As some readers probably already know, I received a request from Linden Lab on Wednesday in relation to the Second Life in Education Wiki requesting ‘not to use our trademark “Second Life” in your name or website name and not to use “SLeducation” in text or in your domain name…’ and to ‘..make the changes to your website name and domain name as soon as possible and let us know when you expect to have this done…’.
This request relates to Linden Lab’s trademark guidelines, which were recently registered (you can read about them here) and came as a bit of a kick in the virtual guts. Although I really respect the fact that they need to protect trademarks and brands, I am disappointed at the way they have managed this situation, and the impact that it will have on a resource that is highly valued by the educational community inworld and has been documenting educational projects based in Second Life since we commenced research for the site in late 2006. I also worry that this is a sign of things to come for many other residents who are creating fantastic content.
However, after much thought and discussions with several colleagues, I’ve decided that it would be a waste of jokaydian energy and resources to fight the request, and I will be moving the resources from the SLeducation wikispace in the coming weeks so that they sit under the jokaydia umbrella at: wiki.jokaydia.com.
As you can imagine, this has caused me some frustration and angst over the last couple of days, and I must thank several friends and colleagues who have offered support and advice whilst I wade through the drama. You know who you are! 😉 I’d also like to thank the Education Concierge team who have tried to be helpful, but I know are limited by Linden Lab’s legal policies.
I am hoping we can move forward from this issue in a positive way, and will be endeavouring to do just that! I’ll also be working to consolidate my research into a number of other virtual worlds platforms, with a view to diversifying both the wiki and the Islands of jokaydia’s virtual presence.
A few quick answers for residents:
- Dont panic – we are not moving! The Islands of jokaydia in Second Life will continue to be a key part of our community’s online presence, and I remain a passionate advocate of virtual worlds education.
- The wiki will be moving over the next few weeks – please update your links and help us to get the word out – wiki.jokaydia.com!
- If you would like to suggest an inclusion for the new and improved wiki you can still use the suggestion form here.
In any event rebranding the site to be VR-provider-agnostic may in the long run prove to be a good move. It is one of those paradoxes that at the very time when companies have the time and space to get really good at supporting and nurturing their customers, when they are profitable with high market share, that instead of doing that they treat their customers as “the enemy”.
Some survive this error of judgement, others do not. The loss of customer goodwill, coupled with the development of credible competitors are often the combination that triggers a downward slide.
pffffttt!
Not a cool move, certainly coming out of the blue a) after all this time or b) after only 6 days. Take your choice. I say both.
Either way, not a nice way to let Jokay know.
Chimera
Just imagine – In another reality you actually received a letter saying: “Thank you for your long term support as an advocate of Second Life in Education. We invite you to continue to provide this service and be recognised as a Linden Labs Educator. While there will be some legalities to discuss, we are confident that we can devise a contract that will allow you to continue promoting Second Life on your site and meet our trademark guidelines.”
Shame on you Linden Labs – #socialnetworkingFAIL #marketingopportunityFAIL
My two cents on the whole mess: http://kerryj.com/2009/10/02/a-slap-in-the-face/
I applaud you for a positive approach that helps calm nerves. That’s in the interest of the community. That will help us get over this major speedbump and thinking about immersive education again, hopefully in one spot so I don’t have a different grid for each community I work with, lol (grimly)
(yellow) hats off to you for a very professional approach!! And I’ve already been to your new wiki 🙂
AgileBill
@AgileBill
I’m going to disagree with your sentiments and be a bit picky but in a friendly way.
Linden Lab has proven that they are not about community. If they were, they’d write their TOS to say that people can use the SL trademark as long as they don’t do so in a way that brings disrepute to the organisation.
Nerves shouldn’t be calmed – we should be shaken out of our complacency and use this as a learning experience. Jo is being gracious – she’s not saying forget it, no big deal. She’s saying she’s one small business owner facing down the barrel of the Linden Lab branding gestapo and their army of lawyers. She simply has better things to do.
Jo works for herself and will now have to spend considerable time shifting resources over to the new wiki. This costs her time as well as money – a real kick in the teeth considering the $$ business she’s sent Linden Lab’s way.
Cheers
KerryJ
Oh come on Linden Lab – exercising a power play over lead positive proponents in your product is totally insane. This slap follows on the heels of a fabulously successful Jokaydia unconference weekend which, as a marketing exercise, no amount of Lindens could have paid to create the goodwill and visions it created. I am gobsmacked at the breach of goodwill this current at act has created!
Jo Kay – we go wherever you go babe – it is you we are drawn to – your skills, visions and positivity!
I had a domain name of slatist.com before they made their rules. I have been told that pointing the old sl address to a new un-SL address may be acceptable. Like i point slartist.com to aviewtv.com
What if you change the name of the wiki to something like “Support Learning” Wiki and refer to it as the SL in SL wiki (Support Learning in Second LIfe Wiki)? You can keep the SL sites but change the ‘reference of SL’ to Support Learning in SL.
Or, maybe she can seize the moment and explore other possibilities like Sun’s Wonderland Project and others.
I really grow less fond of this
cultcompany every day.Linden Lab has a consistent track record of shooting themselves in the foot. Their customer service is non-existent and the San Francisco Better Business Bureau has presented them with a big shiny F rating.
http://www.bbb.org/greater-san-francisco/business-reviews/video-games-wholesale-and-manufacturers/linden-lab-in-san-francisco-ca-57373
Over the next decade we will see a handful of innovative and next-generation virtual worlds that will give LL something they have not been used to. Stiff Competition.
https://www.nic.sl
.SL domain registration. Good luck going after -that- Linden Lab.
Hey, I would have to agree with Ms./Mrs. Kerry in that Linden could care less about the community and more about the amount of money that they have in their bank accounts!
This is the way that most, but certainly not all, of all “major” companies and organizations treat people; and yet they wonder why people don’t care to support them any longer…
Sincerely,
Thomas Anderson