Yesha to take the ride with Philip (SLCC 2008).
First the news (big for me) then some reflection.
From this official Linden Lab page:
Mark Kingdon is going to step down as CEO, and I am going to return as interim CEO, working side-by-side with former CFO Bob Komin, who is being promoted to COO.
This is a big, tough change but one the board of directors and management team deeply believes in. We owe Mark great thanks for the many things we’ve accomplished in these last two years — most notably a great improvement in the stability of Second Life, and also the hiring and nurturing of a strong team of new leaders who are now ready to do some amazing work together.
This is big (as Philip Rosedale says). This item is of course linked to the major downsizing — perhaps right sizing — and of course, to the decline in the value of Linden Dollar.
My basic take: the direction of making second life a 3D Facebook is not working. Why? because we have Facebook for Facebook, and because infrastructure does not support it yet. Board have seen that — and they want change.
I still think that Second Life is the best real 3D3C virtual world we have to date. I think it is a great for experimentation, education, testing, learning, some minor work, etc. It is FAAAR from being ready and able for prime market. Further, people attention today is in Facebook (not to say Farmville), iPhones and iPads.
I’m looking forward to Phillip direction. While I wish this return is like “Steve Jobs returning to apple” , I think the challenge is different. While Philip is not a novice in Second Life (despite what his bubble says), I think he has a difficult and complex challenge. Core is key. Make Second Life what it can be a 3D world.
Goog Luck.