Warning – Things are changing quickly as this story unfolds. Some blog articles have changed since I started writing… So, if something is different from you expect from reading this… please remember time and change are factors.
We just witnessed a community backlash against the Lab’s heavy handed Intellectual Property Rights protection when Strawberry Singh was order to take down a Second Life tutorial for new users. Now the Lab has ordered Ryan Schultz, the author of Sansar NewsBlog, to take down pictures of the Intel-Linden build in Sansar, Aech’s Garage. See UPDATED: First Pictures from Aech’s Garage, the Ready Player One Movie Experience in Sansar.
It has apparently taken a couple of days for Ryan to reach a boil. See: I’m Taking A Break (1/10). That cuts off my primary source of Sansar news. 🙁 I’m not a daily reader, but more than once a week… Have you tried to find another dedicated to Sansar source?
So, what is going on? Is there a new employee at the Lab trying to make their bones? Someone that doesn’t like Ryan? Some new emphasis on a legal policy?
The Lab has already stated they need to rethink and reword some of their IP protection policy. One would think information about respecting helping those helping the Lab would make it through the company without regard to which project people were working on. It would seem to be a corporate culture thing to cultivate. But, I guess not.
Many of us have over a decade of experience with SL and LL and the engineers and managers. And some a bit with the Lab’s legal and marketing people. We have seen their blind spots and dumb mistakes. The last few years I’ve seen a change in those running SL, which I attribute to experience. The development of mesh was shaky, in not listening as well as they might to user feedback. Material, Fitted Mesh, Bento, and now Animesh are examples of good communication, better than mesh. I didn’t say ‘perfect’. And in that time how bloggers and other fans are treated has matured. At least this last go-around with Strawberry had me thinking so.
But, it looks like the Sansar team is going to have to go through the same learning curve. But, I had hopped the SL experience of the Linden support people, like accounting, legal, marketing…, would carry over. I suppose not, now that I see this second ‘take down’ call.
I think I’ve met Ryan in Sansar. Based on my biases and prejudices I am way cautious trusting him. But, what he has said so far is very basic. Paraphrasing, they asked me to take down these pictures, I took them down, and I’m pissed. Excuse me while I go cool off. So, there is not much room for drama or spin in what he has said. A bit rare for this community.
I do agree with him something isn’t right, or fair if you are still into ‘fair’. Other sites are posting similar images. So, what’s up?
#SansarCensor
UPDATE: Ryan has commented below. Seems the Lab has changed its mind. Images are back up. This is a good thing. My confidence in LL is increasing.
UPDATE 2: Seems problems are not over. More of the story is coming out. See Ryans new(er) post: I’m Taking A Break, which I think is an edit of the original.
Thank you for blogging about this. Yes I am still angry. But Linden Lab has told me that I may now repost the pictures I took at Aech’s Garage. They are now back up and I have updated that particular blogpost to remove the image of the muzzled dog!
From Linden Lab:
“We truly appreciate the ongoing support from the community, especially with all the excitement going on this week! We want to clarify that users are not discouraged from posting screenshots from any experience that is open to the public as long as there is no claim to exclusivity, early access, or other potentially misleading statements or claims that are untrue or could be construed as an official statement from Linden Lab or Sansar. We hope you all understand!”
The issue wasn’t so much the images, but the use of the word “exclusive” in the original blog post. Something which appears to have been mis-communicated / understood as the cause of the problem.
Thanks
… I do believe it’s time for a new parody account.
-ls/cm aka SecondLife
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Hmmmm Stepping back and aside a BIT (easier as I am now fairly detached from SL, OpenSim now) I still “watch” the news, blogs and articles with hopes for the future with VR Tech… (LL should have bought out CloudParty IMO and more) BUT I see a “disturbance in the force” and it’s almost akin to corporate hostility from LL. There is some sort of toxicity in the Lab these days and the diverse mixed messages support that. This is not good for SL – LL, Sansar or the rest…
Maybe it’s time for the bloggers to reevaluate their support for the company / product family which seems to be diverging from supporting their own clients and the infrastructure that supports them for “free”. Blogs are Free Promo and an Invaluable Infrastructure of support for any company, it shows vitality, engagement & participation which attracts new comers. Much like active and busy forums (even faceblot) where there is discussion, excitement and a lot of interaction catches peoples attention and draws new users. IF LL wants to self-destruct or at minimum hobble SL Users (passive aggressive push to shove them over to another platform ?) then they will accomplish such with such activities.
Much changed since I joined up over a decade ago… but some hasn’t and the platform is getting “long in the tooth” while the company is misplacing it’s dentures and forgetting that it needs them now. (ps : the dentures are a hint towards the support of bloggers, & presenters who promo the company for free and essentially keep it alive)
Thanks