Welcome to Second LIfe

If you are new to Second Life then Welcome to your new world!  SL is not a game in the traditional sense as in trying to achieve some kind of goal to win.  It's a virtual world not unlike our real world we live in.  I usually describe it to people that don't understand as Facebook with avatars. :) In reality it is just a digitized world to live in.  Anything you can do in rl you can do in SL, and more.  When was the last time you could fly in real life?!

Second Life is whatever you want it to be.  Anything and everything you can do in the real world you can do here.  My favorite thing to do is explore new sims.  Everything you see in SL is created by the residents, not Linden Labs who created and runs the game.  There are some extremely talented builders out there.  The Destination Guide is the best place to start.  There is also SHOPPING!  Nice thing is that you get about L$200 for every $1 us that you put in if you put any money in at all.  (I'll explain in later posts several ways to get money in SL without putting in your own.)  There are also role playing sims.  I've RP'd in the old west town of Deadwood from the gold rush days.  My son has RP'd on a Star Trek sim.  There are Furry's and Vampires, Goth and BDSM.  Popular shows such as Dr. Who also have sims and tons of groups full of other fans.  For sports fans, there are football, hockey, and roller derby leagues.  Cheerleaders are needed too!  I'm sure there are others but I've not seen them yet.  I do love playing golf in SL, though I'm not sure I'm any better in game than I am in rl! hehe Clubs are the easiest way to meet people and have fun.  Every kind of music imaginable is available.  There are also live performers as singers or musicians.  Second Life hosts an abundance of extremely talented people from all over the world.

When you first enter Second Life you are what is called a Noob, or a Newbie.  Sadly this is not a term of endearment even though every single player in SL was once a Noob themselves.  There are thousands of helpful people that love sharing what they know to help you out.  On the flip side there are those that will try and take advantage of you for this or harass you.  If either of those things happen simply tp (teleport) away.  More on how to do that in a bit.  I am one of those that LOVES to help out new players!

The fastest way to be accepted is to NOT look like a noob.  This can be done for free and is not hard to do, but does take some guidence.  My next post I will make a male and a female avatar and show you what you can do for free in just a matter of a few hours. 

My last and most important piece of advice is this... every avatar you meet is a real person.  There are no computer generated players in here.  Please be respectful.  Do not go around insulting people, flashing your "bits", run around asking random people for sex, and most importantly DO NOT beg people for money!  Emotions are real even when something happens in game.  If people are not respecting you, then there are millions of other places in SL that you will be welcome and treated with respect.

Enjoy your new Second Life.