The Interview - Patch Linden

Hot off his Yearbook Challenge adventures with Ms. Strawberry Singh, please welcome Patch Linden, here to talk about five of his favorite Mainland destinations! As the Senior Product Manager for Land and Accounts in Second Life, Patch is responsible for the features and daily operations of each. He is also responsible for the Moles/LDPW and SL's new user experiences, such as Learning Island and Social Island. He commented, "The Mainland is my team’s product responsibility and has been for years. You could say for over a decade now considering that Guy Linden has been working on it longer than that and has been on my team for the majority of that time. So if you want history, you’ve got the right person and team who can give it to you. :D"

Patch is shown here in a photo by Frost Mole on the rigging platform at ANWR, which he features in his list of favorites. He states, "I love what I do and I enjoy confidently being able to say I do it with the viewpoint of our Residents in mind, every day. Patch also has a terrific "What Second Life Means To Me" video in which he speaks about his love for the Mainland. Check it out here!

There are some great Mainland destinations featured below, including ANWR (while there, pick up the free sailboats by Michael Linden, and peek underwater to check out the pipe that carries prims from Sansara to Heterocera), and Bay City, just in time for our exciting 8th Anniversary Celebration!  And now, on to the interview!

Kinn: Patch, thank you so much for agreeing to do this! Please name five of your favorite Mainland destinations, and tell us a bit about them and why you enjoy them.

Patch: I must profess, I found this extremely limiting as I have so many favorite places from which to choose!  


In no particular order, here you go:

1) Meauxle Bureaux (think Mole burrow)

This is the mainland home of the Moles. This very talented group of Resident contributors creates a lot of the fun experiences that the Linden Lab Land Operations team manages under the LDPW (Linden Department of Public Works) moniker. A lot of the infrastructure on the mainland, ranging from roads to fully immersive gaming experiences, is created for all Residents to enjoy. In this region you can get a glimpse into what it’s like to live like a Mole. (Meauxle Bureaux was first featured on this blog here.)

2) The Ivory Tower of Primitives in Natoma

This long time staple and institution of knowledge built by Lumiere Noir is what I usually credit with my fondness for content creation. As a Resident, it was one of the first places I visited and initially fell in love with what Second Life empowers us in as Residents.

3) Luskwood

As one of the founding non-humanoid communities in Second Life, early on I developed a deep appreciation for the diversity that Second Life represents. This is another institution for a long standing community of Residents who have made Second Life a home; is accepting and welcoming to everyone interested in seeking help, meeting new people, socializing and exploring.

4)    The Bay City Amusement Park, Bay City (aka Hairy Hippo Fun Land)

As another LDPW / Mole inspired and managed project, the mainland area known as Bay City offers a uniquely themed region of the mainland that also incorporates a vibrantly run community.  Exploring the entire city and discovering the hidden jewels of content, the airport and associated Info Hubs, as well as riding the rides in the amusement park is fun! (Hairy Hippo Fun Land was first featured on this blog here.)

5)    ANWR

Have you ever wondered where the “prims” come from in Second Life?  Wonder no more.  Those cute little plywood cubes that we affectionately proclaim “It all starts with a cube” are sourced from this very location for the entire Second Life grid.  Come witness the prim drilling rig in its operational glory.

Kinn: And now question number two - Why does Mainland matter to you?

Patch: Overall the Mainland represents the foundation for everything that Second Life evolved into.  It was core to the revolutionary vision of its founder and essential for providing the base that launched the first socialization, communities and areas to congregate in Second Life.  Without it, or even the concept of what we refer to as “Land” in Second Life, you have to ask yourself the following questions: Would you have a place to stand around and chat with your friends?  Dress up and show off your latest avatar?  Play the games or participate in the experiences you do today?  Listen to music, go to events, or live shows?  It all comes down to the core idealism of having a massively explore-able, contiguous space that started it all. All of my respect and fondness for the Mainland comes from that ideology and continues to drive my commitment to Second Life today.