In one of her recent posts on “Delinda’s Diary,” Delinda Dyrssen brought up that a number of people she communicated with felt that ironically most of the people behind Second Life, the more important workers of Linden Labs, don’t go about on the Grid much, “Hence the (Viewer) 2.X.”
Paisley Bebee wrote in a reply to a
blogger post on the subject:
... unfortunately I have to say that in my experience there are quite a few Lindens who don't know how to cam to click and sit, and certainly don't shop for clothes, skin, hair, ect. Therefore don't know how to adjust clothing, or wear it, or even find it after purchase. This is clear when you see Lindens wearing the same outfit year after year, same original system skin. .... I'm afraid rightly or wrongly, it is suspected that you don't care enough about your customer base to use your own product! And I don't mean, click and sit in a chair. I mean make machinima, take photo's, build something - create something, shop and rez something, wear something, find an event based on a narrow perimeter, go looking for an object that is really obscure on Search (etc.).Considering what’s been going on in the Metaverse, this might explain more than a few things. Blue Linden was one willing to mingle among the residents, but he’s not around as a Linden any more.
What to do? Delinda had this suggestion:
I believe the idea is ... If some of the really hard core users who spend many hours trying to educate, work, create, collaborate and or play in SL were to spend a few hours with some of the key Linden Labs employees.. one on one..doing what they do..showing these talented Linden Labs people the pitfalls.. the needs, the it would be cool or useful if we could, just even how to sit down or put on a pair of shoes (Phillip did say it was difficult to do that). Then .. and only then could they really come up with a viewer and platform that serves most people needs in a “Fast Fun and Easy” way.
Delinda’s suggestion was that the higher profile bloggers could get their attention, “Pssst, Philip ... “ Her suggestion was that involved Lindens would spend 4 hours inworld with their mentor, phone off the hook with nothing to interrupt baring emergencies and maybe a few breaks. Paisley Bebee felt the mentoring time probably should be a week, “Not only would you learn an enormous about your software, you would learn about your customers!! AND the PR would be fabulous, absolutely fabulous. Linden Lab you need to do this. Most other companies do this these days. Good customer service and increased sales demand you get over your ego, admit you DONT know it all. And be humble enough to find out what we the customers use your product for, and what we want.”
So what do you the readers think? Do you feel the Lindens, to borrow Paisley’s words, can get over their egos to get a mentor? How would you feel about mentoring a Linden? How successful do you think such a program would be?
Bixyl Shuftan
