12 Years ago Second Life launched in all its blazing
glory and became home to virtual world enthusiasts from around the globe who
were excited to explore a brand new world. It was bliss, pure addiction from
the start as the pioneers brought new ideas and creativity to the grid. Members
spend countless hours and lots of money building our environment and making it
a better place for everyone.
As time passed
more businesses and venues popped up and the community was booming with
activity. Three years into it, the Lindens seemed to retreat and spend less
time supporting the community and our efforts.
People took notice and morale started to decline. Squabbling, griefing,
break ups and make ups became a regular occurrence that only added to the grid
troubles.
There have been many changes through the years as I
reflect back on my experience as an SL journalist. I’ve spent years documenting
and observing the activities and people of Second Life. It saddens me to see
such a great virtual world of potential be treated with such carelessness and
disregard by the “Gods” who created it and their devout followers.
A decade is a long time to
invest with the continued hope that all of the wonderful things Second Life has
to offer only gets better with time, but I must admit I felt very disappointed
by the display of community involvement handed to SL members at yesterday’s
Premium Member 1SL12B Tiki Party.
I would think with the
investment of every premium member’s time and money, the Lindens would have
provided the community with something to marvel at while showcasing what Second
Life is really capable of. It was nothing short of throwing us a shriveled up
cold hotdog on a flimsy paper plate with no bun! That is how cold this party
was served to us. The atmosphere was similar to a Noob landing point with no
real agenda or organized plan.
Upon landing on a bridge, it took forever to
rezz and if I was lucky enough to move, I went straight for the bushes. I could see scores of avatars standing around
not really knowing what direction to go in. Some could be heard complaining
about lag, others wondering why they were unable to get their free premium gift
of a dinosaur avatar from the kiosk. After gaining my wits I was able to
observe some of the crowd congregating around a sprinkle of Lindens who did
nothing more than banter in local chat about irrelevant topics and small talk.
After absorbing this unorganized event I
expressed my opinion in open chat about my disappointment and how I expecting
more out of the Lindens. Only one other
person was bold enough to agree while everyone else just stared like deer in a headlight.
I shrugged and I teleported
back to the SL Enquirer Media Center to reflect on what I had witnessed and
felt compelled to go back and give it another shot. Maybe it really wasn’t what
it seemed and fireworks or something was about to happen while a parade of lindens
would present themselves and give everyone in attendance a great show well
deserved.
I went back to the party and
found myself surrounded by the same sea of confused avatars just standing
around and planting kisses on the asses of the few Lindens who were there. I
thought to myself, is this really all they could do for us?
Across the bridge I could see dinosaurs
basking in the sand, one of which was Michael Linden. The next question that
came to mind was, what do dinosaurs have to do with any of this and how does it
fit the theme? I guess I should just be grateful for the bone they did throw at
us and maybe it will all make sense later.
My final thought is this…
I love Second Life and still
see its potential but my patience for improvement is fading. I hope to witness
something spectacular at the SL12B Birthday Party; an event that shows the
community they are truly appreciated and not just avatars that LL counts on who
continue to work hard to breathe life into this virtual world.
I feel like the Lindens have
let us down and abandoned us in many ways. I don’t want to see them show their pixel
faces because they feel they have to rather than want to. What are your
thoughts on how the Lindens Gods show us their appreciation? Use the comment
box below and express what you want to see. Maybe LL will step it up.
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