Random Acts of Grid Kindness

Do you do them?

Generally this has been what I do when I've just had it with drama hurricanes, grid glitches, problems I bang my head against and so forth. It's a great cure.

I remember first logging into second life waaaay back, and it was a bizarre landscape of weirdness and strangers. No sense of home, dirt broke on the mean streets of offbeat whackyland, where you barely know how to walk. It's still largely that way, for people starting up.

I've got enough friends and IM's as is, so I use an alt. Sometimes it's useful to 'speak another language.'

It's amazing what you can do with some freebie (but comprehensive) texture packs, some free clothes. I usually avoid anything to do with $L (too easy, a bit crass), but sometimes you run across someone waiting sad and dejected at a money tree. If they have nothing, even $L 10 is a precious blessing. Remember even the freebie areas are often $L 1 per item, left over from the basic account stipend days.

If someone is an oldbie, a free texture pack or $L 10 will likely annoy them more than anything else. In that case, send them an IM or a note - something positive. Maybe they need some encouragement. Sure, you could tell them nice things with your main character - why bother use an alt? Well, in some cases there's still some magic in random unexpected wonderfulness that is appropriate. Think Secret Santa giveaways back at the dorms.

I've yet to find a better way to rediscover the magic of the grid.

Fed up, sick of all the problems? Try a random act of kindness, and let us know how it went. Unlock a power of grid anonymity that you may have never known you had. You'll be glad you did.

I used to give freebie folders, but with all the "viruses" and money drains being handed out, I am more likely now to just hand over some cash. I don't want people to get in the habit of taking items from strangers.

I've done that twice, of late.... one was a Linden gift, the other some free accommodation for a while. I'm not going to comment on the recipients' later actions (or lack of them)... but I certainly felt good. And I'll do it again.... need a few Lindens, Des?

Inc

outside of tier and land, gifting is where i spend most money. normally if i see someone camping i will talk to them and suss them out. tonight a guy was telling me he was camping at $2/9min so he could rent someplace to build and hopefully sell objects. so i gave him L$350 to get him started. for me, 350 is a little over a dollar. for him 350 is over 24 hours of camping.
tonight i was walking around and saw a no payment av wearing a demoskin and browsing skins at canimal. she was 3 days old and had never heard of a freebie skin, so i gave her a newbie kit and a passport skin.
i try to do my bit when its obvious to me.

Wonderful point Desmond! Every now and then i'll spend a couple of hours standing around HI public trying to throw my two cents in and offering newbie info pack around. Also hang out at the Free Dove from time to time answering questions, handing over info packs and occasionally giving people a linden for the hair there, because well.... a girl's got to have nice hair and it's hard to find for free. I'm generally broke and spend most of my little money on tips for musicians, also don't like the idea of just handing over money, but a linden for hair i can spare
It's a great thing to be doing. I remember in my very new days, a guy helped my find my way around and even gave me some money and took me hair-shopping (ah, now i know where that obsession came from haha). I've never forgotten that random act of kindness and try to be as helpful as i can, especially if my project-du-jour is giving me headaches. It's a great cure

When i started out, i met a really nice guy who was making jewellery. We fell to chatting and he asked me if i would model one of his bracelets, and he gave me a skin and shape, quite high quality, because he said that was the one he had made it for.... Waaaaaay better than newbie skin and shape.

That skin and shape was the one that became 'imogen' and i wore it for almost 8 months.

It was partly responsible for getting my first job as a dancer, having a decent shape, and thence me getting my first home, and having confidence.

The guy didnt ask anything in return. We are still friends.. IMing from time to time, but at the time he didnt know me from any other newbie.

i will never forget that. Now, when i see a newbie, i offer my info pack, and sometimes, a few lindens for a bit of a start. I just feel the need to 'pay it forward'. I think its one substantial part of what SL is all about.

It wasn't you in your alt Desmond, was it? *smile*

love
imogen

I tend to do random acts of kindness...
...but I'm not going to list them out here.

Yes.

In my days of selling and buying Mainland pre-land bot, I've been the first avatar to a few parcels that were set low by mistake. I learned from Sarah Nerd to always return mistakes and I've had the pleasure of being able to do it a few times.

In the land bot era, if someone tells me a bot took their mistake, I sell it back to them for what I paid for it secondhand.

I have a folder of freebies I used to give out. Most newbies decline in fear that I am trying to give them something that will take advantage. I'm actually glad when they decline because it means they know enough to be cautious when receiving gifts from strangers.

Ooo almost forgot: I bought a scripted Siggy towel for a beautiful avatar the other day. Does not count as random or even kindness, because I was hoping she would sunbathe in my general vicinity.

Cory Edo, Kyuubi David and Sarah Nerd did big acts of kindness and generosity for me when I was new.

I have loved to help people since I came in here. I remember my first week in SL someone gave me some skin and another kind person gave me L$50 and took me to Free Dove and explained to me how to buy, unpack and wear things.

Every since then, I will spend hours with a new person explaining to them the ins and outs of things. I try and take them to as many freebie places that I can. Many times I will throw some lindens at them so they don't fell so broke.

The smile that I get in my heart because of their kind words to me for helping them is more than I could ever ask for.

In my early days someone gave me $1500L out of the blue. I asked why, being from New York you are always suspicious , all they said was It's just something they like to do from time to time. While I don't do many "Random" acts per se, I always try to help people when I meet them in world. But then again I do the same in RL so I guess it isn't much of an effort.

Awww. You remember me! =^.^=

And: Yes. I've got a little packet of goodies I like to pass out to new folks, and I occasionally just fix up something scriptie for someone needing a little scirpt help. Is fun!

Half the time I date people in SL its a random act of kindness -

becuase they turn out to be major grade Losers.

Perhaps you should take it as a sign to not look for prospects at the Welcome area...

Luckily forums stalkers worked out better

/me <3's Brenda.

Awwwwwwww. hugs.

They're a cute pair. The official Resident Answers forum couple, I would say ... no?

same here, kinda takes away the randomness, and the fun in it

I have the folders from the newbie project in another thread, and have spread them and other stuff like them among several newbies. I recommend it. It makes you feel good.

I have a freebie pack on my land. Not that many items in it, but as much information as I could pack into it (and add to it near weekly).

I wrote a long detailed notecard on things I wish I knew when started. What to look for in clothes/skins/shapes. How to deal with griefers (and stay within the ToS), like sitting on cubes, or even the ground, and how to file an Abuse Report, Bug Report, and Support Ticket.

Most of all I stress for them to explore. There's so much to see in SL, and it's easy to get trapped in our own cozy little corners.

I'll also take time to help those that have questions, and do that daily *chuckles* Though I also learn things daily myself.

I don't use an Alt though. I find it works more for me to add the stable point to a person's SL evne if jsut in a one-time meeting with someone. To illustrate, I ran into someone a few days ago whom I had given a simple gift on their first days in SL. Was an easy prim-build for me and I felt good making it for them, and they were happy. Well, when I met them again, they were still wearing the item and remembered me for it. It made me happy to know they enjoyed it that much. =^.^=

Peace.
~Jessy

Yes that's true, I thought of that too, but some people just don't know what to do.

i do give away a lot of things, but mostly to ppl i know a little bit. i did once randomly walk around giving $L50 to ppl who were not camping, but waiting to camp.

i might have a give away soon, after i do a little work on my land. maybe a party, with cash prizes for those who show up. we'll see.

I dont know ... ive tried it, in fact last night I flew into some camping area and started to give money out ..... One "lady" told me to kiss her ass and gave it me back.

So, without getting into a camping highjack.... no I wont do it again, whats the point of tryin to do nice things to people who are just rude and are sucking SL dry.

However ....... If a person is generally nice and needs help I wreckon I will do my best

Hee hee! .. and I was just about to ask if anyone's seen Marty!


Imogen beat me to it - I was going to compare the OP to Paying it Forwards

Having been 'around' for a while in SL, I have quite a collection of male and female 'goodie folders' which include skins, hair (some flexi), shoes, walker AO's, clothing, primed outfits (manily avatars and armour), eyes, shapes, dance chim etc etc.. all unpacked an placed in named folders... when I meet a necomer, whether in HI or around SL, I always ask first, (I never assume) if they would like any clothing and accessories, along with a raft of useful LM's and NC's. If they say they would (about 99% of the time), I begin by telling them how to accept inventory transfers and tell them how many folders (around 25+) I will be sending, after asking what gender they prefer (just incase they are a Ruthed male).

In the NC's folder there is a set of useful instructions like how to unpack items from an object, terminology such as 'rez, prim, tp' etc, I also include a set of guestures, when double clicked will give them a 'chat' step by step guide of how to do thing, like swap clothing, Mac keyboard usage, using search etc, as a reminder, saves trying to find that 'useful NC' later on.

For those that are only interested in getting me to give them money.. I reply, SL is like RL... and therefore the methods of obtaining money, are very similar... the easiest way, rob a bank, 'normal way' earn it.