Open Forum: Does It Matter To You If The Lindens Love Your Second Life Content?

When I interviewed Von Johin, the avatar bluesman with a record label deal, he mentioned something I cut for length, but subsequently stuck with me.  He said a Linden staffer was a fan of his live in-world gigs:

I see him once in a while. Always fun when a Linden shows up.  Strangely validating.

This is a singer who has a fan club hundreds of Residents strong, who makes a substantial side income from his metaverse performances, and is now signed with a record company.  Despite all this, a visit from the Lindens somehow offers special significance, almost an official imprimatur.

The odd thing is, I've heard many, many other talented Residents express a similar sentiment-- somehow, no matter their success as content creators, a Linden acknowledgment is still among their top highlights.  Of course, I've heard the negative parallel even more-- talented SL content creators, enraged that no Lindens had praised their latest in-world work. Why do you think this is, and will it ever change?

Comments

[Pavig Lok]

Lindens are lovely validation. Generally they're here for work purposes and don't often get out and about in world just for socializing. If they turn up at your gig or build or event it usually means they've heard around the office that you've got something special worth seeing, or they've taken special time out of their day to go look. Having a Lindens attention is like being visited by a metaverse superstar - like yourself Hamlet :P People you'd think had other more important things to do with their time than come look at your modest output. :)

[Eris]

I must be weird...I don't give a damn if Lindens like my stuff, lol. OK, I know they make the world go round, but they also make it go pear-shaped too...

BUT I recently sold a couple of items to one of SL's better clothing designers and she used some in her latest build - I was completely delighted by that. It's very flattering when someone whose work you admire seems to return the favour.

[Dizzy Banjo]

Yeah I agree Pavig, I think it does count for something when Linden employee's visit your work, especially if it is one of the longer serving employee's who have seen this world grow and therefore really have experience of a breadth of other work to compare yours to. I've often thought that it would be good for Linden office hours to be migratory and move around the grid, instead of being sat in the same place each week. Office hours on the Greenies cat anyone ? It would only require simple event notices / a google cal which is actually up to date ( where did that Linden office hours calendar mysteriously disappear to by the way ?...)

As for how this translates into "officially featured content" ( and here I suppose I mean the showcase ) I think its a more difficult process. Personally I think some way of integrating the high quality content featured in a number of blogs into the showcase would be good. I guess its all about a process of informing residents about those locations as quickly and seamlessly as possible. This would benefit not only Linden, in terms of increasing retention rates in that crucial initial user experience, but also the community in the recognition and growth of high quality content across the grid. Of course, the assessment of "quality" here is subjective. If purely Linden staff assess it there will be ( and are ) cries of "feted". If the community assess this then the wider social politics of SL come into play, which is perhaps no bad thing... we reap what we collectively sow.

Two other issues being widely discussed at the moment that relate to user retention - browser integration and UI design - are also very important here. Dusan's competition had some great approaches laid out by many of the entrants, and its clear from Adam Frisby's work that an integrated browser client would ease the entry process.

However I think this issue of actually getting new users to quality content quickly is the key issue. It's also far harder to solve because it revolves around a number of social and economic challenges rather than technical and design implementations.

[Marianne McCann]

Last weekend, a Linden showed up for my weekly fireworks show. They've ben very popular this year, with capacity crowds being the norm. Yet I did find myself saying to a friend "And even a Linden showed up!" So ya, I'd say there is a weight there. It's much like Pavig said, they're here to work, and are limited in the amount of time they might spend out and about. To actually take the time to check out something going on in your workplace... well, it seems like it might mean something, I dunno.

[Gahum Riptide]

I guess it's a lot like having the top bosses at your company congratulate you, always an extra bonus. I haven't had a Linden come to see anything I've made, but one was randomly crossing Gaeta when she passed by my parcel. I struck up a conversation and she complimented my build. Whether it was earnest or just being nice, it still was extra nice to have a Linden say "Nice build".

[Laetizia Coronet]

Lindens are people. Good people, bad people, people with excellent taste, people with no taste whatsoever... "A" Linden showing up for your event / buying your stuff doesn't mean anything. An example - I think Torley has horrible taste in colours and I think his office in Grasmere is an eyesore. Now should it make me happy if he would admire something I made? Quite on the contrary - I'd look at it again to see where the Torleyness is so I can edit it out...

[Christophe Hugo]

It's one of the dirty secrets of Management: "give your employees whatever they want... as long as it's not a higher salary!"

It explains why there are so many VPs and "managers" in some companies: giving a flattering title to an employee costs nothing.

I imagine the pep talk in Linden lab's Human Resources office: "Come work for Linden Lab, great office location, cool company,... and you will BECOME A LINDEN! Oh, did I mention that, with the salary you'll get, you won't be able to afford more than a little studio in nearby Auckland?"

But who could blame Linden Lab for finding as many cheap ways as possible to motivate their hord: they have to keep their US$ to pay fo rthat expensive headquarters building they have just acquired in the heart of downtown San Francisco...

[Debbie Trilling]

"Strangely validating."

I think the phrase "strangely validating" perfectly sums up how I feel when I see a Linden at one of my shows or exhibitions.

It does raise a little thrill; don't really know why & sometimes I think perhaps it shouldn't, but nevertheless...

Just before seeing this thread, I noticed a "wow" comment from Torley against one of my sculptures. To be honest it felt good; and while that remains so I'll simply enjoy that feeling rather than adopting the "cool and cynical" attitude :)