this could prove interesting...

interesting - although as you said in the followup, it sure would be nice to have more of a roadmap than just "we want to grow" and

"we want better 1st hour." ... Heh, that UK article seems to have misunderstood the Hype Cycle.

I'm not sure a better first hour is what's needed. Sure, it'll help, but it's more about the first six hours.

the first four months

well the first hour is ROUGH as hell for a lotta folks unless they have someone help them out. Friends I know that tried SL that didn't ..

let me know and help them, all gave up w/in 2 hours or less, frustrated at the interface, the lag, etc.

The more savvy they are, the less likely they are to make it through those first few hours, it seems.