with arms too wide to hold just one, too small to heal the world

[14:59] Tali Rosca: If the rumor hasn't spread here yet, I'll mention that Qarl has been fired. [14:59] Ed Vectoscope: who is Qarl and why?
[14:59] Emilly Orr blinks. For what?
[14:59] Cerise Blackheart: The person who brought sculpties to SL.
[14:59] Tali Rosca: Qarl Linden, the driving force behind sculpts and meshes.
[15:00] Tali Rosca: And for reasons even he has no idea about.

So that was annoying, but then I read this on Qarl's blog:

well, linden lab cut me loose today. they’ve been hinting at it ever since the layoffs last month. try as i might i wasn’t able to change their minds. honestly, i’m completely baffled at the decision, as are all my coworkers (and my boss, and…)

He literally has no idea why he was fired.

None.

They didn't tell him why, they just fired him.

Does this sound familiar? Now Linden Labs doesn't talk to their own employees about why they're doing things?

SL is still extremely scary, people. More stores every day are closing. People are leaving. There is this (no longer) slow hemorrhage of talent, minds and souls.

Even Philip's return is not stopping this.

This is the killer point for me, from the NWN feature on Qarl's departure:

Meshes were promised to come to Second Life proper this quarter, but with Karl gone from Linden Lab, it's unclear what that status is.

I would say, just as an onlooker, that status is tenuous at best that we will be able to import meshes into SL's grid soon.

The ending of the New World Notes article I find especially telling:

When Second Life founder Philip Rosedale saw the first Matrix, he reportedly left the theater glum, saying, "But that's what I wanted to make." It's therefore a glum irony that the only person at Linden Lab who actually helped make The Matrix is no longer around to help Philip make Second Life.

Indeed. More when I hear more.