“Our plans for world domination are proceeding quite nicely” – Philip Linden September 2004.
“We will not be successful unless we are fully open and the control over the world is in your hands. Were we to choose the alternative (as many of the current and former systems have), I think we would be rapidly competed out of business by something like SL. To get SL to reach across the world and become really big, we will have to give up most of our control over it. That is a sacrifice we are happy to make to see this thing happen.” – Philip Linden September 2004.
http://forums-archive.secondlife.com/3/c0/23939/1.html
I’d like to blame this on DrFran Babcock, I really would, but I’ve always been fascinated by the history of Second Life and the Second Life Forum Archive is a wonderful repository. The archive does not tell the full story, which is why I fully support DrFran Babcock’s SL Oldbie Project, but it does tell a big part of the story. The archive also demonstrates the wonderful concept of Linden Lab engaging with their residents, something the class of 2013 are missing out on. What sort of history will archivers find from the last couple of years in ten years time? Personally, I think it’s going to be bereft of detail and that’s a great shame.
Let’s hear a little more from Mr Rosedale, this time from November 2005:
“Well I’ll not take much time before the questions…But I suppose I can give an overview of what it feels like we are mostly debating this week….the changes to ratings stipends,and event support. I think it is important to point out, that by reducing stipends and supporting less events, We aren’t passing any kind of judgment on what people should or shouldn’t do with their time in SL we are simply making gradual steps toward the state of affairs that Second Life, as a platform, is designed for. The meaning of jobs and games and fun and socialization, and everything else here. Is created by you, not by us.
This means that the subsidies that we pay into the economy, and the things we support with our work,..they are temporary. SL is growing much too fast for us to do them indefinitely. I don’t want this to become this huge world where we all do some similar job for the Linden Lab ’empire’. That isn’t our thing. We want the jobs and purpose to come from you. I think this may get lost a bit in the debate….it isn’t and shouldn’t be our choice…whether clubs or events prosper or wane. the idea is you decide it.”
http://forums-archive.secondlife.com/3/6b/32776/1.html
This is a really important post because it highlights a time when Linden Lab were moving away from supporting the world financially. They were happy with the growth and moving towards a more hands off approach, it’s a landmark moment.
Continue reading “Second Life’s Historic Plans For World Domination”