Top 5 Tips for the Newly Born

Great thread.

Some of my tips ...

1.) Don't use a group IM for chatting unless it's specifically for chat. It can get very irritating if you're in a store group and someone asks "Can I get a TP?" every twenty minutes.

2.) Don't be afraid to offer a calling card instead of friendship. Set your own boundaries where you feel comfortable. A true "friend" will respect them.

3.) Talk to your neighbors. Walk up to their property line/door/what have you and say hello. You can make great friends from your neighbors, and who knows - when either of you is ready to sell your land, you might have a ready-made buyer.

4.) Don't ever, for any reason, buy 16 sqm. of land and build a spinning roadside ad on it. And for good measure, don't patronize the businesses that do. Sim blight is evil.

5.) Don't camp. If you can't earn money from selling, try going to contests and winning their prizes. A lot of us started off that way, and again, you can meet real live people to befriend.

Good luck, and have fun!

Most clubs have contests that give away cash prizes. If you have a few $to play with, play the Sploders. You will always get back something, sometimes many times your buy in.

My top 5 "E"s for Newb-E's:

Greetings:

Despite being a newbie, or perhaps becuase I'm a newbie, I've created a little folder of Newbie Tips and Help Info. I've parphrased some of the great advice from this thread (with gratitude), as well as linked to this thread. I hope this is all right. If anyone wishes a copy of my "Tips for New SL Residents", IM me in SL. It's nothing special, though, I warn you and I'm sure you've all offered better to newbies . Just my own thoughts and tips.

Cheers,

Lucrezia

Here's some very important tips to maximize one's use of land:

-In addition to your tier level, don't forget to add in the extra 512 meters to find the total land you can own. So, if you are at the 4096 tier, you can own 4608 meters.

BUT... if you use a group to hold your land, you get to hold 110% of your tier for free! So, with a 4096 tier, you can hold up to 5069 meters! This is just 51 meters away from being able to hold a 4096 and a 1024... you may be able to find someone to rent the extra tier from. Just be careful how you set your group, and use an alt to join it so it is permanent.

1) just cuz you can wear a 60 story building, doesnt mean its a nice outfit

2) read before you buy, i paid 75L for a 14 guns, turned out to just be gun sounds (bang bang) how silly of me then i found Freebie Warehouse and got a gun full of 70 guns for free

3) reduce the lenght of your normal hair to nothing to make yourself bald when wearing prim hair so your normal hair doesnt stick thru

4) don't bang your next door nayber's husband in the hottub while she is inside watching tv, she might hear you....or come out and catch you!!

5) get a posing stand to adjust all the jewlery and hair and other things you wear on your body, they are free and at most stores they have them for your use.

(all tips from my personal experiance over the past few days)

I'm trying to do the math on that one too...

1) A girl who really likes her guns!

OR

2) A boy who really likes all kinds of ... guns... too.

Heh.

"Bald" hairpieces that come with prim hair are no good. They screw up your eyebrows, unless they're moddable, in which case you may as well have stuck with your own version of 0 length hair with your eyebrows intact.

I wore one of those bald things once and I actually had the facial expression to match having my shoes up my arse.

Agree with the hair. With the lag lately so many avatars are showing up with only part of their prims added to their original .. debatable but I prefer bare scalp to different hair .. they can look like bad hats!

Am I missing something? what do posing stands offer that 'edit appearance' does not?

That one waspuzzling me too.

Hmmm I guess I haven't had any eyebrow issues with the bald caps - but then again, maybe I look like an idiot and have no idea

I've never found anything wrong with your eyes Freckles ... er, I mean eyebrows of course!

*stickies*

sorry to confuse you on #4, Bang is another term for 'to have sex with'

I don't think you can edit any attachments: Hair , Jewelry, while in Edit Appearance mode.

Originally Posted by bilbo99 Emu
Am I missing something? what do posing stands offer that 'edit appearance' does not?


"Edit Appearance" is for shape and avatar characteristics...

"Posing Stands" are for editing avatar attachments...

They're useful because they lock you into a fixed pose. Otherwise, if you're trying to edit an earring or nosering whatever, your avatar has the habit of looking at where your mouse pointer is... which can make it *very* tricky to grab attachments.

Once an attachment is being edited, the avatar will 'freeze'.

Usually, I just muddle through without a posing stand.

You may not look like an idiot, but you're wearing someone else's eyebrow shape.

I'm FUSSY about having my eyebrows where I put them originally, in the shape I had them.
Add to that, that a new skin maybe changes them a bit and you're back to editing the bald-hair again to get them where they should be.

Probably could do with some tips to existing users such as:

if some enters your property it can be accidental (can take a while for stuff to start appearing upon teleport) so refrain from sending a snotty IM saying "stay off my land, next time I'll inform Linden and get you banned"

Fresh thread, delighted to see this! OMG. Four things that've helped me along across the ages... hope they'll be of help to you too:


(1) Gear up on Second Life history. Read blogs of interest on Resident-run sites, check out the SL History Wiki, and dig into the backlogs of New World Notes. By understanding the past, you'll be culturally aware of our Grid, and make a better future for yourself.

(2) Be laterally observant. Look for things that are getting missed in Second Life and strive to explore them. For example, today, I'm known for making free texture packs, but it started out of a frustration of not seeing more original, painterly-style textures in SL. This also helps when getting a job — there's so much room for better documentation in SL that's hardly been seized! I made some of my early L$ by proofreading and editing notecards.

(3) Fill out your profile. OK, you may be shy, but I was too. Profiles are a fundamental form of self-expression here. By taking advantage of the various tabs and sharing about yourself, you invite others to become new friends and get to know you better — since you're so interesting! I've even made a Video Tutorial on "How to fill in your profile".

Speaking of...

(4) Help others profusely. I recognize and respect my early Mentors which helped me learn the "Second Life Skills" I hold in high esteem today. Being guided really enlightened my experiences here, and I love giving that back in kind by doing things like the aforementioned vidtuts, and exchanging tips 'n' tricks like we are here! We were all new once, and the best teachers are the best students. In Second Life, the learning never ends. I've kickstarted some additional resources, like these pages on the Second Life Wiki:and you can add stuff to the wiki too! If you've got a keen eye for bugs, you can use our Public Issue Tracker to report 'em in the open. Your knowledge may help other Resis who come across it realize, "Hey, I'm glad it's not just me!" and be thankful for your help. How do I know? Happens to me all the time.

THIS THREAD ROCKS!!!! YAYZERAMA!

Although i'm a "newly born" - one i'd suggest is

If a purchased item allows you to copy it, make a copy and stick it in a back-up folder (create folder if you haven't already). So if you make changes to the main one and ruin it while experimenting with Edit you can delete the duff one and make a new copy from the one in backup.

EDIT: oh and treat SL money like real money because IT IS REAL MONEY (far too easy to get carried away in your first weeks!)

I am still a newbie, I have the walk and hair of a newbie and will probably have them for a while. Right now I am still looking around and exploring. Hopefully I am not making any mistakes. Based of the tips provided I think I've done okay. This thread has been extremely helpful, I have new places to explore and things to try. I am homeless, but currently hang my hat in what was described as a resident home for the homeless. I hope this is not what is considered "camping". and I read carefully the information before staying at the house. I just hate to leave my avatar drifting in a public place.

It is interesting that even with an avatar representing, I behave the same. I am shy and pretty private, but I hear you all saying the profile is important so I will fill in something.

This is a very different experience that I am enjoying.

As a newbie I would like to add something to the list.
Trust your instincts with people, and when all your warning signals are going off listen to them. Learn what helps you stay safe, no matter what your enviroment.

Thanks to all for the tips

Welcome Silver. A very enlightened post. I agree with you wholehartedly. Don't be too worried about making mistakes, we all do. As you yourself has stated,If you use the same courtesy and consideration as in RL, you will be fine. Enjoy the spectacle of Second Life.

Thank you all for the interesting information you have taken the time to provide.

Here, for the record, are the 5 things I wish I had known on my first day in Second Life:

1. The second you step off Orientation or Help Island, you will be bombarded with the Second Life Economy in the form of advertising, sales and a "mall-like" atmosphere. Even if you try to escape to more educational venues, or to the burbs on the mainland, you will feel bombarded by the messaging. I'm just guessing here, that the majority of Second Life residents have found value in this world other than mall shopping, which is one of my personal least favorite activities. Breathe deeply and explore, and don't take your first impressions from places with the most traffic or the spinning whizzing signs that promise you everything all at once. Keep in mind that people PAY to have their locations listed on Search and in the Classifieds.

2. Don't worry so much about how you look the first couple of days. My story has got to take the cake. The contents of an Easter Egg (I made those hunts part of my first day exploring) was a pile of poop, which I proceeded to wear on my head until well into the afternoon. =) My suggestion is to find a real-life friend, or a virtual friend from chatting or gaming, to check out the world with you. It put things in perspective.

3. I read, in one forum or another, a post which indicated that people who look a tad dumpy, or old, or like the not-so-perfect girl next door, which is a characteristic of many newcomers who style their appearance to resemble their real-life self, are magnets for others. I found this to be true. I think that many other new people spoke to me throughout the day because I looked safe, and a very few older residents spoke to me because I looked new and out-of-place (OMG she doesn't know to wear prim hair!) I'm guessing that I'm not significant enough for many to remember what my first few days looked like, and that even if I am, it will make for some good laughs.

4. I went from chat rooms to MMORPG gaming and am giving Second Life a try because I know myself well enough to recognize that what I like about online life is the social experience and the opportunity to contribute my talents and creativity and mistakes and humanity to a virtual universe. I'm not giving up because I haven't found a place to chat the first day. On the flip side of this, after Orientation and Help Islands Second Life does need to provide newcomers with someplace to gather, so that they can tell the stories of the poop on their heads. Most of the places that are listed as catering to newcomers are either part and parcel with the "mall" atmosphere, or defunct. I got bumped and warned by two that are specifically listed on Help Island.

5. Make something the first day. Well, here is the story to counter the poop story. I spent the morning doing the tutorials on the first level of the Ivory Tower, creating a small flask item as I went along. In late afternoon I started checking out some of the educational seminars and educationally focused events. One of these was the Newbie Show and Tell at NCI New Citizens Incorporated. When there weren't enough entries, I said what the heck and entered. I tied for second place and won 75 Linden Dollars. Although I'm sure that this was a sympathy vote for the newbie, I took a snapshot and will always remember my first day with pride. More importantly, I know how to make on object, as well as wearing someone else's object (ewww) on my head. Thanks NCI.

And here are my 5 things to do for the second day:

1. Check out the educational events right away. They help with orientation and allow for a bit more structured and less ad frenzied environment.

2. Make something new. I figure if I do a little creating every day I'll improve a little every day.

3. Find a relatively isolated spot to log into as home, to give me a chance to find my bearings before I start running madly in circles.

4. Check out the volunteers and mentors who specialize in helping newcomers.

5. Find out what some of the non-profit organizations are accomplishing in Second Life, particularly those like the land trusts and conservancies which are devoted to the public good and the life of the commons.

Thanks to all of you who made my initial foray into Second Life bearable, and I hope this helps someone on their first day!

I haven't been here long and this topic was one of the first things I read from end to end.

I'd just like everyone who has contributed it to know that I, for one, have found it extraordinarily useful and I'm still learning from it - I expect to be trying the things suggested for some time to come.

I have encouraged all my fellow newborn friends to check this and other helpful newbie-related topics out.

Thank you all!