Spending time helping Noobs

Hi
Having a hard time all by ourselves when we were new with nobody coming forward to help and nobody except other noobs at OI, would like to spend a little time with some noobs: Helping with the SL GUI, showing them quality freebee stuff, etc.

How does one get started in this?

Do we need to contact LL about this, or just go to some location somewhere on the grid and just begin offering help?

Thx in advance

Hi Zerock
There is a volunteer forum here to check out. There are official mentors that you can join. I don't know the process.

You could also just strike out on your own and help when you can.
I sometimes run into people who look like newbies and are having obvious difficulties. (navigation, dressing, opening boxes etc). In such cases I just send an IM (not over public chat if there are others around) to ask if they need anything.
Once I got told to f_off for my trouble but in most cases people gratefully accept some advice or a landmark or a freebie.

Trouble is, with so many alts around, you don't always know who's actually a newbie

Zerock, there is a big SL group called ' Help People '. You can join for free. One goal : helping the newbies, so go ahead and help a few of them.

I think helping newbies is a lot of fun. They generally still have that joy in SL that we all had before we got all cynical and jaded

I don't think SL is accepting volunteers for the mentor program right now. They built up a huge list and are trying to get on top of it before they accept more. Official SL Mentors can't do much that anyone else can't do. The only thing an SL Mentor can do is access the Help Islands. There are no special powers, admin rights, nothing like that, so there's no reason why anyone can't just go find newbies and do the same thing.

Basically, if I see someone looking like they are having a hard time, I IM them. People with boxes on their arms are a pretty good indicator of someone having trouble. Wandering aimlessly touching things is another.

Pick up the newbie kit - help guys- is it at the Cartel? and spread it around- also- what i do is get the noob to an OnRez terminal and have them get their key - then i go on onrez and load them up with nicer freebies like skin and hair Nothing to make a noob feel better than to stop looking all Noobish like- yes- you generally do find them on the OI type places. I recently got to torture a few in my extremely broken French cause I made an alt in a French island by mistake - I was just clicking thru the sign up with out too much attention So I got to help noobs and I got to practice my French- poor noobs- bet they didn't know you have to pay for "free" help

I've heard of some people just hanging out at the various welcome center infohubs to offer advice when needed. I tried this a little, but suspected a lot of new looking people were alts out to grief, not newbies, so that didn't last long.

Armed with a bit more experience I might try this again when I get bored. I think I can spot the difference now after a little conversing.

There are several groups for just this sort of thing - Help People mentioned above is a good one, but there are others.

Just hanging out at Welcome Areas or on the public Help Islands can be fun and rewarding too. It's definitely worth putting together a collection of stuff to hand out, LMs to fun places, places to learn and good freebie places, some better quality transferrable freebies, and maybe some notecards about the basics of SL too.

I think you could teach classes at NCI.

You could apply to be a Mentor if you like drama and politics.

Sorry but it's true. If you like helping new people (and I never had any help personally so I am VERY helpful to new people) then keep a kit of nice things to hand out, notecards, basic info to tell people etc.

I still enjoy helping new people out and find that I do it an awful lot more now that I don't Mentor, but that's just me - there's tons of really nice Mentors out there who also don't much care for the drama and the politics.

I occasionally just go to a welcome area. I sit quietly, like a fly on a wall, and just listen. It may take a while, but you can eventually spot a newbie asking the right kind of questions, showing a genuine interest. I strike up a conversation. If there is noticeable interest I offer to show them the ropes. Some of my best friendships in SL started this way, and produced some very fruitful residents. I learned a long time ago that I want to be discerning about my choices, because the end result of getting someone grounded and making the long haul is so much more rewarding and fun.

that was why I left the mentors, then I found out I never actually left, just left the group

so after having some time (a few months I think it was) to think about it and leave the drama alone, I decided to rejoin, and got the invite back into the group (which I was told will not be possible once things are revamped so I got lucky)

I now do not attend meetings (that was where I saw most of the drama) nor do I go to the "mentor parties" and such
I also do not get involved in the "vote for the best mentor" as I feel all mentors are equal in the fact we are all there to help

I just help people, be they new, or not so new
I go to the help islands from time to time, but mainly seem to get more im's from new players requesting help (not sure how they get my name, but I do not mind hehe)

LOL Yup Rhaorth, I'm one of em. Well...I hope I'm nice...i definitely can't stand the drama and politics so I pretty much just do my thing. I love helping people and I'd do it whether I had a mentor tag or not. After becoming a mentor....I realized there wasn't really any difference. There's some very cool mentors, and then there's those that just wanted to tag I think, so they could be 'special'. lol

But just go help folks. That's what I did.....I went to places that were usually full of new people....and just helped. I never had any lack of people asking for help.....but I also discovered that some people really just don't want to be helped......ya just gotta leave em alone and let em stumble through.

Anyway....good luck....SL needs all the decent helpers it can get.

The nice part about being an unofficial mentor is you can choose who you help. I'm happy there are altruistic souls who have the patience to be mentors on the Help Islands and answer dozens of variations on "where can I get money/sex" , but I have to confess I prefer to cherry-pick the good ones. I look for avs with curiosity to learn and explore SL, and am willing to spend a lot of time teaching basic skills and taking them to good spots.

all are good reasons why we help. but lets never forget the same effort must come from the other end. One needs to have the desire to learn. I suspect the ones that do have this drive find schools and places to get help from. Being a Ex-Mentor, LH and SL Instructor I found a reliance for LL to do a lot. Now that I have left the officil groups behind I find myself relying on me.

I do still spend a LOT of time at NCI and probably always will, the help has always been great, the friendships gained are also a huge plus. Just keep in mind that all do not want to be helped, the option is out there, easy to find also

GJ to all of those that find satisfaaction in helping

I am still trying to find a newbie, I have some beautiful hair which I purchased and don't like and it's not the cheap stuff. I also have lots of really nice clothes, few skins, shoes and boots. I would really like to give them to a newbie and help them along the way. Like someone said, there's nothing like not looking like a noob.

I just can't seem to find any the one's I tried talking to ignored my IM's or maybe didn't know how to respond and I felt like a stalker hanging out at meeting places waiting for an unsuspecting newbie.

even as an official mentor we have the choice of who we help

we are not forced or told we have to help specific people or go to specific places
once they start doing that, I would consider it a job, and would expect to be paid

I've never had any trouble with in-group drama as a result of being a mentor.

I suspect if one wore a titler over their head saying "Free high quality hair for new users" you could unload the hair without having time to feel like you were doing much stalking.

I did more mentoring of new users inworld before I joined the mentor group than I did after, but a lot of that has to do with presence of all the group chat from 25 groups mixed in the console chat, or having to have a window blocking the view in order to see the local chat without 3 lines of group chat in between every line of local chat. There were also a lot fewer people to help. Nowadays if you are in a crowd with new users, with the Mentor title showing, you may have ten people with obscure questions all being directed your way. It can make you feel pressured.

Welcome to join us at the Shelter, Zerock! Its at Isabel (20,220)

There's quite a few folks that are too young to become full fledged Mentor's yet, who hang at the Shelter helping new residents

Last newbie i helped as it turned out kept a diary of our time together.

Admittedly he had got a bit fresh with me or at least was shall we say keen.

Wife found the diary and thats the end of his secondlife!

Just go and help, you dont need to join any group to help someone.

You can set-up your own classes on your own land - you just need 512M to post a event on it. We also need more volunteers to teach our free classes at Club School. Here is a list of classes we have developed - you could volunteer to teach one of these or create your own curriculum for your land.

BASIC SECOND LIFE RAINING CLASSES AT CLUB SCHOOL
CLUB SCHOOL: Free Basic Second Life Training for New Players


SUNDAYS - 12 NOON
ASK US - We will answer any of your basic Second Life questions and point you in the right direction. Questions regarding inventory, appearance, shopping, events, groups, building and more can be answered.
_______________________________________________________________________________

BASIC SECOND LIFE SERIES ONE: 6PM Weeknights

Appearance & Inventory - Mondays
What is a Prim? - Tuesdays
Groups and Friend's List - Wednesdays
Making Money - Thursdays
Gestures - Fridays
__________________________________________________________________________________

BASIC SECOND LIFE SERIES ONE: 4PM Weeknights

Importing Images - Mondays
My Profile: Picture, Picks and 'about me' statement - Tuesdays
What to do - Wednesdays
Shopping - Thursdays
Taking Pictures - Fridays
___________________________________________________________________________________


SATURDAYS - 11AM, 3PM AND 7PM
SUNDAYS - 11AM, AND 7PM
SO YOU WANT TO WORK IN A VIRTUAL NIGHTCLUB: The ten things you need to know.

This is FREE SEMINAR geared toward new players who are considering taking a position in a virtual nightclub. During this 45 minute session we discuss the pros and cons of being a DJ, Host or Club Manager in Second Life. You will receive insight into skills needed, acceptable attire, staff dynamics and how much these positions usually pay.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

I got my mother into SL after she retired from her job. I now spend quite a bit of time helping her learn the various aspects of SL. We spend more time talking and such that we have in a long time and she constantly praises my knowledge of SL (which is really pretty limited compared to many). However, sometimes I have a hard time with the patience part since she just does not seem to get some things easily or retain all of the info very quickly. I am a tech person and have been online for most of my adult life, so many things in SL just seemed natural to me. Trying to explain these things in a logical manner to someone who only knows how to read email and visit an AOL chatroom is a tad trying at times.

It is both frustrating and rewarding and I would not give it up for anything.

I have the habit of every morning before go to work at 7h00 AM to login, so today I was at Laqkroki and suddenly a noob asked me for some help, so I just gave her what I always do, gave her a skin, 2 outfits and told the that HoH always had free hair, so there she goes… I do this almost everyday … it feels good

My Mentor tag is only worn for Help Island visits and Question&Answer sessions. Besides that, I simply prefer to be helpful. I have my own group and my own set of silly tags. My favorite hangouts are Hanja, Waterhead, and NCI Kuula. I'll gladly respond to just about any IM I get and I make it clear that I eat the rude. =^-^=

Really... That's it. Just be informed, volunteer some time, and keep a thick skin with the patience of a saint. I've had a lot of good experiences in helping people and a few have even become good friends. (^_^)

Definitely get yourself into some helper groups... New Citizens is a great recourse since it's filled to the gills with smart and creative people who will gladly respond to just about any question at a moments notice. That way, if you're hit with a question you don't know the answer to, you can ask it yourself in group chat and get some education along the way. (^_^)

Zerock,

Kudos to you for wanting to help!

Long before I became a Mentor, I spent time hanging out at Orientation Island Public. The arrival area is full of showoffs and griefers, but you used to get lots of newbies coming through, too. That may no longer be true, since noobs now check in at Help Island, and may not know what "Orientation Island" is. Go to a welcome area or to Help Island Public instead.

Freebie stores are another good place to pick up newbies, although many of them may already be accompanied by the friend who gave them the landmark to the place.

If you want to help the newest of noobs, make an alt, and never teleport him off Help Island. Send him a care package of notes and giveaways to pass out.

There are scads of helper places and organizations. Help People has a "greeter HUD" that will automatically pass out a note and a LM to their site to anyone less than a few days old who comes in range. NCI has great classes. The Shelter's been mentioned. GQ Start offers classes, informal help, and low rent rooms for newbies. All these places are looking for people with time, talent, and a willingness to volunteer.

If you're looking for noobs on your own, wear a titler that says something like "Got Questions about SL? I got answers!"

"Ask Me a Question"