Nine newbie questions...

Hi, I'm three days old. I just read the tips for the newly born above and a handful of other posts, but I still have a few random questions, if anyone can help.

1. I need a place to live. Is it better to buy or to rent? Can you buy an already-built home and decorate it yourself or do you have to build it from scratch? And if it's better to buy land and build, how do you do that? Every time I go to the land auction page, everything is already sold for the day. (Is there a certain time of day I need to do this?) Just some general tips would be appreciated.

2. I do want to learn a skill, and I particularly like fashion, but I am a computer/tech dummy. I know there are other forums for that in particular, as well as classes, and I will try them, but I don't want to waste my time if it's only going to end in frustration. Is there any hope for me?

3. Speaking of computers, SL keeps crashing on me every two or three hours. I don't otherwise EVER have any computer problems. I have a less than one year-old Dell Latitude D620 that has never crashed or frozen or had any other problems, and I still have plenty of leftover space. Do I need more RAM to run SL? What's the problem?

4. Is there a way to view or "open up" the world map more quickly? Some areas that I've frequented the most still haven't done so, while other areas opened up immediately. Does it all have to do with where I spend the most time, or are there areas that just have too much un-open (un-owned, un-built) space as of yet?

5. Several people on here have said that SL is not just about money and cybersex, and I'm willing to take your word for it, or I wouldn't still be here. But every time I try to explore, almost every place I go is either a mall or a strip club/escort service/sex club/etc. And most of the "events" on the website, likewise, are centered around freebies and shopping. Where can I find ways to have fun in SL that don't necessarily involve getting stuff or getting laid?

6. Along the same lines, where can I make friends with those who are more experienced than I am? I have met only four types in SL so far: 1) other newbies; 2) people who hate newbies; 3) males who want to cyber; and 4) people who want to sell me something. I'm sure there are nice people out there - there seem to be plenty in this forum - but I can't seem to find any in-world. Which isn't a surprise, because nine out of ten times that I teleport, I end up in a store or mall. Help!

7. But as for stores, almost all of the women's clothing I've found is extremely formal, or punk/goth, or suitable for a prostitute. Which is fine for others, and formal dresses are fun sometimes, but I'd like to find more casual clothes that do not look like they were inspired by either Frederick's of Hollywood or Hot Topic. If anyone has any tips or knows any good stores, it would be greatly appreciated.

8. What is the proper way to deal with a male character who keeps humping or groping my own? More simply put, how do I get them OFF of me?

9. How do I turn down friendship offers (from the more subtle but similarly motivated males) without being rude or unfriendly?

There must be more to SL than rampant consumerism and sex. I live in New York City - I have enough of that around me in my RL life to satisfy both worlds.

A big thank-you in advance to any helpful replies.

You may want a place to live - but no one needs one. It never rains in SL. There are places you can buy homes already built - that's how Anshe Chung made her money. You can also buy many different types of prefab house. There are even some pretty decent freebie houses out there.



Yes. First off for clothes, get a decent copy of Photoshop or something simillar. It costs $40, but there is a freebie version called The Gimp (GNU Image Manipulation Program). It takes more skill to use, but is free. That's what I use to make my suits - never sold any though, I just make them for my own use.



Difficult to say with such limited information. However, SL has a lot of problems with graphic card compatibility. Try dowloading a more recent driver for your graphics card, if there is one, and see if it makes a difference.



You can open it and then minimize it like any other window (using the - at the top right). Then it is there whenever you want it.



Go to the AKK ranch if you like riding horses, or Dogfight Atoll for Hot Biplane Action. There are many other places like this, where you can sail boats, ride jetskis, surf, windsurf, fly hot air balloons. Go to the Forum Cartel hangout to meet some of the zaney characters on this forum.



Again, the Cartel hangout. Also, find an interest and associate with people who do that.



Not my area of expertise. There are plenty of casual shops out there. Make sure to visit the Free Dove for freebies - some freebies are pretty good, as many designers use it as free advertising of their products.



Tell them you will kick them in the balls so hard you will create a vagina.



It is not considered rude to turn down a friend request - no one will question your decision. If they do, see answer to no. 8.



There is, but none of us have found it.

Your questions are great (made me laugh a few times)and you've posted in the right place. Thing is I'm kind of new, too. You have many questions so I'll start with the 1st one and hope others follow suit.

#1 Do not rent or buy yet. Wait till all the other questions you've posted have been answered and you feel comfortable using the advice. Then, wait another month.

Who's next?

Conan = Speedy Gonzales!!

1. I need a place to live. Is it better to buy or to rent? Can you buy an already-built home and decorate it yourself or do you have to build it from scratch? And if it's better to buy land and build, how do you do that? Every time I go to the land auction page, everything is already sold for the day. (Is there a certain time of day I need to do this?) Just some general tips would be appreciated.

Don't get anything yet. In fact, resist the urge to spend money as hard as it is, for a couple-three weeks at least. Check out NCI in Kuula for a free, friendly home point for now. You'll get a lot of information about the world there. And ah, watch out for evil land barons... *waggles eyebrows*


2. I do want to learn a skill, and I particularly like fashion, but I am a computer/tech dummy. I know there are other forums for that in particular, as well as classes, and I will try them, but I don't want to waste my time if it's only going to end in frustration. Is there any hope for me?

Tons of hope. Again, check out NCI's classes, or The Shelter (search inworld).


3. Speaking of computers, SL keeps crashing on me every two or three hours. I don't otherwise EVER have any computer problems. I have a less than one year-old Dell Latitude D620 that has never crashed or frozen or had any other problems, and I still have plenty of leftover space. Do I need more RAM to run SL? What's the problem?

Welcome to the grid. Sad to say, it's gonna be like this (or comparable) until the technology matures.


4. Is there a way to view or "open up" the world map more quickly? Some areas that I've frequented the most still haven't done so, while other areas opened up immediately. Does it all have to do with where I spend the most time, or are there areas that just have too much un-open (un-owned, un-built) space as of yet?

Not really. It's got to do with how fast the service is responding at any given time, amongst other things.


5. Several people on here have said that SL is not just about money and cybersex, and I'm willing to take your word for it, or I wouldn't still be here. But every time I try to explore, almost every place I go is either a mall or a strip club/escort service/sex club/etc. And most of the "events" on the website, likewise, are centered around freebies and shopping. Where can I find ways to have fun in SL that don't necessarily involve getting stuff or getting laid?

Get to know other new people with similar interests and issues as yours. Again, NCI and The Shelter are your friends. You've seen a lot of the mainland it sounds like. Without digging up too much debate, many people I know hardly go there any more due to the mall/escort thing (and many private sims like that as well).


6. Along the same lines, where can I make friends with those who are more experienced than I am? I have met only four types in SL so far: 1) other newbies; 2) people who hate newbies; 3) males who want to cyber; and 4) people who want to sell me something. I'm sure there are nice people out there - there seem to be plenty in this forum - but I can't seem to find any in-world. Which isn't a surprise, because nine out of ten times that I teleport, I end up in a store or mall. Help!

I'd best pass on commenting on this one, I'm clearly biased. As for getting to know oldbies, it's hard. They know a ton of people and are usually in their own social settings. However, in time, you'll discover some places are very open and friendly, while others are downright poison to new folk. Give it three weeks, not three days.


7. But as for stores, almost all of the women's clothing I've found is extremely formal, or punk/goth, or suitable for a prostitute. Which is fine for others, and formal dresses are fun sometimes, but I'd like to find more casual clothes that do not look like they were inspired by either Frederick's of Hollywood or Hot Topic. If anyone has any tips or knows any good stores, it would be greatly appreciated.

Again, I'm terribly biased - I'd better not answer this one.


8. What is the proper way to deal with a male character who keeps humping or groping my own? More simply put, how do I get them OFF of me?

Teleport away. This is pretty rare, actually, unless you are in the newbie clubs or at welcome areas. Run from these areas. Far away. Very far away.


9. How do I turn down friendship offers (from the more subtle but similarly motivated males) without being rude or unfriendly?

Accept them, then wait a few hours, and delete 'em from your friendlist when nobody's around.


There must be more to SL than rampant consumerism and sex. I live in New York City - I have enough of that around me in my RL life to satisfy both worlds.

There is. But a rapid search won't turn it up. Takes time to get to know people. But it's out there, certainly, in large quantities.

Accept the offer, tell them you have to go shave in RL, then remove them from your friends list later. 90 percent of the folks wont even notice.

Get away from the newbie areas and you won't get humped so much. I recommend you rent for a while until you find a place to settle down in.

Welcome, Dyanna! I'm only going to bite off one question too.We need to know more, but just off the top of my head, 2-3 hours isn't too bad with a laptop. A few things:

1. Your lappie is going to run warm with SL. Get a cooling pad/fan for it, ~20-40$ at any store that carries computer parts. 2-3 hours between crashes could easily be overheating.

2. We need to know more about your computer, in particular your computer comes with either Intel video or nvidia. When you are in SL, please go to the Help menu (up top) and choose "About". Among other things, you should see a description of your hardware. Please post that on this thread

3. Please don't attempt to run over wireless if you can possibly avoid it.

4. I believe your lappie has 1GB of RAM? That will be OK for SL for the time being.

Is this a wind up?

Yes, that's right. A new person has some questions. It must be a wind up.

Did you read them?

Did you?

Oh piss off.

Questions 5-9 don't sound like newbie questions.

She says she's been here three days. That's plenty long enough to find out pretty much everything SL is all about and become disillusioned.

Can someone drop the Lucrezia Lamont Newbie folder on the OP? I'd do it, but I'm not in-world for several hours.

Dyanna - the folder I'm talking about has several landmarks in it to really amazing places in SL. Also, try search for whatever you're interested in. You may have to filter out some garbage, but you'll also find some really cool stuff, and you'll get connected with people with similar interests.

Go to the forum hangout to meet people. There are a lot of places to go dancing and socialize that aren't all meat markets or pickup joints. Even if you don't dance in RL, dancing in SL is a blast. Trust me. I clomp around like a drunken rhino in RL - I truly hate dancing. In SL, it's a blast!

I totally agree with Desmond about not spending any dough at first. Pick up some freebies. Get your bearings and decide what you want, then pull out your credit card and put $25 on it. $25 is nothing compared to what you would spend on a normal computer program and it will take you a long way towards really making your Avatar look great if you know what you're doing. Please don't camp for money. It's a total waste of time.

Of course, once that first $25 is gone, it's awfully easy to stick another $25 on there...

"5. Several people on here have said that SL is not just about money and cybersex, and I'm willing to take your word for it, or I wouldn't still be here."

On a first post?

Plenty of people lurk on the forums before posting. So, yes, on a first post that sounds perfectly reasonable.

Regardless if she is new or not. At least the OP was appropriate for this forum, which is more than can be said about 75% of the threads that have been started here lately.

What did happen with that whale?

Don't buy land using the auction page. Land here is overpriced and people bidding on it usually pay more because they want land in a specific sim. Go inworld and use land search. Be sure to sort for mainland only when doing your seach.

Go here for more answers to your land questions: land-answers.wiki.zoho.com

Amen to that.

It got raped when its owner was in the kitchen making a cup of tea.

No you don't, as several folks have pointed out. But there ARE places where newcomers can stay for free, for the first 30 days or so. Look up kelley Griffith, or Skit Quinan, or MASUkills Masala at GQ Start, and tell them Lindal sent you.



Yes, there is hope for you. Again, GQ Start has an excellent series of classes for beginners. NCI offers great classes, too.



It's just SL. If you crash no more than once every couple of hours, you're better off than a lot of others. But a hefty graphics card is helpful. You might get more stability with one of the third party viewers, such as the one put out by Nicholaz Beresford. http://nicholaz-beresford.blogspot.com/



The map often takes a long time to rez. That's a lot of data that has to get from SL to your computer. More, if it's a region of the world you haven't looked at yet.



In addition to the other suggestions, search this forum for past threads on "your favorite places", "sightseeing", and so on.



Right here. In world, visit the Forum Cartel Hangout in Allana. Send an IM to Brenda Connolly or Chris Norse and ask to join the group.



Well, SL *IS* sort of an asylum for exhibitionists. Part of my advice to you is: get used to it. And, have fun with it. But "sensible" clothing is available. Again, Brenda C. is the go-to gal. She's always stylish, never slutty. Some possible stores to look at include Pixel Dolls and Blaze and Little Rebel. If you like ethnic outfits, Oryx Tempel's International House of Style is a must-see.



We've had endless threads that touch on this one. To summarize very quickly:
- get a defense system like a Mystitool.
- or simply sit on a plywood cube to keep from getting pushed.
Neither of those stop someone who wants to just jump on you and hump away. For those, there are numerous strategies. The point-and-laugh. The kick inna privates. Or tell him, "I'm a guy". Or TP somewhere else. Or Abuse Report them if they violate the Terms of Service (assault, broadly offensive behavior, public nudity, etc.)



Just decline. If you feel that's too rude, say "no offense, but I don't usually make friends with someone until I've known them a while first." Or you can accept, and then delete them the moment they leave. (I think that one's kinda sneaky, but quite a number favor it.)

Or...DON'T decline. You can have a lot of fun going out on dates with "subtle but similarly motivated males." If nothing develops between you, you'll probably drift apart naturally.

Well...back on topic.

There are hundreds and hundreds of freebies at NCI or Yadni's Junkyard. Enough to keep you playing dress up for weeks. After that, I've always directed newer residents toward Little Rebel for nice, casual clothes at newbie friendly prices.


There are some great places to visit within the SL Parks and Rec service:
http://www.virtualparksandrec.com/

It depends. I'd suggest waiting a month to see how you like SL. When you deal with either rent or own, it's real money you're spending, and mistakes can be costly. Spend time, make friends, ask lots of questions, then decide for yourself. There is no better choice. As for houses, again you have choices. Build from scratch, buy a prefab and furnish it, or sometimes a rental comes with a pre-furnished home. Beware that we have prim-limits... prims are the building blocks of SL, and land can only support a limited number of prims. Factor this limit when considering rent/own and prefab/build your own. A typical limit is 117 prims per 512sqm of land.Yes, there's hope. I'm willing to bet a majority of the designer types in SL had little computer/tech experience before using SL. With building, the difficulty is in learning to manipulate the prims. Think of them as Lego blocks, visit the Ivory Tower Library of Primitives, and let your creativity loose. If you're into clothing design, then look for the templates at the bottom of the SL Downloads page http://secondlife.com/community/downloads.phpNext time you run SL, click "About Second Life" from under the "Help" menu. Look to see what is listed as your Graphics Card. If it's not Nvidia or ATI, then that's your first problem. For RAM, you should probably have at least 2GB. There can be many other problems that cause your crash, such as other programs running in the background using what memory you have available. Or, if it's a laptop, the video memory may be shared with system memory... it's good to have a graphics card with 128-256MB of video memory.ctrl-M. If the map blocks are gray, it's just SL running slow.Search for places in non-mature (PG) regions. Also, look for out-of-the-way less crowded places. I'm in Europa, and am always intrigued when new residents only a day old drop from the sky. I think they're TP'ing to an old freebie landmark in Phobos that hasn't exist for years. But I'm pretty friendly, and willing to help when I have time. You can also try the Help Island Public, but it's a toss-up there. Sometimes you get great help and good times, yet other times it's a mess.Yes, there are other people out there. I think a lot of people form a group of friends and hang out with those friends in non-popular locations. The more time you spend in SL, the more friends you'll make. Just be friendly and don't take things too seriously.n/aRight click them, choose MUTE. Then ignore them. They crave the attention and knowing that it bothers you, they like to see you move around and complain. Of course, you can move to a location where you (or friends) have more control of who can be there... you can 'sit' to avoid being pushed around... or you can have a 'ugly costume' to change into when they do that.You can check their 'born on' date to help with this. If they are really new to SL, you may want to be friendlier about it. If the person is older in SL, and you haven't spent any time chatting with them, then just decline and say, "No Thanks" since they're probably used to that. What I do, is accept the friendship, and immediately go into the person's profile and edit their "My Notes" tab. I put a blurb about who, where, and what will remind me about them a few days later. I routinely go through my friends list and remove those who I have no connection with.

Oh my God! Not in the blowhole, surely!?