Article in The Telegraph about Meta takes a SAVAGE swipe at Second Life!

[Vanity Fair]

Have you guys read this recent article in the Telegraph about Meta and Mark Zuckerberg?

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/08/03/walls-close-zuckerberg-executives-desert-meta/ (Archived version: https://archive.ph/RQ0lD#selection-1043.0-1043.416)

There's a scathing, absolutely SAVAGE paragraph on SL in it:

Quote

Zuckerberg’s company is sensitive to comparisons between the metaverse concept and Second Life, a mid-2000s internet-based multiplayer game memorably dubbed “Sadville” by technology website The Register. Sadville was the metaverse of its day: corporations such as Coca-Cola and IBM set up virtual offices within the game, convinced they had found the future of commerce. Fifteen years later, few remember Sadville.  

YEEOUCH! That's got to be one of the most dismissive things I've read about SL in the mainstream media for quite a while. Pretty funny for something that still makes millions of dollars a year for its parent company, 19 years after its founding. (Fun fact: did you know that the same Waterfield investment group that now owns Second Life also owns blue-chip investment firm Goldman Sachs? Check out the “Waterfield Network” listing of companies at the bottom of that last link.)

[Coffee Pancake]

We have no friends in the media.

The absolute best coverage we can ever expect is the annual fluff filler about how (somehow) we're not dead yet and that maybe we're just being rude at this point.

 

[diamond Marchant]

47 minutes ago, Vanity Fair said:

did you know that the same Waterfield investment group that now owns Second Life also owns blue-chip investment firm Goldman Sachs?

No, had not connected the dots. Goldman Sachs is owned by a large number of institutional investors, of which Waterfield may be included.

The reference to Second Life as "sadville" is in the context of use by corporations as a workplace. May not be far from the mark. Yet it is clear that the reporters did no research into the current state of Linden Research.

About the ownershiip of Linden Research,  it is described as "an investment group led by Randy Waterfield and Brad Oberwager".  Is this a side-hustle for Randy? If Waterfield Group is the owner, I would except Linden Research to disclose that. Also, because Linden Research is private, they do not report their financials publicly, so we don't know anything about "making millions".

Edited August 4, 2022 by diamond Marchant
usual typos

[Codex Alpha]

It has been Meta's aim and goal from the beginning to be THE Metaverse, and in their own words "to discourage competition and if possible make sure they don't even get started", and their words back up their actions so far, so not a surprise.

Meta is not our friend, nor anyone's friend. What Zuckerberg wants is everyone on his version 'working, living, and playing' there. Yuck.

Also, they are drawing attention from the FTC now.

[Coffee Pancake]

1 minute ago, diamond Marchant said:

Yet it is clear that the reporters did no research into the current state of Linden Research.

Did precious little into the state of Meta either, his job for the day was to throw some rocks at Nick Clegg (a political enemy) and then make up some rambling vague negativity about Meta and he had to go back years to find enough material to cover the "trouble at the top" narrative, even then couching it all in phrases like "some suggest".

The author of this particular piece (Gareth Corfield) has also written extensively for The Register, who have been calling Second Life Sadville relentlessly since the start. He doesn't seem to be aware we still exist.

[Solar Legion]

And?

As usual, meaningless drivel, written by someone who cannot be bothered to do any actual research, whose bias shines right on through.

In short: Nothing of any import whatsoever.

[Coffee Pancake]

Yeah .. but

1. 

[Madelaine McMasters]

3 minutes ago, Coffee Pancake said:

Yeah .. but

1. 

When I was a kid, and appliance boxes were more interesting to me than the appliances within, I'd make sure that, whatever I made from the empty box, any "This Way Up" arrow was pointing down.

[Ceka Cianci]

The nice thing about the media nowadays is, it will be history tomorrow and most everyone will move onto something else..

I'm so used to the media being childish. They just don't have that stick to the wall and stay stuck there kind of glue anymore. Not unless a movie star is involved.. hehehehe

[Love Zhaoying]

34 minutes ago, Madelaine McMasters said:

When I was a kid, and appliance boxes were more interesting to me than the appliances within, I'd make sure that, whatever I made from the empty box, any "This Way Up" arrow was pointing down.

We are Cats, all of us.

[Love Zhaoying]

2 hours ago, Vanity Fair said:

There's a scathing, absolutely SAVAGE paragraph on SL in it

The more insulting it is, the more it is probably because they see us as valid competition.  To be ignored completely would be worse.

[Coffee Pancake]

18 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

The more insulting it is, the more it is probably because they see us as valid competition.  To be ignored completely would be worse.

Only we're referred to in the past tense so I don't think we're seen as a valid anything .. Second Life is presumed a long dead relic, someone probably has a copy of us on zip disk somewhere.

Whatever it is LL marketing do between SLB events, maybe they can fit "not dead" into the messaging somewhere.

[Vanity Fair]

2 hours ago, Coffee Pancake said:

The author of this particular piece (Gareth Corfield) has also written extensively for The Register, who have been calling Second Life Sadville relentlessly since the start. He doesn't seem to be aware we still exist.

Aah, I did not know this! Interesting.

[Qie Niangao]

2 hours ago, diamond Marchant said:

No, had not connected the dots. Goldman Sachs is owned by a large number of institutional investors, of which Waterfield may be included.

What the heck is this "Goldman Sachs" compared to the publicly traded company, ticker GS on NYSE? I feel like the "Waterfield Network" is as much about who invests in Waterfield as the other way around.

[Love Zhaoying]

3 minutes ago, Coffee Pancake said:

Only we're referred to in the past tense so I don't think we're seen as a valid anything .. Second Life is presumed a long dead relic, someone probably has a copy of us on zip disk somewhere.

Whatever it is LL marketing do between SLB events, maybe they can fit "not dead" into the messaging somewhere.

I suppose since "Sadville" is a pretty strong insult - if I were Linden Labs, then hopefully I would work on a press release as a response. To set the record straight.

We ain't Sad!

[Kimmi Zehetbauer]

FB needs to be taken out back and shot. If Zuck had his way --- he would attempt to buy the Lab and shut SL down to drive everyone over to his wanna-be virtual world. Or use SL and remove everyone's legs and plop tons of ads and tracking on everyone.

[Akane Nacht]

3 hours ago, Vanity Fair said:

by technology website The Register.

never heard of it. 

[Coffee Pancake]

42 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

I suppose since "Sadville" is a pretty strong insult - if I were Linden Labs, then hopefully I would work on a press release as a response. To set the record straight.

We ain't Sad!

I think they should run with it full bore.

Second Life - Taking your sadness and making it virtual.

2 minutes ago, Akane Nacht said:

never heard of it. 

It was a pretty big new source back when slashdot and second life were around.

[Love Zhaoying]

6 minutes ago, Coffee Pancake said:

Second Life - Taking your sadness and making it virtual.

Great for goths, millennials, and the generally disenfranchised!

"Second Life - we've got all your Feels."

Edited August 4, 2022 by Love Zhaoying

[JeromFranzic]

F&$%... as an IT dude IRL, never thought a site like The Register would dub a niche site like SL as "Sadville". I have to laugh and barf, please excuse me for a moment... 

[diamond Marchant]

1 hour ago, Qie Niangao said:

What the heck is this "Goldman Sachs" compared to the publicly traded company, ticker GS on NYSE? I feel like the "Waterfield Network" is as much about who invests in Waterfield as the other way around.

The OP mentioned Goldman. Not sure why.  Further research (assuming the source is reliable) reveals that some part of Waterfield does own Linden Research, although the source calls it Linden Lab. So Randy's stake is not a side-hustle. The confusing part is that the press release announcing the 2020 acquisition refers to "an investment group led by Randy Waterfield and Brad Oberwager". I cannot find anything that suggests Brad works for Waterfield. It is worth noting that High Fidelity is also an investor, as discussed in High Fidelity Invests in Second Life.

Inara Pey reports the ownership situation as "Brad Oberwager is one of the three investors who acquired Linden Lab in 2020, together with J. Randall (Randy) Waterfield and Raj Date"

 

Edited August 4, 2022 by diamond Marchant

[cunomar]

If the megabuck names mentioned do ultimately own SL then its present and future is secured by virtue of it being a tax right off dead loss i'd guess .

"invest" 50 million today to balance the books for the tax man and take it out again tomorrow when the books are stamped and sealed for another year .

Edited August 4, 2022 by cunomar

[ChinRey]

Who cares what the Telegraph writes?

[Sorciaa]

[Arielle Popstar]

3 hours ago, Love Zhaoying said:

I suppose since "Sadville" is a pretty strong insult - if I were Linden Labs, then hopefully I would work on a press release as a response. To set the record straight.

Bit of Sadville going on right now with the Forum changes so maybe best to wait till it blows over 😢