When I came in SL, it was plagued by more lag and technical problems thant today, SL was quite ugly compared to what it is today, but Linden Lab was still considering SL as "our world, our imagination".
It was a world of wonder, in the making.
Today, Linden Lab has done numerous technical improvments, SL is more beautiful, but LL is trying to monetarize Second Life without any regard to the residents. It's their world, our financial contribution. We do not have any right, event as customers. To much sim owners and creators, and now educators, have been left alone by LL, and left SL because of that, for me to believe in any progress in a time where so much Linden have been laid off.
I have downsised my terrains and expenses in SL, and if I find more energy, it wil probably now be to move to OpenSim, because for me SL has lost it's soul.
Only friends and nostalgy now tie me to SL.