Hello, I'm new with some questions

I just joined SL, and unlike most people I really don't know much about it. I read the Wikipedia page about it that a co-worker recommended but it didn't tell me how to get the most out of SL as a participant.

I've enjoyed floating around to different places like Moscow, Mexico, the WWF Animal Park and more, but there is never anyone else there when I go there.

I'd appreciate any suggestions from seasoned users as to the best way to get to know SL.

Thanks!

Edit to add: One more question, how do I change my avatar?

At the bottom of your screen on the right hand side there is a button named "Map". Open it and wait for it to all load, then find a place with lots of green dots and click on that place........you'll get a red circle where you clicked. The click the button near the bottom of map that says "Teleport". The only problem you might find is that it's mainly inhabited by bots or campers (the "zombies" as I call them who are AFK while they "earn" 2 lindens per hour). If that's the case go back to map and pick another one........you'll eventually find some real people (I promise ). When you do, don't be afraid to talk.........say hi to everyone and try to catch up on the conversations that are going on and join in. Most everyone will welcome you. You can unzoom your map to show more of the SL world to widen your search too.

On the changing your avatar. You have two major folders in your inventory. "My Inventory" and "Library". Take a look in those for "body parts" You should have several skins and shapes. Right click and choose "wear". If you don't like that one, choose another one til you find one you like. Skins and shapes cannot be taken off so to get rid of one you don't like you have to wear another one. It might be good to reminder the one you have now so, worse case, you go back to it. And once you get the hang if SL you'll find you can purchase some great skins and shapes (aka Avatars).

Take care and enjoy

Thanks very much, Peggy.

The Zombies make sense now that you explained them. I have seen "people" in the shops that don't say or do anything. I was wondering what they were.

Thank you for teling me about the Inventory and Library. I did see other skins there and just tried a newer, better one out.

Well, I am excited to see some places with real people. I am off to try the Map right now!

SEARCH is your best friend!!

No.. really!

click on SEARCH at the bottom of your viewer and the GROUPS tab. Then type in whatever you might be interested in in the search field and click the SEARCH button, (suggestion: one subject per query, such as HISTORY, or GAMES or GHOSTS etc). Many groups are free to join and open to the public. Find one that looks interesting in the group info section with more than a couple of members and click on the JOIN 0L button. (if there isn't a JOIN button, it's by invite only)

In most of them, there will be members who are helpful and welcome you aboard with information about secondlife as well as starting off with something in common.

Another good SEARCH would be to click the ALL tab, and type in THE SHELTER. This is a great place with a lot of helpful people, free stuff, information about secondlife and many other people full of questions too, so you wont feel like the only one.

Good luck with your secondlife!

Yeah, I used this method a few times "back in the day". Stumbled across a fair bit of nekkidness too.. *cough*

So I started clicking "nearby" the cluster of green dots, doing a quick camming over before rushing in. Hehe.

And what is wrong with nekkidness?

LOL

Oh nothing, it's just not every day you are in the mood for noob orgies up close..

Good idea would be also, to visit one of the orientation islands. You find them in the search too. There are always many new user and mentors.

join groups you think will be useful, if you don't get anything from them, you can leave them just as quickly.

Doesn't Search also have the new Showcase tab up and running? This is a new feature so I haven't used it at all, but you might find some cool/interesting/fun places there.

The SL guide book helped me a lot....full of good advices and adresses!

In Search, click the Events tab and select Education from the drop-down list. There are quite a few classes on the basics. That will help you start to decide what you're interested in, and meet new people who aren't zombies or bot. The NCI classes are very good. NCI stands for New Citizens Institute. They have centers where you can find people, information, and free goodies. You can even set the center as your "home", so you materialize there when you log on.

Have fun!

Welcome to SL!

Empty places: This is the norm. There are 22,000 regions (grid squares) and about 50.000 or so accounts on line at any given time. That's about 2 avatars per region...but we tend to clump together at events and popular places, which leaves a lot of empty space.

Be grateful... if there were a whole lot more of us, the grid would break oftener than it does.

Changing your avatar: At the bottom right of your screen there is a button called Inventory. Click that. There are two main folders, Inventory and Library. The Inventory folder is where you will keep everything you make or acquire in Second Life. The Library folder is your "basic issue" stuff. Look in Library/Clothing, and you will see a lot of folders. Each one is a different avatar and outfit. Just drag one of the folders onto your avatar to change your look. (If it won't let you do that from the Library, Copy and Paste the folder into your Inventory folder, and try it from there, or drag each individual item onto your avatar.)

To change things a piece at a time, open one of those folders. Find an article of clothing you'd like to try on and drag it onto your avatar or right click it and select Wear. To take things off, either right click them and Detach, or right click your avatar, select Take Off/Clothes/<desired article of clothing>.

To change the look of your body, right click your avatar and select Appearance. You will get a menu with tons of tabs and sliders for altering your shape, your face, and even the clothes you are wearing (assuming they have modification permissions).

Places: As others said, use Search and the Map to find places to visit. There is also a good website with places and descriptions of them, at http://www.sl2go.com