Burning Life Becomes Burn 2.0

UPDATE: I’ve been notified from an official that Burn 2.0 will have to be hosted on Resident owned land. The size of the event depends on donations to the organization. At this point, I’m told they are hoping to raise enough for at least 4 regions, but aiming for 12. This is a significant downsizing from their usual 20+.

A few months ago, I made a choice that my days blogging about Linden Lab were over. I didn’t have anything positive to talk about and in the famous words of my mother, “If you can’t say anything nice…”

But much has changed since that post. The return of the man whose vision I believed in from it’s earliest days has returned to the helm and set this beautiful and bizarre roller coaster ride back on track. Philip Rosedale has always been a creative I can enthusiastically get behind. I don’t know what will happen or what changes are in store, but in the month since his arrival, good things have come to pass, and this is surely the silver lining I’ve been looking for desperately.

It was announced today that Burning Life, the community event that began in the early days of Second Life and was inspired by the real life Burning Man event that takes place in the deep Nevada desert and attracts hundreds of thousands of people from around the world annually. They set up art camps and, construct shocking and amazing builds, and after a week they vanish, leaving no trace they were ever there.

The Second Life festival evolved over time, eventually becoming an official regional Burn, recognized by the founding organization. The event has always been spearheaded by volunteer resident organizers of Second Life and is sponsored by Linden Lab who donates all the land required, as many as 22 regions, for the online community to show their virtual art exhibitions during the festival.

It was announced today that Burning Life has been handed over to the official Burning Man organization and will no longer be known as Burning life, but Burn 2.0 instead.

Of course, the blog post didn’t go into much detail and left some Burning questions (Pardon the pun.) My confusion began here, in an excerpt from the official blog:

“After seven years of support, the Lab has decided to transition the organization and ownership of the event to the official Burning Man team effective immediately. Burning Life will be renamed BURN 2.0.

As we shift our focus to usability, the basics of running Second Life and ultimately, doing less better, we thought this was a good opportunity to take a project that has run pretty well since it’s inception and return it to the community who inspired it.”

It wasn’t clear whether it was going was going back to Burning Man officials for them to decide whether or not to carry on the virtual tradition or organize it, or, if it was being still going to be organized entirely by the community who they were returning it too. And if Linden Lab was stepping out of it, where would the land required to continue the event come from?

I didn’t want to speculate, so I went to Blondin Linden who is the Community and Experience Manager and simply asked how residents will acquire land for the event and if Linden Lab still intends to provide them the land. Will they stop supporting it entirely?

I don’t know Blondin very well, and he’s not typically the first person I’d go to with a question, but he responded saying; “The specifics of the event will be up to the Burn 2.0 organizing committee”

So, I wondered: Are those internal people with Linden Lab or a committee put together by the lab kinda like the LEA (Linden Endowment for the Arts)?

“It will be up to Burning Man to decide,” was the answer.

So, apparently, the newly minted Burn 2.0 is officially out of the realm of Linden Lab and how the residents will be integrated into this iconic virtual event remains to be seen.

Regardless, Blondin apparently didn’t have his happy time kool-Aide today

“Was it not clear from the blog?”

No darling, not completely. Not much was clear at all, actually. Words were slung around appearing entirely out of context. “Doing less better?” I adore Philip, mind you, but blogging isn’t his strong suit; He’s an imagineer. Phil’s blog post was minimal with actual information and instead angled toward focusing on traditional PR sunshine.

“Over the years Burning Life has shown us again and again how creative and innovative Second Life Residents are. From music and performance, to intricate installations and the occasional snail ride, Burning Life has been a joy and a surprise to experience, and I feel confident that this legacy will live on as BURN 2.0 continues to be organized and run by a coalition of passionate Residents.”

So is it being run by resident? Is it being run by a Burning Man committee? Who knows.

Regardless, I think that Burning Life leaving the arms of Linden Lab is a positive movement. It crosses boundaries, further involving the real life event and this, it’s partner event. It gives it an authenticity it didn’t have previously and will broaden the scope of it’s appeal to residents of Second Life, and those unable to attend Burning Man in the flesh, providing them a virtual alternative.

My one concern is that I see Linden Lab taking yet another step backwards from their community. Although severing this tie is advantageous to all involved, with as many that have been severed I feel this community is still dangling by a thread.

Phil’s recent announcement that he wanted to host an in-world talk excited me! It harkened back to the days of him standing on a stage with about 20 of us discussing his hopes for the future of Second Life. However, there aren’t just 20 of us anymore. There are thousands upon thousands. The notion of one of those old time, grand inworld meetings suddenly seemed impractical – if not impossible. But I love where his head is. I still adore the fact that this is personal for him. I adore the fact that the mere expression of interest, which was lacking in his absence, has revisited our world.

I am seeing positive movements inside Linden Lab, and while there is still tremendous amounts of work to be done, and though some the losses we incurred by losing so many gracious and deliberately involved community facing employees cannot be regained, this is the beacon of light needed. I still cannot negotiate the logic of letting go some employees who had been so pivotal and so passionate in lieu of the blasé, mechanical few that remain employed. But, I digress.

I believe that we’re moving toward a redemptive era, too a place where someone like Mark would have flourished. Mark Kingdon was without question, the right man at the wrong time. My favorite quote regarding this specific topic, forgive me if I can’t remember the author, was this: “Mark was a suit during a time when Linden Lab still needed people in Lab coats to experiment and play, to form and nurture what it will become.”

One day, as with any business, they’ll need talented suits like Mark.

But not today.

It’s an exciting time to be a part of Second Life.. of course, I probably don’t need to tell you all how thrilled I am…

“Is it not clear from this blog?”