Dear Mr Mark Kingdon,
I’m am a regular user of Second Life, and have many invested interests in the product that your company produces. Therefore, I also pay particular interest in the activities that occur behind the platform.. namely, the people pulling the strings.
Under Philip Rosedale, Second Life was born, bred and nutured for several years, and saw a lot of growth. But Philip knew what I knew – that in order to succeed, Linden Lab needed a Chief Executive Officier who had the business and political know-how to give Second Life the leading edge over its competitors.
Now I understand that you have previous experience running cutting edge Internet firms, and that you have the required knowledge and understanding to maintain Second Life as a leading brand. I have little doubt in your skills, but I’m afraid I just don’t feel that Linden Lab will succeed under your guidance.
Please don’t be hurt by that. I had the same feeling about Philip Rosedale too.. it’s why I was glad when I heard he was stepping down as CEO and bringing someone more experienced in. When you were announced though, I instantly thought “Oh no..”.
As I’ve said, my problem is not your skills, background or experience. It’s because you’re too handsome. Philip Rosedale had exactly the same problem.
Successful multi-national companies are run by overweight, balding men who wear suspenders and have black rimmed glasses. Handsome men are almost always put into the marketing department until they grow old and lose their boyish, youthful looks, and then they’re replaced. Handsome men play with their kids in the back garden, and throw our ball back to us when it goes over the fence. Handsome men don’t get tucked away in the top floor office sitting in meetings all day and looking at statistical figures.
I would be much more confident in Linden Lab’s future if the CEO was ugly. I don’t think you should step down at all.. perhaps rapidly age ungracefully?
Perhaps I’m being a little unfair. But hundreds of years of history have shown time and time again that the CEO is never a good looking guy. Maybe it’s time to break the mold? I’m not sure I want such an experiement to occur on a brand I use as regularly as Second Life.
So in conclusion, if I ever do meet you Mr Kingdon, I don’t want to have to ask “So what do you predict the next year will bring to Second Life?”. I want to ask you to throw my ball back.
Regards,
Prad Prathivi
Bailey Longcloth on October 1, 2008
I wonder if he’s got chapstick and flip flops Prad?
Landsend Korobase on October 1, 2008
lmao Prad, you weirdo. Funny, sweet, but still – weirdo.
Cerrie Janus on October 1, 2008
Ok, I started reading and thought, “Great another scathing ‘What the hell have you done to our metaverse?’ letters” LMAO This is very funny. Agreeing with Landsend a little, tis slightly warped but riotously funny! I will have to keep tabs to see if all happens ungracefully and with great speed.
Kristi Maurer on October 1, 2008
Well, sometimes handsome men are up in their corner offices screwing their secretaries…you forgot that option.
Prad Prathivi on October 1, 2008
Comments by Kristi Maurer are entirerly her own and do not reflect the opinion of Metaversally Speaking or Prad Prathivi. We do not imply anybody is screwing anyone and we will glady hand over the details we hold on Kristi Maurer to Mrs. Kingdon is she wishes to find out more about what she knows about handsome men, corner offices and secretaries.
Our lawyers are watching.
Dark on October 1, 2008
Prad fancies M Linden!
Prad fancies M Linden!
Prad fancies M Linden!
Aribeth Coronet on October 1, 2008
Fantastic =)
Emerald Wynn on October 2, 2008
MARK!
What you need is a rockin’, award-winning PR professional to protect you from jokesters like Prad!
I see the job opening on your Web site. I’m sending you my awe-inspiring resume. But I know it’ll get lost in the Human Resources grind, lying helplessly in a pile of hundreds, possibly thousands, of CVs.
Let’s do lunch in world, Mark! I got my last CEO big coverage in Fortune, Forbes, Newsweek, Businessweek and . . . Every Day with Rachael Ray. I can do the same for you and then some! Want a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? Done.
Looking forward to my new job at your company,
Emerald Wynn