Twitter Day: Linden Lab CEO and… InWorldz Mentors?
This is just a short note to make two points. First, you never know what Twitter will being to you each day. Second, Rod Humble may be bringing hope to Second Life.
An interesting exchange on Twitter today, for both residents of Second Life and InWorldz: In a discussion about the new “Basic” viewer for Second Life, Lady Sakai threw out a plug for mentors programs. Then the truly surprising answer came from Mr. Humble:
rodvik: @LadySakai @InaraPey She did 🙂 Answer is yes. But we need to iterate fast on new user experience, while not messing with current..
rodvik: @LadySakai @InaraPey ..customers. Essentially Basic allows us to make big changes without breaking experienced customers enjoyment.LadySakai: @rodvik @InaraPey Good Luck on that one Rodvik. May I recomend mentors? They are amazing in InWorldz. Makes ppl feel right at home
rodvik: @LadySakai @InaraPey Thanks, I will go look see how it works.
If I understood that correctly, that’s Rod Humble (Linden Lab CEO) talking about coming to InWorldz to check out the mentor program.
Blink blink.
/me reads that again.
That’s Rod Humble (Linden Lab CEO) talking about coming to InWorldz to check out the mentor program.
InWorldz?
The mentor program? (A program that Linden Lab also had originally, but canceled?)
Wow, interesting day.
I find it amazingly positive that Mr. Humble would want to learn more about what the mentors are doing, especially on another grid. It’s that kind of to-hell-with-the-fact-it’s-on-an-alternative-grid thing that gives me hope for Second Life. He’s doing what is best for Second Life and the residents there, learning what others are doing, how well that is working, why it’s working in InWorldz but had problems in SL. I think that even wanting to learn more about that is a wonderful thing. We’ve needed that kind of attitude in Second Life for some time.
perhaps @rodvik missed the twitter thread last week about the sad state of the environment on Help Island. it's mentorless and policeless so just about anything goes there. not good for a first impression.
Yes, I truly feel that SL's biggest problem to solve is the "first hour" problem. The current welcome areas are effectively set up to drive new residents away. They are receiving a truly phenomenal number of new registrations (in the order of 10,000 per day) and yet the retention level is very low (I think I read 25%?). Well there is an obvious reason why, and that discussion last week clearly spelled it out.
http://theiamagic.blogspot.com/2011/04/newcomers-in-second-life-dazed-and.html
The efforts by you and Theia are fabulous, but you need to be joined by another hundred SL souls to make it work. Mr. Humble can help there, and it is absolutely critical that he do.
Rod seems like a sensible man =)
um yes Jim thats how I read it also. I wanted to ask Rod if that is what he meant but I didnt wanna jinx it 😉
I will say one thing re the mentors. From all the people I have talked to that both decided to stay put in IW and those that thought it was to buggy to bother with they all mentioned the mentors as the first positiv impression they got from IW.
Tech stuff is the back bone of a grid (Phlox and PhyX) but the heart is the people that you met and lends you a hand even if you are en experienced virtual world user
Re Rod comming to IW to check things out. I have on two other occassions invited him to drop by. Im cheeky like that 😉
What I do not understand is, if profit is so important to LL, then why do they not pay attention/work on the issues raised by so many people, repeatedly, over several years? We are telling them how to make a profit.
I also volunteered many times. And when an obvious newbie rezzes at my Garden/workspace, I generally take the time out of working (maybe an hour sometimes) to ask them questions, give them a few LMs, be friendly and etc.
All this concentration on the "first hour experience" seems to ignore the basics – no one will even see all the pretty tricks of Viewer NU or anything else if it is disorienting, hostile, crashing and being griefed. That's the first FIVE MINUTES experience.
Having done live stage shows, I can attest to the very good reason you have large bouncers named Mike and Chuck standing at the door. In fact, it makes everyone not bound for trouble feel much more at ease to know that they are there.
@Miso.
Re the bouncer comment. Many clubs now employ women to stand at the doors. Because they found out that the big guys makes people nervous. They rarely smiles dont really want to talk and generaly give a hostile impression. That is not what you need and most people wont want to go in cos the bouncers are just to scary.
Now they Big guys are still there. They are in the background if trouble should arise. 🙂
a bit OT and just me rambling as Im about to head for bed