copycats start popping up.

Maggie McArdle

FIOS hates puppies

Join date: 8 May 2006

Posts: 2,855

02-02-2007 12:53

just insert Cory. Phil etc etc into the Mr Lindstrom spot and You have an article pertainin to Sl 2 years from now, if it lasts that long......

i take it Friendster is kaput?

_____________________

There's, uh, probably a lot of things you didn't know about lindens. Another, another interesting, uh, lindenism, uh, there are only three jobs available to a linden. The first is making shoes at night while, you know, while the old cobbler sleeps.You can bake cookies in a tree. But the third job, some call it, uh, "the show" or "the big dance," it's the profession that every linden aspires to.

Cocoanut Koala

Coco's Cottages

Join date: 7 Feb 2005

Posts: 7,903

02-02-2007 12:58

"Yet, from where Mr. Lindstrom sat, technical difficulties proved too pedestrian for a board of this pedigree. The performance problems would come up, but the board devoted most of its time to talking about potential competitors and new features, such as the possibility of adding Internet phone services, or so-called voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP, to the site.

"THE stars would never sit back and say, ‘We really have to make this thing work,’ ” recalled Mr. Lindstrom, who is now president of Friendster. “They were talking about the next thing. Voice over Internet. Making Friendster work in different languages. Potential big advertising deals. Yet we didn’t solve the first basic problem: our site didn’t work.”

-----

Lord, that does sound familiar.

coco

_____________________

VALENTINE BOUTIQUE
at Coco's Cottages

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Rosieri/85/166/87

Lindens are you planning to commit suicide?
Clinton Stravinsky Registered User Join date: 12 Sep 2004 Posts: 33	02-01-2007 14:05 I'm on since Oct 2004. So i've seen heaps of shit hitting the fan. I went with you through some very tough times, but that was always related to technical issues or unexpected peak usage. But this one was on purpose. At some point you decided to strangle yourself and started to offer free accounts, without preparing the appropriate infrastructure. You can't treat paying customers like this over a longer period of time. No additional cursing and foot stomping from Clinton. I'm one of the silent guys. But you can't say nobody told you. Sincerely, C.
Malachi Petunia Gentle Miscreant Join date: 21 Sep 2003 Posts: 3,414	02-01-2007 17:57 I've said it elsewhere, but it amuses me so I'll say it again. SL is following the Friendster business model: create a social networking thingy get a zillion people to join magic happens here profit except for friendster - and as yet LL - step #3 is problematic. There is a NewYork Times article which gives a little insight into what happened to Friendster. From the article: There is no single reason that explains Friendster’s failures, Professor Piskorski added, which is what makes it academic fodder. “It’s a power story,” he said. “It’s a status story. It’s an ego story.” But largely, he said, Friendster is a “very Silicon Valley story that tells us a lot about how the Valley operates.” _____________________
Raven Ivanova Registered User Join date: 4 Dec 2006 Posts: 70	02-02-2007 12:33 Great article. SL has been clever enough to go Open Source, but even with that up their sleeve, if stability and performance doesn't improve, I can see myself happily transferring to a future SL copycat that will offer me consistently good performance at least 80% of the time. (and way fewer hazardous and deadly "updates" Here are some tidbits I took out of the article, which may reflect the scenario we are currently experiencing at SL. ----------------------------------------------- "But the board also lost sight of the task at hand, according to Kent Lindstrom, an early investor in Friendster and one of its first employees. As Friendster became more popular, its overwhelmed Web site became slower. Things would become so bad that a Friendster Web page took as long as 40 seconds to download. Yet, from where Mr. Lindstrom sat, technical difficulties proved too pedestrian for a board of this pedigree. The performance problems would come up, but the board devoted most of its time to talking about potential competitors and new features, such as the possibility of adding Internet phone services, or so-called voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP, to the site. THE stars would never sit back and say, ‘We really have to make this thing work,’ ” recalled Mr. Lindstrom, who is now president of Friendster. “They were talking about the next thing. Voice over Internet. Making Friendster work in different languages. Potential big advertising deals. Yet we didn’t solve the first basic problem: our site didn’t work.” In retrospect, Mr. Lindstrom said, the company needed to devote all of its resources to fixing its technological problems. But such are the appetites of companies fixated on growing into multibillion-dollar behemoths. They seek to run even before they can walk. “We completely failed to execute,” Mr. Doerr said. “Everything boiled down to our inability to improve performance.” ----------------------------------------------- I hope SL will overcome this current inability before the copycats start popping up.
Maggie McArdle FIOS hates puppies Join date: 8 May 2006 Posts: 2,855	02-02-2007 12:53 just insert Cory. Phil etc etc into the Mr Lindstrom spot and You have an article pertainin to Sl 2 years from now, if it lasts that long...... i take it Friendster is kaput? _____________________ There's, uh, probably a lot of things you didn't know about lindens. Another, another interesting, uh, lindenism, uh, there are only three jobs available to a linden. The first is making shoes at night while, you know, while the old cobbler sleeps.You can bake cookies in a tree. But the third job, some call it, uh, "the show" or "the big dance," it's the profession that every linden aspires to.
Cocoanut Koala Coco's Cottages Join date: 7 Feb 2005 Posts: 7,903	02-02-2007 12:58 "Yet, from where Mr. Lindstrom sat, technical difficulties proved too pedestrian for a board of this pedigree. The performance problems would come up, but the board devoted most of its time to talking about potential competitors and new features, such as the possibility of adding Internet phone services, or so-called voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP, to the site. "THE stars would never sit back and say, ‘We really have to make this thing work,’ ” recalled Mr. Lindstrom, who is now president of Friendster. “They were talking about the next thing. Voice over Internet. Making Friendster work in different languages. Potential big advertising deals. Yet we didn’t solve the first basic problem: our site didn’t work.” ----- Lord, that does sound familiar. coco _____________________ VALENTINE BOUTIQUE at Coco's Cottages http://slurl.com/secondlife/Rosieri/85/166/87

Welcome to the Second Life Forums Archive

Lindens are you planning to commit suicide?