My guide to the Second Life® Virtual World

Please note: I do not represent Second Life®, nor any of their interests. I just use their product.

Second Life®, for those somehow still not in-the-know, is a massive multi-player 3-D environment. It's not so much a game as a social network and fantasy world simulation: A virtual world. Players are known as residents (and their bodies as avatars), commerce exists, and people can own virtual land. Each person develops an avatar to represent them, and the combinatorial possibilities are huge. The first days and weeks you use the environment, you are a Newbie or Noob.

More after the fold.

You'll develop an avatar, or choose one of the presets, and then work your way through the introductory lessons at the new person help and orientation islands (there are also help and orientation islands for more experienced avatars in case you want to relearn a lesson). Some of the most important lessons revolve around movement and control of your avatar, how to use your camera, and how to search for things you want to do or see.

I'm not going to try to explain movement - you need to practice that "in-world" (I'll use that as opposed to in-game, which Second Life is so much more than). Let me just say I prefer using the keyboard arrow keys, page up and page down keys, rather than the little panel that new players see and likely use. The same goes for the camera controls. I don't use the provided control box and my advice is to learn "Alt-Click" controls (using the Alt key with the mouse).

I do want to explain a little about Search, though. The Search window (just click on "Search" in your bottom tool bar, or press Control-F) has eight tabs. They are: All, Classifieds, Events, Showcase, Land Sales, Places, People, and Groups. If you want to find a person, you can choose the People tab. To find out what's going on, use Events. To find specific places, choose Places - easy! You can also use the All tab. The All tab will search for your key term in all the entries. So if you put in a place in the world, like, say, "Gibson Island" and search, it also finds it in peoples Picks (places people recommend visiting), Group listings that mention it and other cross listed possibilities.

It's also good to read the profiles of the people you meet, since interesting tidbits might be held there, and to keep yours filled out. Right-Click on the person, or search for them in Search, and choose their Profile. A person's profile has seven tabs. You have control of the My Notes tab - you can make notes to yourself about that person, and only you will see those notes when their profile is pulled up. The person has control over the other six tabs. You can paste in pictures on the 2nd Life and 1st Life tabs, along with short blurbs about yourself. I've noticed a lot of people claim that the 1st life is imaginary ... or else prefer to keep that part private. The Web tab allows the person to list a web page of their own (though not necessarily theirs). Interests list the things a person wants to do, such as meet others, explore, or build, as well as skills (in-world) and even what languages they understand. I've already mentioned Picks, a place to recommend places (and people). Classifieds allow a bit of advertising from their profiles (which is placed in the world's classified ads). On the 2nd Life tab is also a list of the groups the person belongs to (up to 25). That can be quite informative, too. Be sure to fill out your own profile, and read that of those you meet - it can enrich your experience.

When you shop in-world you sometimes get items in packages, and sometimes in folders. If you get the merchandise in a package, you usually have to take it somewhere to open. I use a sandbox, which is a place that is open for building; there are several available. To use a sandbox to open your packages, you pull the item from your inventory and put it on the ground (drag it with your mouse from inventory to the ground and let go). Once the package is on the ground, right click it and select open.

Now a word of warning, make sure you only accept packages you have specifically asked for and from people you know. Some folks are rather rude, disruptive, or bullies. They love to mess up your avatar, or steal your money, and can do so via scripts and objects. They are in the minority by a large margin, but they exist and you'll likely eventually run in to them. Oh, and to get out of one of their traps, sit on something... that usually works. Also, if you are already sitting on something, they will have more trouble messing with you. But the best bet is to teleport to somewhere else. For the serious moments you are harassed, or griefed as it is called in-world, report it to the Lindens (the producers and providers of the virtual world), but make sure it really is something worth reporting.

Let me also provide a few introductory places to visit. I've included a link that if you already have the client software for the virtual world installed will launch the world and place you in that location.

First, Sandboxes, very important places to know:

Dreams Sandbox (PG sim..no weapons!)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dreams/102/162/26
Tutorials/sandbox/free textures/classes formal and informal

Sandbox Shops Marketplace - Shops - Advertising - Shop Rental
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hyboria/96/212/25
Hyboria Marketplace - Sandbox Shops, Shop Rental, Shopping District. Small and large shops for rent with advertising banner facing the sandbox. Second Click, banner, advertising space, billboard, rent, rental, SLearth Advertising, marketp

PUBLIC SANDBOX Platform - Advertise/Rent Billboard Ad Space
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Mauve/116/95/35
SL Orientation, Building Tutorials, Help for Newbies, Classes, Free Stuff. Advertise your business on the advertising billboard. Advertising space for rent in the oldest and most popular sandbox.

Places with Freebies or for Newbies:

metaFreebies - Free Stuff and Free Lindens!
http://slurl.com/secondlife/GamersBrand/130/182/62
metaRL Free Items and Free Lindens. free skin,free shapes,gratis,livre,free furniture,free linden,free cash,free moneys,job,jobs,survey,make money,work,paid surveys,free skins,free weapons,free wings,new freebies,free textures,cheap price

*Forou Freebies Store & Game Center free money Camping freebie
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Orellian/236/48/24
>20000 free items, L$0,shop,freebie,free uion,Zyngo Wyld, lowest scores,camp,games,gaming,free lindens,instant win,Full Perm,Deal,rentals shopping,free skins,free shape,free clothes,free hair,free avatars,free shoes,free furniture,mall,se

Sarah Nerd's Freebie Paradise Quality items for new players!
http://slurl.com/secondlife/NineInchNerds/144/125/23
Clothes WSE Sarah Nerd Hair Animations Newbie Wonder Chair Greedy Skins Shoes Mens Womans Free Money Tree Nerds Voice tiny empires players OnRez ATM

Places about Music and where you can experience it:

The Official Home of Gibson Guitar Corp in Second Life
http://slurl.com/secondlife/NineInchNerds/144/125/23
Welcome to Gibson Island, Gibson Guitar Corp's official world on Second Life. Its a fun place for musicians and music fans, with lots to see and do, free concerts by SL and even RL musicians who endorse Gibson,

AldaLaer
http://slurl.com/secondlife/AldaLaer/128/128/32
Cypress Rosewood
[Cypress Rosewood is real world Tony Gerber, musician with Spacecraft (see the sound track for Vanilla Sky), radio personality at Nashville's WRFN (Radio Free Nashville). He regularly plays concerts in-world.]

MMG Playground
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Metaverse%20Media%20Group/79/88/26
Cypress Rosewood Von Johin and Harlee Johin call this a homebase for their virtual world company, Metaverse Media Group.

Peace Revolution! Center
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Landon/198/63/41
This is where Louis Volare will perform Improvs for Peace. This will also be a meeting place for all people who will dedicate their time and energy and creativity to helping create a peaceful world.

Places about science, astronomy, or NASA:

Slacker Planetarium & FSM Cathedral
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Carmine/120/23/301
Slacker Astronomy HQ and the Cathedral of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

International Spaceflight Museum - Spaceport Bravo
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Spaceport%20Bravo/50/117/23
Spaceport Bravo, one of SciLands member ISM's islands, has the Vehicle Assembly Building & the Orbiter Processing Facility. The ISM is totally volunteer built and donation supported. Not a NASA activity

Explorer Island
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Explorer%20Island/138/97/38
NASA JPL on Explorer Island - Home of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Come see the history, explore space and technology.

Lord Rosse's Monster Telescopes
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Space%20Island/154/25/33
Enjoy an amazing audio-narrated, animated, musical flying carpet tour of Lord Rosse's Monster Telescopes, including the Leviathan of Parsonstown, the largest telescope of the 19th century. The carpet seats two so you can go with a friend. SciLands

SCIENCE FRIDAY
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Science%20Friday/256/203/25
NPR's weekly science news program, broadcast live on radio stations nationally and here in Second Life 11 AM - 1PM Fridays. The island is a part of scilands, Second Life's premiere science location.

The Naked Scientists
http://slurl.com/secondlife/SciLands/118/119/25
The Second Life home of the BBC Radio show 'The Naked Scientists' - broadcast live into SL on Sundays at 6:00 PM UK Time. SciLands

Interesting Hang-Outs:

Sue's and friends' - Home of Atlantic Waves
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Pelham%20Bay/182/203/22
A tropical area with a pool, cuddle caves, picnic area, games, dance club with friendly people and nightly events! A different theme every night! Good, clean fun in this non-profit club. No dancers and million of tip jars!

ElvenGlen --Market- Welcome to Elf lands
http://slurl.com/secondlife/ElvenGlen/139/48/27
Welcome to the ElvenGlen, Elf Circle. Shopping for Swords, Magic, Music, Armor, Clothing, Furniture, Ships, Boots, and More!

Some of the Linden Property (Avatars with a last name of Linden are the employees of Linden Labs):

Governor Linden's Mansion, a Second Life heritage home
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Clementina/189/117/62
Visit, come to the basement, and learn more about the history of Second Life! Houses a time capsule. Built by Steller Sunshine.

Linden Village - Pathfinder's Office
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ambleside/57/101/27
Pathfinder Linden's Office in Second Life. You can find my inworld office hours here: http://tinyurl.com/2affsa

Balloon Tour of Linden Village
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ambleside/46/40/33
Take a relaxing ride on a balloon, and explore different Linden homes and offices.

Enjoy!