Looking into 2010

Daniel Voyager, Eddi Haskell, The Metaverse Journal, Gwyneth Llewelyn, and many others have made predictions for 2010 in Second Life.   I have not since I am wrong enough as it is, but I see a few of the round-ups included Eggy's list which was very kind of those sites.

 

I am willing to use my trusty Tardis data banks and advice of K-9 to comment on their predictions of course.  It is always easier to tear down the work of others than do your own….

 

 

Nowhere near beta and we all know it.  The content process seems wonky at best.  People's desire for pretty graphics far out paces their desire to purchase the hardware Blue Mars requires to make it run.

 

Their pricing model seems to suggest a two class system that may not even be the base Second Life attracts.

 

Bottom line; too far out to be a factor, selling land in beta is telling , the claims of huge patches of land are betrayed when megabyte limits are disclosed, and too many other little gotchas ride on the back of their pretty graphics for them to make Second Life worry (yet).

 

 

Who cares if this happens or not?

 

Second Life is a niche market.  The iPhone is a niche market.  When combined you add nothing of value in numbers and the annoying fanboys you attract make the few additions unwanted.

 

Disclosure.  I do not own an iPhone and everyone I know who does is not someone I enjoy being around.  Fine, I am a Windows Mobile device owner.

 

 

The corporate culture at Linden Labs is unique and has done wonders in making their associates feel wanted and appreciated.  Were this gain not at the expense of any semblance of customer service skills or ability to do anything but alienate and chase those annoying buggers who wanted to hand you money off, it would be something worth exporting.

 

I can't stand to look over this Love Machine hippy crap in its entirety, so I will just hit on one part.   In the real world, a male manager sending "love notes" to his female associates for their great work does not spell success.  It spells creepiness and lawsuits.  Add in letting everyone know love has been shown for others and jealously that poisons your workplace and leads to third party accusations of banging in the copy room join the fun.

 

Person to person you say?  The first bitch that starts up with these on me is getting Spam blocked. 

 

I dare you to ask for funding on this one and own it during a rough patch when layouts are needed.

 

 

I agree with Eddi Haskell this is a winner.

 

 

I don't know where you work, but the machines where I do are so bogged down with Novell and "protect from me" programs that their Intel on-board graphics struggle with MS Paint. 

 

 

Not in 2010

 

 

People, if you predict every year as the year Open Sims makes it big you will either be right sooner or later when it does happen that year or wrong over and over when it does not.

 

My money is on the later.

 

 

Gwyneth Llewelyn's prediction of interoperability (even with Open Sim) is tragically misguided.  For the same reason AT&T doesn't make it easy to use your phone at Sprint or my Subway bonus card is rejected at Burger King, this will never ever happen.

 

 

The vast majority of court cases in the US never make it to trial.  Stroker's will not be in the minority.  

 

There will be no winner, no precedent, and life goes on.  Stroker gets a few bucks and Linden hopefully agrees to address a needed issue.

 

 

In America, the mere discussion of health care reform caused insane town hall meetings and will doom Democrats up for reelection in 2010.  People get mad.  Often for dumb or even no reason at all in America and make the first person they see pay. 

 

In Australia, gun grabs (at the taxpayers expense) that have done little but reduce suicides by firearm were imposed pretty easily, video games like GTA are banned or different there, and I agree with the folks at The Metaverse Journal; Internet censorship will be added to the list of indignities the people of Australia will just take. 

 

Sure, like gun suicides were replaced by more unpleasant ones, some people will get around this protection of seeing horrible adult things, but the mass will not and that is a sad commentary on what happens when a people do not make their government accountable.  Or they just feel the need to be wrapped in bubble wrap by their government and protected for some reason.

 

 

Linden is under the same obligation I am to tell you how many readers I have (millions), so please stay the hell away from me with their figures.

 

Having said that, the user numbers will reflect the actions and goal of Linden Labs.   At current that is as near as anyone can tell stupid actions that piss off customers towards a goal of leaving not one pleased in the slightest way.

 

They are going down now and I am fairly certain and will continue to do so until Linden makes some changes that are at least perceived as less idiotic and user hostile following some serious long overdue self examination.

 

 

The Linden – Resident relationship is not now, nor has it ever been workable.

 

On one side a bunch of people who feel they have more input on a business than is practical.  On the other side of bunch of people seemingly determined to piss off any and all people eager to hand them money.

 

The only correct and workable relationship is a customer – business relationship. 

 

The Lindens need training to do this and residents need to get real in many ways.  If you aren't a premium account holder, your voice is not going to be muted, but a setting just above that.

 

 

The real estate cash cow is going to keep loosing weight.   Linden has so ignored (near destroyed) the premium account model that it is already down to super model size.

 

Pick a service.  Let's say Flickr.  It says I am Pro!  I can do more!  I am cool.  Second Life?  Not so much.  Other users have no idea and the only real "privilege" I get is to pay tier and get a support ticket worked in three or four days.

 

When things were booming people were willing to live this with this but I am willing to bet the numbers are showing that is less the case today.

 

 

Blogs should make disclosures.

 

I feel I have the right to know if your clothing review included a free item (bribe) not just because of its possible influence on this "review", but because we both know a bad review means you won't be getting anymore free items from that vendor.

 

The same for you "Service Providers" who go on and on about your "opinion" on Second Life issues as if your opinion is in no way shaped by your bottom line.

 

 

Let's borrow a few things from E Bay.  How about a reputation for sellers and maybe ever buyers in profiles?

 

More?  Okay, the alt stuff needs to be under control, so yes – a flag that says this is your 22nd avatar isn't a bad idea.

 

 

The old west needs to give way to the industrial revolution.

 

For the benefits of advancement, the negatives of the old ways need to go first.   Griefers, content thieves, kid porkers, and anyone else who can't evolve needs to be rounded up and warned, punished, and banned in an effective way.

 

The first step is enforcement.  Linden would need to deputize if you will a group of folks with the power to enforce laws.  There is no way they can get the size of force needed otherwise and we know ARs will never be but a fraction of misdeeds.

 

Second step is adjudication.   Scrap these ignorant only attended by geek office hours and put in place a process where you have your version heard in front of a Linden who rules.

 

Third step is punishment.   Other services find a way to make people disappear forever and Second Life needs to do the same.  A ban needs to stick to be meaningful.

 

Unpublished step is to realize someone who files 100s of complaints with Linden is one of two things; a liar or whiny bitch.  Neither of which is something we need.   Yes, there is the remote possibility of them being a third thing, but you do not want to hear my view on rats.

 

Oh but we chase off users!  Yes, we do.  The ones who by their very existence chase off many others.

 

 

I was playing America's Army years ago when Punkbuster came along to bust and ban the cheaters.

 

Why Linden (years later) can't run similar software in the background that knows when copybot or other exploits are used to take on inventory that is counter to policy and laws is beyond me.

 

Same for griefers.   That is pretty unique behaviour that should be even less of challenge to flag.

 

 

Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are leaders.

 

What makes Steve Jobs so brilliant is he could give a shit what his users say or do.  

 

The Power PC chip is superior to Intel the users screamed yet Macs now use Intel chips.  The Mac OS is superior to all we heard loud and clear only to see Mac OS scrapped for a UNIX based GUI.  Make more Macs they demand and Jobs ignores their idiot cries knowing hookers and coke are a better plan for the companies future.  Apple makes money off iPods, iTunes, and iPhones – not that sad little group of annoying fanboys.

 

Like Bill Gates, Jobs knows nothing about his field in the technical sense when it comes down to it.  Woz and others did that the same way Gates collected parts of DOS & Windows from all over.  These two men succeed because they have a vision and they will kill your puppies and grandmother to get it done. Bill Gates is on many levels more ruthless than Jobs able to shake off hits that would be lethal to others.  For every Apple Lisa, Microsoft has ten train wrecks like Microsoft Vista, Microsoft Bob, and Justice Department woes that do them no harm (until something so clearly superior like Firefox comes in the game).

 

M. Linden / Mark Kingdon looks good in a suit.  He really does.  He could look good in that suit at any company because he is a generic executive with no vision.  He is what we are supposed to believe is a leader regardless of the company.  He leads men.  To their death.

 

M. Linden's resume (or curriculum vitae in other places) doesn't show anything that stands out from another faceless executive.  Phillip Linden / Rosedale could keep a crowd engaged for hours with his (often unrealistic perhaps pot inspired) visions.  M Linden one needs pot to hear speak.

 

At some point, the realization needs to be arrived at neither the customers or Lindens themselves have confidence in this man.   Not that he is a bad man.  Just a bad man for this job. Unless that job is devaluation and fire sale.

 

There can be a party, a gift, and of course a check, but this one head needs to roll before all our heads do

 

 

I don't care how gay this sounds (well, within the general area of you not being positive I am all about the cock anyway), but I love Second Life.   I really do.  I want it to survive.  Other bloggers can slobber over Metaplace only to see it fail (as they did to Lively) or go "general MMO" or give Blue Mars so much oral it makes me ill, but I am hopelessly devoted to this old girl.

 

Bitch I may (and will), but I am here for the long haul.  As with anything that is long term (relationship, prison term, Half Life level), that includes good times and bad.  I accept that.

 

I've never made a buck off Second Life and I don't intend to ever do so.  If anything, it's given me more in the way of experiences, friends, and of course – lots of stuff to make fun of and bitch about.