Philip Rosedale's New Company Building Version of Linden Love Machine -- Original Inventor Cory Ondrejka Weighs In

On the blog of his new company, Philip Rosedale recently confirmed what some have speculated: His start-up is making a version of the Love Machine, an internal Linden system for spreading and aggregating praise to staff members. (However, that's not the totality of the company's plans, Philip coyly suggests, in true Philip fashion, by quoting the Third Stage Guild Navigator from Dune to say, "I see plans within plans.")

But will it serve a need to outside businesses? That largely depends on how well the original Love Machine worked. I asked Cory Ondrejka, Linden Lab's former CTO, co-creator of Second Life and inventor of the Linden's original Love Machine (before he was forced out of the company in 2007), for his take:

"The Love Machine was incredibly popular and allowed Linden to grow while reducing some management and communication problems, but it also raised new management challenges. Philip and Ryan will need to make it a more effective product if they're going to sell it to other businesses." Cory has a much more thorough analysis on his own blog, from the history of the original Machine and how it might be implemented on a broader scale.

Comments

[Echelon]

I wonder if systems like Love Machine will eventually evolve into something like Cory Doctrow's theoretical currency "Whuffie" It'll be interesting to see how this develops.

[Metacam Oh]

I mean I gotta say its pretty shocking that the creator of Linden Labs / Second Life, and to some a hero, is done with Second Life (way before he can ever see it be adapted mainstream if it ever will) for a business that will be selling the "Love Machine"

It's kind of a let down, and you know I mean the passion is gone from Phillip about his own platform... I'm not articulating myself well, but if its like if he gave up or got bored, what will happen to the rest of us?

[Barney Boomslang]

@metacam oh: well, simple. we will give up or get bored :)

[coco]

So SL was just a pyramid scam fad. And the LOVE machine is corporate EST for the 20 somethings.

[Delinda Dyrssen]

Just because Phillip has stepped back and is refocusing on other things, does not mean everyone else is. There are still a lot of people spending a lot of time and money on Second Life and unless/untill something better comes along I don't see that ending.

[anya ristow]

Maybe that SL hasn't lived up to its promise is clue that the linden love machine doesn't work. Who would think rewarding software developers for their charisma is a good idea?

The world doesn't need yet another way for charismatic people to reward each other. Kinda already done to death.

[Naoki Ninetails]

I guess I'm confused. Maybe I'm just cynical, but people needed to invest valuable time and money to develop a system for distributing praise when the game world itself has been on a slow but steady dive?

*Really?*

It sounds cute and futuristic... maybe this is just a testament to my not knowing anything about it, but it sounds kind of frivolous.

I guess I'd be converted into a believer if this Love Machine spoke with GLaDOS's voice and told me I looked pretty when I got to work every day.

That aside... does it feel to anyone else like LL is trying really hard to get something else under their belts before SL tanks (or they sell it to someone else)? If that's the case, it's not that I blame them. It's just a stark reality.

I think I took a hefty dose of pessimism this morning. I admit that I have been out of the loop and that my speculation is probably wayyyy off the mark, but I'd love it if people could illuminate for me.

[Loman Totempole]

That aside... does it feel to anyone else like LL is trying really hard to get something else under their belts before SL tanks (or they sell it to someone else)?

Is this, like, some kind of timed script that posts these things? If no one has made this statement in 48 hours, the script cranks up and finds an SL blog and posts some statement containing these (or a suitably equivalent sequence of) words, appending a rueful laugh or sneer or whatever?

If so, it's an impressive script, as it's been running for at least 4 years now with no sign of slippage.

[Ignatius Onomatopoeia]

Oh, I think SL will be around, as will Linden Lab.

After all, AOL is still in there.

And no one cares.

I wonder, in 5 years, if that will be the fate of our favored virtual world? That's probably a sadder fate than a Chapter 11.

Or Rosedale will make a Steve-Jobsian return to the Lab, in its darkest hour, and give us the virtual-world version of the iMac, complete with a knock-em-dead marketing campaign?

And like the Mac-head I am, I'll lap it all up :)

[Hamlet Au]

I'm surprised people think Philip's shift in focus will hurt Second Life. Beyond working on the Snowglobe viewer code and the map interface, Philip's main innovations in Second Life were in the first few years. He's a technologist, so he's less interested (or qualified) in the consumer-facing issues that M. and his team are dealing with. Frankly a lot of the growth problems in 2006-2007 probably happened because Philip put a lower priority on the first hour user experience or the user interface.

[Metacam Oh]

Hamlet I'm not implying his shift in focus will hurt Second Life, I'm more just asking the question as to ... What his shift in focus IMPLIES about Second Life and its future. The champion of Second Life is moving on from Second Life, and shifting his focus to a seemingly unexciting new venture.

[LittleLostLinden]

I just hope that this new Love Machine will have a theme song that is as good as or better than the Love Boat.

Let's all sing it out loud starting...Now!

The Looooove Boat, soon will be making another something......great song.

[Hamlet Au]

Metacam, remember that the main reason we know anything about Philip's new company is because he's posting info on it IN HIS SL OFFICE. I wouldn't be surprised if his new love machine has an SL aspect, such as modeling love data in 3D.

[Doreen Garrigus]

Arrrrgh! I'm going to *dream* the Love Boat song!

[Ignatius Onomatopoeia]

Let the Miracles' "I'm Just a Love Machine" blow "Love Boat" out of your head. It's been in my darned noggin since Hamlet ran this post!

Here's the cure:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHcQ5wRZ9iU

"I think it's high time you knew,
Whenever I think of you,
My mind blows a fuse.
When I look in you eyes,
My meter starts to rise, and I become confused.
My voltage regulator cools,
When I'm sitting next to you,
Electricity starts to flow,
And my indicator starts to glow - wooo
I'm just a love machine
And I won't work for nobody but you,
I'm just a love machine,
A huggin', kissin' fiend."

[Tammy Nowotny]

Why would an employer want to praise its employees? Especially, why would a company want to pay for a product which distributes praise to people who are just going to be downsized eventually?