What causes SL's high dropout rate?

You know what? SL isn't for everyone. And it's good that way. If everyone loved it, it would be because it appeals to the lowest common denominator, and I don't think anyone of the regulars in SL would like having it totally dumbed-down.

Any world where the possibilities are pretty limitless is going to be a little involved to learn.

Any world where the possibilities are not limited by a game framework are going to end up having the same issues as RL - you don't feel like speaking to people in RL, well, why should SL be any different.

You need a set of structured goals in your life? Well, you can develop those in SL if you want - I know a lot of resis with very structured goals that they have set themselves.

As for people saying about total strangers coming up to them and asking for sex, I just think you need to hang out at some different places. A lot of stores are either empty, or have people in them that want to buy stuff. The worst I have seen while shopping recently are just people with (to me) annoying audio gestures. I can turn my sound off for the time that takes.

Of my RL friends there are some that I would never suggest join SL - I just know it's not for them. There are others who I suggest giving it a try, kind of knowing they won't be back, and others who I am pretty certain will like it. In no way do I see that as a flaw with SL.

No one is being negative TO YOU,Mike. People are just expressing their view on the subject. Just as your points are valid based on your experience, so are theirs. You're taking your usual everything is black and white view on the subject, and dissenting views are invalid. It's all perception. You are right, the Forum is not a good cross section, but since this is where the question is asked, this is where the answers will come from.

Bingo!
I have had that exact encounter with countless newbies. And I sit in amazement that they don’t want to work on it….figure it out…do it until its second nature as I have done.
Then there are those who all I have to say is “you can look through walls this way” and they are all over it.

Those who are looking down their noses a little bit at newbies who complain about the steep learning curve might be forgetting that people come to SL to play. Not online gamer-play, but the having fun sort of play.

It's just human nature to want to hit the ground running instead of sensibly comb through hundreds of helpful threads here in the forums.

To arrive there and find that you need to spend a considerable amount of time learning the basics is just a tad disappointing.
With the promise of so much to do in this place, some just don't want to read through helpfiles, walk though the newbie places and figure out some pretty extensive menu drop-downs. People have different styles of learning. Not everyone reads the manual, even if some people think they should.

And then that learning curve is compounded by lag, things that don't rez properly, freezing, falling out of the sky, ridiculous search results, hair up your butt and a million other things that no one explains in noob-town. And you wonder why some newcomers give up?

I'm no slouch with the computer but, after two months here, I am still learning new things every day. alt-zoom? where's the zoom button?

B.

Right next to the Any key! (sorry, couldn't resist) *runs...

Wow Wildfire, I never would have put you in that category. I've seen you over at SL Universe, and I've always imagined you as very popular in rl with a huge social life.

One of the top 5 questions asked by newbie’s has to be “how do I see the front of my avatar?”. Generally just the fact they care gives me hope that they will stick around.
But…if that process is too complicated or not worth the effort…and believe me for some it is…then their SL future is questionable.
I’m sure even Brann has seen the front of her avatar?

Part of the problem is LL's woefully inadequate information on the game mechanics. The knowledge base is a joke, a lot probably won't go to the wiki, or come here and use the search feature. A lot of useful basic information is hard to find. My biggest peeve are not so much new users being a bit overwhelmed, but again, the 5 minute reviewers who don't take time to fugure it out, then go and write a review based on it. They are the one's who use the Learning Curve line, and probably scare away some potential users.

This has nothing to do with learning how to walk or chat. Those things, you must pay attention and read on OI if you can't figure it out from looking at the UI.

Some people don’t pay attention at the OIs though. Now there is a big sign the says EXIT and gives them the choice of going to Ahern, Nova Albion and Waterhead. They don’t even have to move an arrow key. Then poof there they are. Griefers paradise. Welcome to Second Life.

When I set up my alt a few weeks ago, that sign had said that I couldn't leave OI....I still had to complete the major tutorials in all four catagories and then it would let me leave to HI......perhaps it was glitch in SL on that night, I don't know.........

You and Colette...listen...Cherry is always negative towards me, and her most recent post is no different. If you can't find negativity in her post, you're not looking hard enough. It was obviously negative...and it's a pattern. I stand by my reply. I'm justified for standing up for myself. I'm sorry you two don't see it that way.

If I hadn't figured out how to make money in SL I would have quit, too. I don't really care about dancing/partying/what-have-you. That being said, most of my "SL Time" is actually spent in RL wrestling with Blender.

Make that 3 Michael. Not to gang up on you or anything, but I agree that Cherry wasn't being negative just simply stating an opposed view. Perhaps it's not us that are not looking close enough but perhaps it's you that is looking too close and reading into things. I only say that because I have done the same thing at certain times, perhaps past posts have rubbed you the wrong way and now you're looking for anything that she says to be a direct attack on you. I don't know, just a thought. But, I don't see anything in her post that is a direct negative attack on you.

Well I hope they turned them off! I’ve heard that LL is contemplating improvements to the OIs
I would recommend the next time someone wants to make an alt or knows of someone starting SL for the first time to start through Avatar Island or join the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream group and use those OIs. Both are awesome.

I didn't realize you had a choice of where to go? I never saw something that gave you an option, just got dropped onto OI and fend for yourself through the tutorials.....? Did I miss something?

I think the best thing that can be done for new members is a one-on-one introduction to the world and the interface.

When I joined it was at my brother's suggestion, and the moment I rezzed at Orientation Island he TP'd me to wherever he was and started explaining stuff to me. He was only a month or two old himself at that time but he had enough of a headstart to get me going. And I enjoyed it enough that I was highly motivated; I came here to the forums, I learned a lot, and was able to teach my brother some things too. We got up to speed together.

But SL will not be for everyone. Not everyone will enjoy it. I've built a few things but I haven't the patience or the graphics experience to get really good at it. I love dressing up my avatar and chatting with people so I mostly do that. Other people would say, why should I chat with strangers when I can read a book?

I do think there is something to be said for inherent comfort with things technological being a big help. My brother and I both had some intuition for the notion of moving about in a virtual world with other people in it. Our mother, on the other hand, insists that she cannot even really comprehend what SL is and what we do in it, even though we've tried to explain it to her.

I got my RL husband to join - he is also my SL partner now - but he almost never comes in world. Because of a combination of computer hardware and internet connectivity, he finds it too slow and choppy to be interesting. I, however, can tolerate a much lower frame rate and lower responsiveness than he can; I can get immersed in SL even if I'm down to a frame rate of 4-5 frames per second, if I am with my friends having a fun conversation. So that's another factor - how willing your brain is to get immersed despite the technical limitations of the system.

I'm always surprised to hear people complaining about griefers and constant demands for sex - maybe I've just been lucky as to where I hang out, but I've not been bothered by these things. I've only had one seriously disruptive encounter with a griefer, right after I bought some land and did not yet know I should turn off building and such on it. The other two or three times I've seen griefers (like the naked guy at the hangout last night) they've been more silly and laughable than threatening or disruptive. And I am essentially never propositioned for sex - again, I can think of maybe two times this has happened, and neither time was it particularly disruptive or annoying. Granted my avatar has a somewhat unusual appearance, but I don't think she's unattractive.

I think, again, that being shepherded by my brother early on is what limited my exposure to the places that are rife with griefers and "you sex me now" types. If everyone had that kind of one-on-one experience, they would get an early line on the safe, chill, fun places to be, and learn how to find more such places on their own.

Recently I've seen a lot of newbies who just want to use SL to chat about their real lives. They don't quite 'get' SL.

Yes you have the option to “Join a Community” and there to the left is a list of optional groups. https://secure-web15.secondlife.com/join/
Many are native language based and several offer exceptional newbie orientation from what I’ve heard and seen. For example Avatar Island has an enclosed Orientation facility. If you go to the island you can see through the glass dome how well its set up.
Ben & Jerry’s is just cool!
I’d be curious to see what kind of retention rate these new residents have compared to Linden Labs.

Curious! My friend is still stuck in OI and I developed my alt so that I could walk her through it fast, didn't know I could tp her out of there........but the weird thing is, I couldn't see her and she could see me.........do they drop people at different OI's. I will definitely check out those other OI's you mention, incredibly curious!

I would have to agree, or at least assign five newbies to one person to walk them through OI, or something a bit different. There are so many question one has a newbie, not just how to walk and fly but questions in general on what to do and where to go.

Can you please unpack this comment a little? Why do you perceive chatting about RL as equivalent to not getting SL?

My alts certainly outnumber me.

coco

let's see, the forums are for accts. that have payment info or premium accts. And we are to 'guess' why others leave with this poll. People who leave arent here and only they know. So, I checked all the options

I voted technical, but I have to go along with the person who said, "nothing to do."

That was my major criticism when I first arrived, and now, it's not better, but worse.

People have fun when they are faced with some sort of challenge, plus some tools to use to achieve them. Some purpose.

When I first arrived, I was planning on going into entertainment, but the subsidies for that had just been eliminated, so that was a no-go. (But that was okay, cause I was happy to be a builder.)

Lots of people got off on the ratings thing, but that was cut.

The stipends themselves were cut. Pretty much whatever was there in the beginning that was at all game-like was cut, because, as Philip himself said, "We needed it to be fun in the beginning to get the people here." (Not exact quote but close.)

Fact is, most people need a reason to be here, and for everyone, building or going into business isn't what they want, nor is a simple chat room or just another way to have virtual sex.

Without those things, there's not a lot to do, though listening to music at musical venues seems to be popular.

Basically, what I'm saying is, LL has been methodically eliminating everything "game-like" or fun since I've been here, and, well, that always means less to do, and fewer fun ways to earn money to do it with.

If there were more to do, and more ways to have fun, and more graspable challenges, more people would stick around, I think.

coco