Synergy:
I think this could be a good thing. Philip Rosedale doesn't have the "vision" people credit him for; Second Life was never meant to be a metaverse, it was supposed to be a haptic interface technology.
SL is technically a happy accident from a failed product (re: Citydesk, FogBUGZ.)
Maybe now Linden Lab will get someone who understands the technological landscape and how software really works.