Second Life founder Philip Rosedale is leaving his role as "interim" CEO, he just announced, a position he held for four months after replacing Mark Kingdon and 30% of the staff was laid off. (As it happens, Philip first announced the end of day-to-day involvement in Linden Lab almost exactly a year ago.) After helping find a replacement CEO, Philip says he'll return to running LoveMachine Inc., his new startup, which develops a democratic management system he and Cory Ondrejka originally built for Linden. (It's used by Digg and a few other Internet startups.)
Now that I'm consulting for Avatar Reality's Blue Mars, I'll refrain from commenting directly, though I will say it's likely that most SL community members will be surprised by this announcement. Please feel free to discuss further in Comments!
Photo from a post on another LoveMachine Inc. project, building a self-aware AI in Second Life.
"I'll refrain from commenting directly, though I will say it's likely that most SL community members will be surprised by this announcement."
I will comment directly, and directly, I will say....."HOLY MOLY!!!"
Posted by: Little Lost Linden | Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at 06:36 PM
Round and round and round we go...again.
Posted by: Ignatius Onomatopoeia | Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at 06:39 PM
Say, if Philip pulls off that project for a self-aware AI in SL...make it the CEO!
Posted by: Ignatius Onomatopoeia | Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at 06:40 PM
What if we Residents asked Cory Ondrejka back as CEO to the board?
Would Cory accept? and would Philip concede?
Posted by: Flying Spaghetti | Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at 08:17 PM
"meet the new boss....same as the old boss"?I would vote for Cory.
Posted by: Coughran Mayo | Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at 08:30 PM
Breaking News! First new #LL CEO candidate identified! -> http://fwd4.me/iFv #InvestorLovemachineCertified #SL
Posted by: Komuso Tokugawa | Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at 08:47 PM
Coming soon to LL, "Ray" Linden, with a whole new bag 'o tricks!
Posted by: Concerned Citizen | Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at 09:05 PM
Don Draper for CEO
Posted by: Metacam Oh | Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at 09:15 PM
Wouldn't he just run off with his furry secretary?
Posted by: Hamlet Au | Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at 09:34 PM
In many businesses, esp the tech ones, this is known as a "hatchetman job." It's especially devious in using P Linden's supposed cache as a stopgap measure. It was an empty gesture and makes all his "so ernest" words of July 30, 2010 (just search you tube) only so much hot-air at best, and low self-serving manipulation and snake oil at worst. You gotta ask, who's really running the show? My guess is on Jack the Lad.
Posted by: Miso Susanowa | Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at 10:34 PM
... and what´s left of all those promises he made earlier. Fast, fun and easy? Pffffff, we´re left without support and the place got even laggier. No, he stuffs the teens up our throat, that´s really what we´re all have been waiting for. What is necessary, and urgent, is that tier prices go down! I say: the faster gone with him the better.
Posted by: Luci | Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at 11:22 PM
OMG WHOS DRIVING THIS TRAIN!!!!??????
Posted by: LokiLoki | Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 01:01 AM
So he's leaving even BEFORE there's a new CEO?? "I'll be leaving day-to-day management of the company and continuing in my role on the board, including helping in the search to find a great CEO"
Posted by: Judi Newall | Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 02:28 AM
The end is nigh!
http://2ourism.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/frazer.jpg
Posted by: HeadBurro Antfarm | Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 05:37 AM
In the immortal words of Kurt Vonnegut, "So it goes."
At this point, they could do worse than to let the residents elect a new CEO.
Posted by: Arcadia Codesmith | Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 08:36 AM
Is L. Bob Rife working on anything right now?
Posted by: Nan | Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 09:09 AM
so long Second Life
Posted by: comoro Infinity | Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 09:11 AM
Of course it was known since the time he came back that it was only temporary but this messege still came as a surprise. And it was so short ... I would have expected that they would have at least found someone else for this position.
Besides, Philip has not brought the big pull in SL that many people hoped for when M left. It stayed the same and in some areas turned to worse. The communication with residents is still not happening and LLs plans are still nothing but guesswork.
Posted by: Rin Tae | Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 09:55 AM
That banging sound is my head hitting the desk. Repeatedly.
Posted by: Csteph | Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 11:04 AM
The end is nigh!
Again.
Posted by: Doreen Garrigus | Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 02:13 PM
Is anyone else just plain tired? What a joke. At every opportunity the lab does the stupidest possible thing they can figure out to tweak off the residents. It is unbelievable. Philip goes back to his Love Machine.
I have only three requirements for the new CEO.
1. Some empathy for the customers you already have, who have been through enough already.
2. Some respect for the builders, organizers,store owners, land holders, musicians and artists who are making your world better every day and who should be be celebrated and publicized regularly.
(i still think live music is a killer app in SL and the lindens could professionalize it with some support , offering linden venues for large events and publicity in a very short time)
3. A commitment to make second life visionary again instead of some version of facebook.
Posted by: Exuberance LaFleur | Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 05:07 PM
It's not particularly surprising, it was a matter of when he left the position, it was only ever going to be temporary.
The big question is who comes next.
Posted by: Ciaran Laval | Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 05:15 PM
Don't think the current user base is on LL's plans for the future.
Fat guys on their basement posing as fashionists, furries and weirdos.. Is all we are to them :(
Posted by: Renmiri | Friday, October 22, 2010 at 10:06 PM
Or to put it in another way...
http://www.cubeyterra.com/2010/10/the-oldbie/
Posted by: Renmiri | Friday, October 22, 2010 at 10:17 PM