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Thoughts on the Linden Prize
Mitch Kapor's announcement of the Linden Prize at Second Life's fifth anniversary was rather surprising. Out of roughly 27 and a half minutes of presentation, the "very important announcement" got all of two and a half minutes of talk-time before Linden Lab's staff ran to the fire exits. There wasn't actually any fire, of course, but it was certainly astonishing just how fast they wound up and departed the event, especially in contrast to Rosedale and Kingdon's speeches on 23 June. It bordered on the unseemly.
Cocksure Lab nixes nipples
While Linden Lab's emissaries are busy scouring the Second Life fifth anniversary hunting down images of male and female people and avatars that might have a visible nipple, and insisting on the removal of such unspeakably offensive material (beware! Every mammal on the planet has at least two of these hideous markings!), one figure has the balls to remain above it all. Michelangelo's strapping jock, David, though he might be appearing completely nipple-free, still gets to let it all hang out, having been granted the big okay by Everett Linden to stand proud, tall, and unmodified (at least from the waist down) among displays with far more severe restrictions imposed. Nipples might be out out of order, but the Lab's staff seem to have ensured a successful cock-up for the delight and wonder of one and all. The Lab's staff may stand firm, but we're finding the whole package lacks consistency. Either the Lab needs to grasp things with both hands and tackle the issues (whichever of the available positions they may choose), or it's the users that will ultimately get the shaft in the end.
Rosedale: You can't do it
Linden Lab Chairman, Philip Rosedale and freshly-minted CEO Mark Kingdon gave an introductory speech at 10AM Pacific time to open Second Life's fifth anniversary for 23 June, 2008. While some have considered the speech to be somewhat bland and uninspired/uninspiring, it was pretty much what you'd expect, and you can still smell Rosedale's passion through his anecdotes. Interestingly, Rosedale referred (with characteristic Linden Lab not-actually-mentioning-it-directly obliqueness) to the troubles that arose from Linden Lab's takeover of the anniverary event from resident-organizers.
The last days of grace
Monday is a special day. Firstly, it's the fifth anniversary of Second Life -- though not the birthday, a fact which Linden Lab kind of drummed into me in 2006, when I made that mistake myself; The birthday is in March, the Lab insisted at the time, though the anniversary is in June. The Lab seems to be changing that tune and calling June the birthday nowadays. We're not sure if that's a concession to popular misuse, or if the Lab has become genuinely confused over it. It doesn't really matter, though. Monday's a special day for more than just that. Monday's the first day after the 90 day grace period on trademark use has expired.
The history and implications of SL's fifth anniversary
Virtual worlds consultant, pundit and thinker, Gwyneth Llewelyn has taken a long and detailed look at the background behind the Second Life fifth anniversary celebration, its planning and the eleventh-hour reversals that it has suffered and what they all mean in the ongoing, well, tension between Second Life users and Linden Lab, the operator of the virtual world. "Once it was clear that the decision was final and unappealable, the organisers understood the message perfectly: they were not in charge of SL5B any more." Llewelyn looks at earlier events, and how they were organized, and how they panned out, as well as the organization for this year's festival -- which began in July 2007, and whose core goals were finalized ten months ago, before being disrupted only three weeks ago. It is a thoughtful and interesting read, as we've come to expect from Llewelyn's work, and even if you disagree with her it is well worth your time.
Open Letter: Resident festival instead of Linden festival
Shoshana Epsilon has published an open letter to Linden Lab (which apparently has already been received enthusiastically by Everett Linden). The letter basically calls for the creation of a Second Life Fringe Festival to run at the time of the next Second Life anniversary in 2009. Essentially the resident-run, inclusive festival that this year's Fifth Anniversary was originally intended to be. That said, the Fringe Festival will not be seeking sponsorship, land donations or input from Linden Lab next year. Presumably, Linden Lab would be free to organize their own events, displays and activities for an anniversary next year, if they choose.
SL's fifth anniversary epic [updated]
"Zirn Left Unguarded, the Jenjik Palace in Flames, Jon Westerly Dead" -- Robert Sheckley Trinity Coulter (formerly) the Second Life fifth anniversary (SL5/SL5A/SL5B, pick one) organizing committee's main organizer has left (or been kicked out of) her role, only a scant week or so after replacing SignpostMarv Martin in that capacity. Group logs indicate she was ejected from the group by Dusty Linden. Coulter said that 'it was determined' that it would be in the best interest of SL5 for Coulter to 'step aside', when asked. According to SL5's Art director, Shosana Epsilon, Linden Lab's new position is a blanket ban where a child and an adult are pictured together in the same image, nor images of children near beds. So, no images of family outings, or implications that children sleep -- the image above would be right out, we presume, even though neither figure is a child avatar. Linden Lab staff previously stated that the Lab was afraid of legal restrictions that could partially or wholly shut down the Second Life service.
Linden Lab blinks
As you would know by now, Linden Lab recently changed policy on the resident-run Second Life fifth anniversary, essentially switching from a role of donating the virtual land resources for the event to an active management role, overriding the organizing committee and excluding certain community groups, switching the whole event from a predominantly mature event to an entirely G-rated occasion. Linden Lab's representatives told those involved that in the current political climate they feared a potential partial or complete shutdown of Second Life through legal avenues. Some organizers quit publicly, others simply hunkered down and quit operating silently, and some groups pulled out of the whole event. Now, it appears, Linden Lab has blinked.
Calling all cultures? Not any more
Remember "Calling all cultures to the Second Life 5th Birthday Celebration"? Remember "Celebrating the cultural diversity of Second Life"? How about "This is a Resident-created, Linden Lab-sponsored event, which means that Linden Lab has donated the land and various basic resources, but the rest comes from you, the community. And there is room for many people to get involved"? Well, not any more. Linden Lab feels their hand (and presumably the attached eye) has been forced. Linden Lab is taking "a more active role in the event." This means at least one of the groups of communities that has been the mainstay of the previous four anniversary events is being refused participation this year.
