Yesterday, the Second Life community learned we'd lost Ebbe Altberg.
At first, the main reaction was one of shock. For once, no one (at least that I heard) said "Is this a joke?" or made derisive statements. We seemed collectively stunned. 2014 isn't yesterday, but it's also not 2004. A great number of us remember what SL felt like before Ebbe took over, and noted the changes after.
USDay News speculated--somewhat bluntly--about the cause of Ebbe's death; I don't think it matters, save to say many, both in the Linden offices and on the ground in SL, knew he'd been ill for some time. It's a loss either way.
I think Wagner James Au's take on his passing is much more cogent, and works much better as a genuine tribute to the strength of the man, both as a human being and as a CEO. Of course he made mistakes--who human doesn't?--but I think Au's right in that he had the clearest vision of what Second Life could be since Philip Rosedale.
Inara Pey put up a tribute to him as well, and that tailors in with something I heard in ISC chat today: that M Linden had fostered the separation mentality, the corporatist ethos that Lindens were only to get involved on the ground when it was absolutely unavoidable, and that that had been one of the first things Ebbe had changed. One of his first appearances in world after he took the role was visiting Oxbridge University in Caledon Oxbridge, and speaking with some of the professors there. Many remember that meeting, and how open he was about wanting to learn about SL not just from fellow Lindens, and the data sheets, but from the residents in world.
A few hours after word had gone out, additional word began to circulate--a memorial was taking place in one of the Linden parks. I arrived towards the end of it, as I'd just stopped hosting an event, and I had no words. I just stood, and listened, and when concurrency hit 44 on the sim, I quietly left to make room for others who wanted to commemmorate the loss.
The thing that impressed me, and why I had to take a small set of images of my few minutes there, was the diversity of avatars around the rotunda. You could not point to one "type" of person who was drawn to be there, and say, yes, this is exactly the type who would react. It was a cross-section of the grid as a whole, and really, that makes its own statement. People I knew, people I didn't, Lindens, Moles, humans, Tinies, furs, robots, aliens, people in full mesh, people still in system avatars--I think the only thing I didn't see was wings, and you cannot convince me the fae didn't show up as well, before or after my moments there.
What I do know is he will genuinely be missed by many of us. And we're not speculating on the future without him yet, save to hope that whatever does happen, it's done with respect for the man himself, and for the world he tried to support. And I wish his friends and family all sympathies for the loss, because it's ever the ones left behind who struggle the most.
But life, and death, will continue. In time, the pain will ease. The ache will always be there, but...that's also the way of things, isn't it? All we can do is continue, and be our best selves, and keep moving forward.
Rest well, Ebbe. You've earned it.
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