Linden Lab arrivals and departures
by Tateru Nino 
Jan 22nd 2009 at 9:00PM
Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Second Life, Virtual worlds
The lineup of staff at Second Life virtual environment developer/operator, Linden Lab changes on a month by month basis. There's been a bit of motion since the last high-profile hire.
Judy Wade, formerly Entrepreneur-in-residence at Kapor Enterprises Inc, has been hired as the vice president of Strategy and Emerging Business. That's the same Kapor as Mitch Kapor who has a seat on the board of directors as the Lab.
Eric Argel, formerly director of Information Architecture at Organic Inc San Francisco, is now director of Information Architecture at Linden Lab. That's the same Organic Inc where newly minted Linden Lab CEO, Mark Kingdon came from.
The summary of Eric's position at Organic reads "[H]e dreams up new ways of crafting immersive user experiences for the web, mobile devices, and console gaming platforms. At Organic he is currently creating user experiences for Sony, FOX, Chrysler, and new business initiatives." We do not know how that translates to his new role at Linden Lab.
Linden Lab is generally reticent to discuss any new staff, their roles or responsibilities, and both Wade and Argel seem to be no exception.
Additionally, Peter Gray has also joined the Lab as a PR specialist (Pete Linden). Peter Gray formerly worked at Lewis PR, the firm used by Linden Lab for its assort public relations and media communications.
As far as outgoings go -- there are usually more than we're aware of, but we've just been informed that Kathleen Craig (Katt Linden), Linden Lab's Communications Manager is no longer with the company. This appears to have taken place last week. Ms Craig was the most responsive Communications person we've worked with at Linden Lab to-date. It is not clear if that specific role will be refilled, or if it will be folded into another position.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jay said on 6:51AM 1-23-2009
Katt chokes on her popcorn, hooray.
I have never seen a less efficient communications manager as she was. Rather than streamlining communications she fractured it into a million impossible pieces.
Never was there a person who cared less about the customers that paid her wages than the one who told outright lies. Not just once, but time and time again.
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Prokofy said on 8:12AM 1-23-2009
Only 13 hours ago, Katt Linden was posting on her Linden account on FriendFeed, with a link to a Linden blog page. Now, she's gone from the People List. What happened?
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lethality said on 7:16AM 1-23-2009
Once again, a Second Life story that has nothing to do with the word but some obscure business related issue.
This kind of stuff is boring even if its related to staff one of the popular game companies like Blizzard or Mythic, etc, but Linden Lab staff?
Please.
I beg the Massively editors to curtail this kind of reporting. If there's nothing to talk about regarding the game world itself, then the game isn't worth reporting on.
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Miles Beck said on 7:53AM 1-23-2009
I disagree with the view expressed in lethality's comment. News about Linden Lab is pertinent to many, especially those of us with business and educational interest in SL.
Nadine Neddings said on 2:37PM 1-23-2009
I couldn't disagree more, Lethality. That's where Tateru's reporting is most engaging and informative--these sorts of topics which are not available via "official" propaganda channels.
Now, the regurgitation of SL blog posts, that's something I could live without. But I guess there are slow news days even at Massively. :P
Keep up the great reporting, Tateru!
torin said on 4:18PM 1-23-2009
lethality, if it wasn't an insult to Brokeback Mountain, I'd say you just can't quit Tateru....
Another pointless 'post' by lethality trolling the second life posts on Massively. *sigh* Virtually every Second Life posting gets a whining squeal from lethality that has nothing at all to do with the post topic, but just that the very thread EXISTS fills lethality with the need to push that 'Add Comment' button in some sort of mock indignation!
By reading your pointless other offerings in your post history, lethality, I see this is not the only game thread you troll, but ENOUGH ALREADY!
Can I say it any plainer??? NO ONE CARES YOU DON'T GET SECOND LIFE LETHALITY. The very fact you call Kat's departure 'boring' and 'obscure' shows you have no idea what the hell you're talking about, but that has never given you pause on any of your other posts I see.
The impotent whining to the editors of Massively is laughable in its pointlessness as well as an attempt to derail the post comments. That is what trolls do. Especially trolls who can't understand that just because they're too thick to see the value in something doesn't mean that it lacks value.
Dude, seriously, find some help for your addiction.
lethality said on 4:27PM 1-23-2009
There is no value in these posts to the mainstream readers of this site. None. Not one interesting Second Life article has been posted that would be of interest to ANYONE other than the folks who already are part of Second Life.
Think about that. If the world itself isn't worth talking about then why have posts here? We don't care about Linden Lab's business issues. We want to hear about what cool content users are creating, etc.
Or, maybe it doesn't exist?
torin said on 6:33PM 1-23-2009
Epic fail from lethality the troll.
Dude...
Since you won't take the advice- herein lies your epic fail:
1. Your claim is without value because is subjective (I know it's a big word- look it up) and untroubled by any analysis or facts. Thus pointless. Yet you make it in every Second Life post on Massively.
2. You claim to speak for the 'massively mainstream' now? Even though you are the only troll who feels the need to push the 'Add Comment' button every time you see a Second Life post. Interesting.
3. Speaking of 'interesting', that is another subjective empty claim you hammer out on your worn keyboard o' bile.
4. You now resurrect an earlier bitchy comment from the last time you trolled one of Tateru's posts that somehow every SL post needs to appeal to people not in the game. Yet you don't make that demand of EverQuest, or WOW, or LOTRO. Hypocrisy or stupidity? Or both?
5. You DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DUDE, evidenced by the fact you think that posting about the Lindens is not talking about the world. So most people see that as an opportunity to shut up.
6. Your plural pronoun 'we' has you speaking for some invisible collective again, though YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE COMPLAINING. ON EVERY SINGLE SECOND LIFE POST.
7. Most people who want to see the content actually GO IN THE GAME. I know it's hard for you to understand that there are issues around SL more than content (strange since every commenter who tries to explain this to you you ignore).
There is so much flawed logic flying around your posts I fear you are not being taught critical thinking skills at your junior high school.
Please demand a parent teacher conference immediately!
And leave the Second Life posts alone already, lethality the troll.
Opensource Obscure said on 8:48AM 1-23-2009
According to the secondlife.com Wiki, Kalpana Linden (who worked at the Search system) has been marked as 'Departed' from Linden Lab on January, 14.
https://wiki.secondlife.com/w/index.php?title=Linden_Roles&diff=206593&oldid=164393
Another interesting wiki page about this topic is the Linden Lab Employees Category:
https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Category:Linden_Lab_Employees
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Tateru Nino said on 8:45AM 1-23-2009
Katt's change in status is the only one of these not published publicly via soc-media (records still show her as being with the company). We only know she departed because she was our assigned and sole contact at the Lab.
We have no idea of the circumstances, other than it was sudden. We hope to have a new PR channel with the Lab in a couple of weeks. Whoever gets the short straw, I suppose.
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Ciaran Laval said on 1:35PM 1-23-2009
I disagree with Lethality's comment, the incoming and outgoing staffing issues are of importance to those of us who engage with Linden Lab, we haven't seen this news on the main site so it's good that Massively provide us with this information.
I'm sorry to see Katt go, I wish her all the best in the future. She may have ruffled some feathers but that goes with the territory.
Whereas some of these appointments have the appearance of bordering on nepotism, it's good to recruit people you know can be counted on and produce the goods from your past experience. The major positive that M seems to be bringing to Linden Lab is his work in the background and recruitment, some big hitters are being attracted. That being said, I feel that's where M's strengths lie, when he comes to the foreground it's not such a good experience.
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Jay said on 6:45PM 1-24-2009
>> She may have ruffled some feathers but that goes with the territory.
Maybe so, but you do not taunt your customers with flippant lines that give the impression that the Lab couldn't give two hoots ie: "Sits back and grabs her popcorn to watch the fun"
A communications manager should treat the people who ultimately pay her wages with respect, not as a bit of comic relief. If the customers are complaining about a policy she has to deliver she should try and understand them not poke her tongue out and go "nya nya".
And to top that off you shouldn't tell bold faced, obvious lies.
Katt was a waste of oxygen.
anon anon said on 9:11PM 1-23-2009
Perhaps our former communications officer communicated something a little sooner than was intended? Pure speculation of course. It seems the love machine has teeth after all!
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