Were you destitute as a newbie ?

It seems at least all of the latest newbies are. I was lucky enough to have some cash when I came in, to buy necessities. Was/am I in the very small minority ? I know I, as an employer, do prefer newbs who know basic skills as opposed to someone who can barely navigate. What are your thoughts ?

Steve

I got the 50 dollars a week stipend when I started.

Hey, that's what I get now!

How does having money when you start connect twith whether employers prefer new users who've learned the basics over new users who haven't?

I was destitute for a little bit. Being willing to interact with others and actually perform a function/task tends to help alot in that area...not everyone is able to do that though.

Now is a different story of course. Being poor and subject to the whims of others for your livelyhood tends to bring out the diamond in any old lump of coal.

I bought a chunk of money as I had arrived here from a world where it was normal to buy money.


I didn't spend it all but I hate wandering around with nothing in my pocket.

I had my 50L a week plus a small sign up bonus. But I also had family in game already that had land and could teach me skills so it was no hardship at all.

How can you be destitute in a place where you can make anything you want out of nothing, and where a gorgeous face costs $6?

I was just saying that for me to hire newbies, I want them to have some basic skills. That's all.

I got my 250 $L for sign-on, and then promptly blew it on my first avatar.

SL now is even better though, as there is a lot more free stuff floating around. I could see myself surviving fine in SL if I didn't want high-class skins/avatars, or guns. The rest can be picked up for either cheap or free.

A very nice stranger gave me L$2000 and told me about skins, shapes and hair. That was a great start but for a time I was camping and hunting money trees...

Tess

when i was a newbie the world was backwards. you made money for owning land. i kept buying more and more land every week. unfortunately the money was worthless to me because i never bought anything. francis chung wasn't born yet.

I guess I'm an oddball. I spent days looking over the website and playing with my shape and stuff and reading before I finally started moving around in world so it was pretty clear right away I would want a little money. I'm a teeny bit compulsive about wanting to understand something before I dive into it.

Back then they still started basics out with a small amount and the weekly 50L and I bought 20 bucks worth more. Being a girly girl I blew it all quickly on hair and clothes and skin. About a week after I got out there around people finally, I met some really great friends who showed me more of the world and taught me invaluable things. You could say I was broke the first few days but I didn't need money yet right away.

Got my L$250 when I joined and then an extra bonus when I decided to go premium a few days later. Spent it on avatars (Dalek & LW Dragon) and a few other bibs'n'bobs. I bought some L$ and coasted for several months living on my stipend until I began making some money from building. Nowadays I make enough to pay for my premium account, tier and a bit left over. I didn't join SL with some half-baked notion of 'making money fast', I didn't even know people could make money in SL. I'd like to own more land so I could build up interesting environments, but I don't have an income to support such a project yet.

I was building in SL since day 1 that I joined. I never really bought much. I always had a premium account, so I had the stipends since the moment I started. Which were enough for me to get through the week. SL was different those days though, less commercial.

The only time i ran out of L$ was when I was making snapshots, not realizing they cost me 10 L$ a piece

I was a destitute newbie Everything back then cost L$, including building and owning land. Unfortunately, GOM and LindeX didn't exist yet, so essentially you started poor and there wasn't much you could do about it.

I remember enviously eyeing Nephilaine's clothing and saving my stipend in hope of denoobifying my avatar.

When I finally did have the pleasure of meeting her and hanging out with friends, I was incredibly jealous of her opulent lifestyle - she was taking snapshots with reckless abandon - those were L$10 each!

I wasn't destitute, in fact, I was very generously given L$10,000 by the friend who brought me here from TSO and There. It made a big difference in my experiences as a newb.

I try to return the favor by giving newbs some cash when I can and donating to money trees.

I got my L$250 stipend, and I bought guns with it ^_^. Nowdays I buy *nothing*. If I want it/need it, I'll make it myself.

I was never 'destitute', no. But then, I was willing to spend real money and effort to get started to make money here.

When I made my first SL account (this one), I spent all of my sign-up bonus and stipend within 30 minutes of being on the Mainland, then sized up what it would cost me for a high-quality avatar and some more clothes, and simply used my credit card to buy about L$ 10,000 for spending money.

Over the first three months I spent maybe $100 USD buying Lindens so I could get more avatars, clothes, a house...

Meanwhile I was learning to create content that sells well. By my 4th month, I was selling enough to be breaking even, and didn't need to pay real money to buy Lindens. By the 6th month, I had sold enough clothes and textures, and building work, all my own work, to cash out over $200 USD worth of Lindens.

The few alts I have created, mostly after the end of weekly stipends, Get a cash feed from my main account to get them started. One of my alts actuallt earns enough on their own to have 'paid that back', and also makes a profit now.

I never considered myself destitute when I started. My main goal was to meet people and make friends. And after making some friends we'd trade stuff and learn/laugh together. I wasn't in a rush to "finish'" my avatar. After I "got on my feet" and had more L$ or skills, I did my best to return the favor when I could to those that helped me out.

I think the people that can focus having fun, socializing (sp?), learning, etc do much better than those that focus on "wheres my money so I can buy the eye candy" do. Those goals along with patience go along way.

No. Back when I was a newbie all I had to do was find land that was public, and look for prims on it. Any prims left on public land after 30 days or so, became public prims. You got $4L for each public prim you deleted.

Nope. I came into SL because I was intrigued by what I read about the socialization and creation aspects. I had nothing but fun and exploration in mind, so making money was not (still isn't) a goal of mine, simple enjoyment was the main priority. I purchased L$ for the first time on my second day, switched my account to premium on my fourth day, became addicted to SL fashion by the fifth day, and before I knew it I'd hit the $150US lindex limit for accounts under 45 days old. Woops! XD I still probably spend more than I should each month at the Lindex, but a decent portion of it goes towards donations/sponsorships/tips, and hey, I'm supporting the economy and all of the talented artists out there!

I've always just bought my L$. I'm in SL to play and have a good time. I have neither the desire, time, or skills to earn L$.

-Kiamat Dusk

I was never really destitute... yes I had to wait and hope for every tuesday. But I also had friends who helped and people were pretty generous with helping new players... i try to pay it forward... I have folders of clothing for newbies and I also give some L to start them out... though lately unfortunatly alot of the people out there coming into SL as new players are not interested in enjoying sl as they are abusing it so my generosity has wavered...

my pet peive has to be the newbie flip flops... first thing I give them are shoes

This has happened to me too. Whenever I ran into a newer resident I would try to help as much as I could, sometimes taking them shopping and buying them stuff. But I've noticed I've felt less inclined to do this lately : /

I always try to help out the new kids. Especially since I used to be one. But it's agreed. Here lately...I don't feel the urge, unless the person actually talks to me. ^.^

Nope. I signed up for a premium account just a few hours after starting to play SL, and since I treat SL as a hobby instead of a "game", I've never been afraid to simply *buy* money.

I think that a major problem that SL has it the cultural attitude that only losers spend real money here. Not every one is capable of producing content to sell to others, nor would the markets support it if they tried to. I build what I need to, and do what I like, and not afraid to spend real money to do it.

If more people had that attitude, that there's nothing wrong with spending a few bucks of real money on SL every month, I think that it SL would be a better place.