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**Ellie** · 02-12-2011, 11:32 PM

http://dusanwriter.com/index.php/201...-of-linden-lab

Sounds promising to me, especially his take on privacy, but what do you guys think?

Link fixed

Deson Bowenford · 02-12-2011, 11:38 PM

I think there is something wrong with your link. I'm unable to access the page.

Rebel Television · 02-12-2011, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deson Bowenford

I think there is something wrong with your link. I'm unable to access the page.

Dusan Writer’s Metaverse » Virtual Dialogues: My Conversation with Rod Humble, CEO of Linden Lab

**Willow Matthews** · 02-13-2011, 01:12 AM

Loved it. This Rod bloke seems to "get" SL.

This quote from the comments pretty much summed it up for me:

Quote:

On 02.12.11 Suella Ember said:

Really good interview Dusan and I think Eris has hit on a very interesting point in the comments here with this comment:

“Maybe Pip Linden had the overall vision, but not the management/business skills to fully realise it? Maybe M Linden had business skills but no real sense of direction? Did we finally choose Bachelor No.3 who both gets it and might just be able to deliver on it too?”

I’ve always though of Philip as an idealist and M as a realist. That’s quite a broad generalisation but let me try to explain:

I love Philip. His vision and idealism was necessary for SL to even exist. Without his idealistic approach I don’t think SL would have grown to anywhere near the size it has. However, I do think that sometimes his vision suffered from being to ‘Utopian’ (for want of a better word). He sometimes sold SL as some sort of wonderful alternate universe where you can be or do whatever you want. While this is true to some extent, I think it ignored the unavoidable fact that there simply *has* to sometimes be tough business decisions to me made. I think that sometime Philip’s idealism promoted unrealistic expectations in it’s users. SL *is* a wonderful world where we can be and do things that we could never do in RL. However, we need to always remember that at the core of this world is a real world company that naturally has to come with all the facets (both good and bad) of a profit making business.

Don’t get me wrong, Philip obviously does have a strong business mind or he wouldn’t be as rich and successful as he is. I still think his idealism lacked a bit of realism sometimes though.

M on the other hand was very much a realist. He was a man of business who was prepared to make tough business decision, probably knowing full well that those decisions were going to be controversial and unpopular to some people. It’s not a popular type of person to be, but I think it was a type of person that was necessary for SL at the time. You could perhaps even argue that it was Philip’s over emphasis on idealism that ultimately made it necessary for a heavy dose of realism to bring things back in check.

The point is that I think both types of people were necessary for SL at various points in its evolution.

Now we are hopefully reaching a stage where it’s no longer necessary to over emphasise the idealist nature of SL because it is generally accepted that you can do and be wonderful things in SL. We also shouldn’t need to over emphasise the tough and unpopular business decisions any more. Those tough decisions have been made to bring SL back in check and what we now need is balance.

There are now enough people in SL to make the need to oversell it’s wonders unnecessary. LL as a company is now stable enough to make the need to take a tough business approach unnecessary.

What we now need is someone who can carefully balance the idealism and the realism. Someone who recognise all the wonderful things that SL is and can be, but who also recognises that at it’s core it’s still a business. Someone who can make SL even more wonderful and get even more people interested in SL without trashing everything that SL already is. Someone, it seems, like Rod.

He won’t please everyone, that is a fact. I think there will always be some who want SL to be like the very early days where, essentially, anything goes. It can never be that again though. It’s appeal has become to broad for that and is only likely to get even broader. What is important now is to balance that broad appeal which, ultimately, is what is best for the majority of SL users.

Bring it on Rod. Bring it on

Lil Hapmouche · 02-13-2011, 05:58 AM

From now on, thou shalt not pixelbump, but woohoo as your heart desires.

And what did they call the makeout option in the clothing booths in the business add-on for The Sims? Gosh, I forgot.

**Ellie** · 02-13-2011, 06:07 AM

NON-SEXY stuff.
Does that mean we don't get to trip Rodvik?

Free Xue · 02-13-2011, 08:22 AM

Quote:

I want to do some of the non-sexy stuff.

I totally misread that line.

Walker · 02-13-2011, 08:24 AM

I think I'm beginning to like this Rod Humble guy... even though he did kick Lordfly's dog.

Free Xue · 02-13-2011, 08:25 AM

Quote:

"I’m really interested in new ways we can interact with the world that we haven't done before. Maybe they're really simple things or radically simple. Like being able to access text chat when you're not in-world. Or being able to "see" the world without logging in, as if you can set up a camera to help people take a peek into what's happening at an event."

Yes please!

Free Xue · 02-13-2011, 08:27 AM

Pull quote for the privacy folk:

Quote:

No, I don't think that the conventional wisdom is the only way to look at it. Privacy is extremely important for anyone putting themselves out there, expressing themselves, or expressing a side of themselves through an avatar. People don't want other people to connect the dots from their avatar to their real life person – or even, for that matter, to an alt. One of the ethical obligations we have is to protect people's privacy.

People come to Second Life because they want a story, they want to be in a story….and we have an ethical obligation to protect that.

I'm not so sure that the conventional wisdom makes any sense. Yes, it might be technically easy to track people and all that. But in the long-term I'm optimistic that we'll see the pendulum swing back in the other direction towards more privacy.

**Beebo Brink** · 02-13-2011, 08:49 AM

Quote:

People come to Second Life because they want a story, they want to be in a story….

He gets it.

Brenda Connolly · 02-13-2011, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beebo Brink

He gets it.

At least he says he does. Actions speak louder than words. Let's hope he has the juice to get it done.

**Pie Psaltery** · 02-13-2011, 09:19 AM

Quote:

“Your World, Your Imagination?” I asked Humble.

“That seems pretty appropriate to me,” he said.

Man, this guy better deliver.

I'm almost resenting that he's making me feel like he does actually "get it" if only from being let down so many times from LL.

I'm wondering with this interview if I have enough left in me to believe one more time... or if this Rod is going to have enough in him to take me all the way over the edge.

I'd pretty much promised myself I would never fall in love again with SL because my tender little heart can only take so much disappointment.

Damn you, Rod Humble

**Ellie** · 02-13-2011, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Free Xue

I totally misread that line.

Me, too

Brenda Connolly · 02-13-2011, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pie Psaltery

Man, this guy better deliver.

I'm almost resenting that he's making me feel like he does actually "get it" if only from being let down so many times from LL.

I'm wondering with this interview if I have enough left in me to believe one more time... or if this Rod is going to have enough in him to take me all the way over the edge.

I'd pretty much promised myself I would never fall in love again with SL because my tender little heart can only take so much disappointment.

Damn you, Rod Humble

I agree. I've recently reinvested myself in SL, both from an emotional and financial standpoint. I have little trust or regard for corporate types of any ilk usually, but right now, he is walking the line between Phil and M admirably. He better not Fuck it up.

Isablan Neva · 02-13-2011, 10:32 AM

What he has to do is fix the way new users are introduced to SL. And I don't just mean orientation island. There has to be a controlled environment where dickheads are bounced out. You have to let people find their own paradise in SL, whether that be the anarchy of the Mainland or the controlled and themed private islands. Right now, new users don't have that choice. They have to run the gauntlet of chaos and crazy people at the greyhound bus terminal in order to get to the good stuff.

Brenda Connolly · 02-13-2011, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isablan Neva

What he has to do is fix the way new users are introduced to SL. And I don't just mean orientation island. There has to be a controlled environment where dickheads are bounced out. You have to let people find their own paradise in SL, whether that be the anarchy of the Mainland or the controlled and themed private islands. Right now, new users don't have that choice. They have to run the gauntlet of chaos and crazy people at the greyhound bus terminal in order to get to the good stuff.

Good analogy. The new user experience has always reminded me of getting off the bus at New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal. All sorts of scumbags and miscreants looking for fresh meat.

**Ellie** · 02-13-2011, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isablan Neva

What he has to do is fix the way new users are introduced to SL. They have to run the gauntlet of chaos and crazy people at the greyhound bus terminal in order to get to the good stuff.

Exactly!

I'm 6 months old & was lucky enough to meet two amazing mentors who sorted me out, before I either killed some jerk or left through the sheer frustration of being frequently naked in public, looking ugly as sin and flamed for wearing a nasty face light I couldn't figure out how to remove.

Btw, Rod, if you are reading this thread, and I have a creepy feeling that you may well be, don't ever break our hearts by letting SL go dark; many of us have lost a favorite game or world and are haunted by the memories, good and bad, both. Good luck to you!

Loraan Fierrens · 02-13-2011, 10:47 AM

I will not get excited... I will not get excited... I will not get excited...

Seriously though, this is looks really promising. He does seem to "get" more than others I have seen. I was particularly interested in his summary at the end about being able get someone "intelligent" started in SL and having them thank you later. I have a friend from work I have been helping get started, and I know she has had a rough time.

I also found his discussion of identity interesting. I don't know what to make of it, but I do think that the nature of identity is changing. At least our old notions of identity are being challenged. To have someone at the helm who talks about this is a hopeful sign.

Oh, and I interpretted his "non-sexy stuff" comment to mean unglamorous technical stuff. It was a little unclear to me looking at the posts in this thread. They make it sound like he is going to take away all our freenises. Of course, he might still want to do that, but that wasn't what he was talking about in the interview. My apologies if you were all just kidding. My humor detectors aren't operating at peak efficiency before I have had my tea.

**Ellie** · 02-13-2011, 10:49 AM

I WAS just kidding, but if I can corner him somewhere quiet....should I shoot him or kiss him?

DanielRavenNest · 02-13-2011, 10:57 AM

The CEO "getting it" is one thing, having the other 250 people who work there follow along is the real skill they pay a CEO for. My little window on the Viewer development email list is at least encouraging. The 2.0 viewer was way not ready for public use, but the 2.6 viewer (which is not released to the public yet) is *almost* there, and it's been heading in the right direction.

Loraan Fierrens · 02-13-2011, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isablan Neva

They have to run the gauntlet of chaos and crazy people at the greyhound bus terminal in order to get to the good stuff.

I never really thought of it in those terms, but you're right. And that is a great way to put it. My experience was not so bad people-wise, but it was like getting dumped in the worst part of town. I still remember looking around the infohub and wondering what the hell I was even seeing. I still don't understand why they got rid of the new orientation zones as part of the starting expeirence. I mean the places like Caledon Oxbridge, which is really nice and helpful.

Penny Patton · 02-13-2011, 11:11 AM

There's a lot he needs to fix. If he only realizes a fraction of it he could still turn LL's fortunes around drastically.

If he puts together a competent art department and makes some big changes to the new user experience we'll know he's on the right track.

Brenda Connolly · 02-13-2011, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penny Patton

There's a lot he needs to fix. If he only realizes a fraction of it he could still turn LL's fortunes around drastically.

If he puts together a competent art department and makes some big changes to the new user experience we'll know he's on the right track.

And figures out a way for people to give him their money easily.

**Ellie** · 02-13-2011, 11:15 AM

I have that covered. How much do you think he would charge?

02-12-2011, 11:32 PM	#1 (permalink)
Ellie Senior Member *SLU Supporter* Missing Bits of Me Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Ring Of Fire Posts: 490 My Mood: SL Join Date: 2010 Blog Entries: 1	Rod Humble,"“I want to do some of the non-sexy stuff" http://dusanwriter.com/index.php/201...-of-linden-lab Sounds promising to me, especially his take on privacy, but what do you guys think? Link fixed __________________ I always have a few meeroos loose in the top paddock "Thread flamewars are a marathon, not a sprint, young one." Joshua Nightshade Last edited by Ellie; 02-12-2011 at 11:50 PM. Reason: I borked t link ..again

02-12-2011, 11:38 PM	#2 (permalink)
Deson Bowenford Senior Member Daft as a brush.... Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 257 My Mood: Business: Deson's Curios	I think there is something wrong with your link. I'm unable to access the page. __________________ We're sorry but the number that you have dialed is imaginary. Please rotate your phone 90 degrees and try again."

02-13-2011, 10:32 AM	#16 (permalink)
Isablan Neva Mercenary of Illusion Disruptive Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: California! We do disasters right! Posts: 3,938 My Mood: SL Join Date: November, 2004 Business: Skybox Nirvana, Tenth Muse Furniture	What he has to do is fix the way new users are introduced to SL. And I don't just mean orientation island. There has to be a controlled environment where dickheads are bounced out. You have to let people find their own paradise in SL, whether that be the anarchy of the Mainland or the controlled and themed private islands. Right now, new users don't have that choice. They have to run the gauntlet of chaos and crazy people at the greyhound bus terminal in order to get to the good stuff. __________________ ________________________________ SLU: I came for the community. I stayed for the derails. Visit my Marketplace Store!

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02-13-2011, 05:58 AM	#5 (permalink)
Lil Hapmouche Extreme Lurker XXL rawr Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 2,722 SL Join Date: 2007ish someday Business: B5IV Roleplay Client: Firestorm	From now on, thou shalt not pixelbump, but woohoo as your heart desires. And what did they call the makeout option in the clothing booths in the business add-on for The Sims? Gosh, I forgot.

02-13-2011, 06:07 AM	#6 (permalink)
Ellie Senior Member *SLU Supporter* Missing Bits of Me Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Ring Of Fire Posts: 490 My Mood: SL Join Date: 2010 Blog Entries: 1	NON-SEXY stuff. Does that mean we don't get to trip Rodvik?

02-13-2011, 08:24 AM	#8 (permalink)
Walker Senior Member *SLU Supporter* ... Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 15,774 Awards: 1	I think I'm beginning to like this Rod Humble guy... even though he did kick Lordfly's dog.

02-13-2011, 10:47 AM	#19 (permalink)
Loraan Fierrens Had enough Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,477 My Mood:	I will not get excited... I will not get excited... I will not get excited... Seriously though, this is looks really promising. He does seem to "get" more than others I have seen. I was particularly interested in his summary at the end about being able get someone "intelligent" started in SL and having them thank you later. I have a friend from work I have been helping get started, and I know she has had a rough time. I also found his discussion of identity interesting. I don't know what to make of it, but I do think that the nature of identity is changing. At least our old notions of identity are being challenged. To have someone at the helm who talks about this is a hopeful sign. Oh, and I interpretted his "non-sexy stuff" comment to mean unglamorous technical stuff. It was a little unclear to me looking at the posts in this thread. They make it sound like he is going to take away all our freenises. Of course, he might still want to do that, but that wasn't what he was talking about in the interview. My apologies if you were all just kidding. My humor detectors aren't operating at peak efficiency before I have had my tea.

02-13-2011, 10:49 AM	#20 (permalink)
Ellie Senior Member *SLU Supporter* Missing Bits of Me Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Ring Of Fire Posts: 490 My Mood: SL Join Date: 2010 Blog Entries: 1	I WAS just kidding, but if I can corner him somewhere quiet....should I shoot him or kiss him?

02-13-2011, 10:57 AM	#21 (permalink)
DanielRavenNest Senior Member Rocket Science Library - now open! Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: In UR Internetz Posts: 5,102 My Mood: SL Join Date: Jun 27, 2006 Client: 7 of them (I like testing)	The CEO "getting it" is one thing, having the other 250 people who work there follow along is the real skill they pay a CEO for. My little window on the Viewer development email list is at least encouraging. The 2.0 viewer was way not ready for public use, but the 2.6 viewer (which is not released to the public yet) is almost there, and it's been heading in the right direction.

02-13-2011, 11:11 AM	#23 (permalink)
Penny Patton Moo. Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Here and there. Kinda inbetween places now. Posts: 3,695 My Mood: SL Join Date: 11/30/2005 Business: Happy Bivouac/Milk&Cream	There's a lot he needs to fix. If he only realizes a fraction of it he could still turn LL's fortunes around drastically. If he puts together a competent art department and makes some big changes to the new user experience we'll know he's on the right track.

02-13-2011, 11:15 AM	#25 (permalink)
Ellie Senior Member *SLU Supporter* Missing Bits of Me Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Ring Of Fire Posts: 490 My Mood: SL Join Date: 2010 Blog Entries: 1	I have that covered. How much do you think he would charge?

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