Would you buy a used car from this man?

I don't get thanksgiving, I live in a country where we don't do thanksgiving. When I was a lad, the idea of having turkey this close to Christmas would have brought an almighty rant from my Mother.

The idea of sitting down thanking people in public makes me think I'd feel all uncomfortable like I do when I attend training courses and have to stand up and introduce myself.

However for those who celebrate thanksgiving and are used to it, hey have a great holiday, it's something you enjoy doing and more power to your elbow. However when I see M Linden giving thanks to the Second Life residents all I can think is that it's all so very very hollow.

I'm sure he means it, I'm sure they all do at Linden Lab, but being thanked by the people who have left you feeling shafted without even having the courtesy of using some KY, doesn't really hit the mark (no pun intended) for me.

The issue isn't really trust at the moment, I trust them to not run off with my money. However I don't have faith in Linden Lab, the openspace issue has truly shattered my faith in the Linden Lab management.

I realise how churlish it is of me to immediately want to tell M to shove his thanks where the sun doesn't shine. A simple well meant message shouldn't evoke that sort of reaction. I have to question where this is all heading. There's no way on earth I would reccomend Linden Lab professionally as a company worthy of doing business with. I can take responsibility for my own commitment to Second Life, but I wouldn't want to encourage someone else to go through the process of being so deeply disappointed with them.

As for my inworld business I go on with it, looking closely at my risk strategy and eternally optimistic that Linden Lab will put this right. I'll shortly be tightly clutching a few extra dollars saved by the UK government reducing VAT to 15%, but those few dollars will be put aside for a rainy day when I expect Linden Lab will shaft me again, just like the UK government will, whatever hue the party in power are.

My unhappiness isn't with Second Life, my unhappiness is with Linden Lab. That in itself is a quandry because without Linden Lab there would be no Second Life. I am grateful that they have managed to assist in the creation of this world, and when they do the right thing I will happily thank them. We'll see if Jack is worthy of thanks soon when he unveils details of the parcel cutting policy.

There is a lot Linden Lab get right, but it's the basics they get oh so wrong and I don't see that changing anytime soon. They simply don't have the will to get the basics right. However the longevity of Second Life is dependent upon residents getting on with it, not in us hoping Linden Lab improve their awful customer relations and the time to really give Linden Lab the finger will be when they've eroded trust and faith to such a level that the place is a complete ghost town.

Until then I'll hope that people like Robin and even Jack can keep working hard to improve customer relations, it's a dirty job but someone's got to do it.