To Mr. Mel Guymon from jenl2881

Date: Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:59:57 -0800 (PST)

To
Mr. Mel Guymon
Head of 3D Operations
Google Inc.

Dear Mr. Guymon,

My letter is concerning the imminent shutdown of Lively, which is set to occur on December 31, 2008.

You could say I come from a generation of techies. The majority of my life it seems has been spent on the internet or on a gaming console. Some might see this as a negative fact, but I would stand by the contrary. Without ever leaving the country I have dipped into the diversity and culture of a world I would never have known existed if not for sites like Lively. Lively is, however, by far the most capable I have ever seen an online chat site of bringing together the creative, the logical, the culturally diverse, and the most amazing people I have ever met in my lifetime.

Through Lively I have acquired new friendships and an amazing network of contacts. Shane and Tanya are artists from Michigan and Montana. Skip is an incredible programmer with a skill for 3D creations. Ross is always a good laugh but also a wonderful artist. Count is a composer from Romania, Lively lives in Australia, Deb is my good friend from Argentina, Squeak is an artist from Seattle with amazing talent, and KosmikGuru is creative and a born leader. There’s also Ammy who is a from my state, Texas, and a great friend, Queen Bee works with plants, and Luis and Monih both speak Portuguese (they’ve taught me Boa Noite which means good evening or good night). I have made some great friends and met some wonderful people.

Lively is more than just avatars, 3D rooms, and chat. It’s a place where people of different cultures, location, and histories come together to learn and grow from one another. Lively is like a community, a town. The Sims couldn’t come close the what Lively has become. The characters, who seem alive half the time, are better created and far more unique than any Sim character I have ever seen. Taking away Lively is like taking away a home and a family.

I know that sometimes I have been unhappy on Lively. Does that mean I want it to go away, no. A speaker came to my school a while back to talk about Google search. He told us he was the product manager of search. He explained the history of search, Google’s mission, and some facts to us. I also had lunch with him and some faculty afterward. He spoke about how while all the other companies went with one way of searching Google took a different approach. Microsoft scoffed at the idea. Google is now a leading name in search and is almost untouchable. Why then is Google giving up on something that has a chance to be their next big break-through?

I understand there are bottom lines, shareholders to satisfy, and a bleak economic projection. Yet even in these hard times, the gaming industry is booming. EA is making millions with games like The Sims and some games are projected to be almost impossible to find. Hugely popular are MMORPGs like World of War Craft and even sites like Neopets.com are moving into interactive 3D content with their Petpetpark.com. Lively has a huge potential for success. It’s differentiated by its style and ease of use, you’ve already invested variable and fixed costs into it you are unlikely to see returned, and it can create a stronger image for Google. As well, you have the potential for contracts with console companies like Nintendo, cell phone companies like Sprint, and social networking sites like Facebook.

Please know that there are many people who have their creativity, time, and lives invested into Lively. Regardless of the outcome, I thank you for this amazing site where I have met the most amazing people. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Sincerely,

Jen
Jenl2881