We continue our interview with Logan Linden. Part 1 is here. and Part 2 is here.
Lowell:If there were no technological barriers, what SL feature would you like to introduce tomorrow?
Chris: What I’d like to introduce the community will be finding out about in the not too distant future.. so I best not comment on it (laughs). (This is likely to have been the voice integration announcement made this week – Ed.)
Lowell: If you had to show a new user around SL, what would be three essential spots to see after Orientation Island?
Chris: That’s a good question. When I do show people around I show them to areas that I don’t go to when I’m not showing people around. I try to show them areas that give a quick overview of the possibilities. I really enjoy the Lost Gardens of Apollo, if you can get on that island during peak times because it’s always packed full of people. It’s beautiful and when you show people that it blows them away.
Then I usually take them to one of the educational areas because that’s an exciting area in Second Life. I usually go to the Space Flight Museum, I’ll fly around there and show people the globe that’s there, play the movie on there, that always excites people. Will I always get excited anyway (laughs). The reach that the education side of Second Life has is just incredible.
And then, I like to go and search for a live event and go through the whole ‘the performer there is a live performer’, they’re streaming the music up and we’re engaged with a performance with people from all over the world. There, we’ll see someone at the performance and if the person I’m showing likes something they’re wearing we’ll go up and speak to that person, ask them where they bought it then I’ll show them the shopping side. By that stage, if that haven’t seen Second Life before they’ll take some time to have a go themselves.
Lowell: Speaking of live events, I know there’s a large Australian one happening in March involving You Am I, Beasts of Bourbon, Youth Group and more.
Chris: That’s great! I’m all about Australia getting more heavily into Second Life. I’ve told a lot of people here that Australia’s going to be moving up the ranks.
Lowell: What excites you most about the next year or so with Second Life and Linden Lab?
Chris: The Open Source area was obviously a big announcement for us and I’m excited to see what comes out of that. Making predictions on what will come out of it – I wouldn’t have a clue. We’re at a point where we putting in a lot of capabilities for other people to be able to build up their own communities in Second Life. And not from the viewpoint of having to register through us and go through our Orientation Island, but being able to register people off their own websites, take people through their own Orientation Island. That, I’m really excited about. For someone to be able to build up their own community and have full control over how they educate their community.
Lowell: Is that on offer now?
Chris: It is on offer now but we’ll be enhancing that a lot in the near future.
Lowell: What are the biggest challenges in the next year for you and for Second Life?
Chris: We want to be able to keep all the community happy and we’re doing everything we can to do that. We’re going through a massive growth period and growing a company is a big challenge.
Lowell: One last question – what do you miss most about not living in Australia at present?
Chris: Probably the weather. I’m in California but the weather isn’t as good as Australia (laughs). As much as we’ve seen the movies and watched Baywatch, we’ve definitely got better beaches in Australia!
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