Is Second life for me? What does it really offer?

Hello all,

I have tried to play or use second life a few times but always ended up unistalling. Its an amazing network of the best virutal world you can get at the moment. Although, when I look all I noticed was online casinos, some nightclubs, some online stores, and thats about it. So after reviewing some new hardware I came across this recently:

http://vuzix.com/iwear/products_vr920_support.html

After really considering it I noticed it supports second life. This got me a bit interested. Now I do not have the vr glasses as of yet but I'm considering ordering them. So I have two questions.

1. What exactly is there to do as far as trying to invest time into playing or using Secondlife. I've played many mmo's like everquest and currently dark age of camelot but nothing like this game. If you can call this a game.

2. Over the years, I have had a website for my counseling. Would it be possible to set up some sort of secondlife based vr setup for live counseling? Is that a bit too much?

Thanks for any insight.

You might get some answers in this article about support groups and counseling in SL.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/11/LVL211GP5C.DTL

1. SL is primarily a social and development platform rather than a game. The people who get most from Second Life are a) the people who enjoy creating things within SL, and b) the people for whom the visual aspect of SL aids them in making their ideas or fantasies feel real. (Note: the visual aspect is _much_ more important than the social aspect.) If you aren't in either of these categories then SL may not appeal to you.

2) You'd need to get used to SL's capabilities to decide if you wished to use it for counselling, but it's certainly a possibilityi.

There are others who use SL for counseling services.

Oh, and casinos are now banned. Thankfully.

P2

Hi Antonio! I came here myself from Everquest I & DAOC

Second Life suits different needs for different people. While each of us can tell you what we get out of SL, it may not neccesarily apply to you. You just gotta find your niche here.

Some folks really get into the creativity aspect of SL. In no other online environment, do you have the freedom to *create* like you can in SL. Creating can mean scripting, 3D Modelling, creating animations - even creating some sort of buisness or organization that fills a niche.

Other folks get into the Social aspect of SL. Some find it much easier to meet new people & break the ice than in RL, and if its your cup of tea - you'll find that relationships in SL seem to move at a breakneck pace - many report that a month with friends in SL feels like a year.

Yet other folks just like the exploration aspect of SL. Our world is so large, and getting larger every day - that its nearly impossible to see *everything*. And if you can't find something... just wait.... someone is bound to create it (if you don't try yourself first!)

You probably wont find much in the way of casinos these days - they were outlawed a while back. Some still find ways to skirt the rules, but for the most part, casino venues have all but disappeared.

Your counseling idea is a fantastic one! There's similar organizations already in SL - but it doesn't mean you couldn't try & do it better If you get in-world, do a search on either "Support for Healing" or "The Heron Sanctuary". You might find either or both interesting

Anyway... best advice I can give is just keep your mind open, and set your expectations low. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised!

Ah I see.

Thanks for all of the information. My counseling online has always been donation based and I've been doing it for many years. Just the actual virtual thing seems like a good idea since I get contacts from so many people that live out of the US.

Now I see the game has lots of building and scripting. What if I have utterly no interest in that? I'm glad casinos are gone. I thought that was somewhat dumb.

Can anyone give me a list of things to do? Now when I decide to pursue putting up this online area for myself in SL. A area so people can meet me at random or scheduled for some sort of virtual counseling. How would I get that area made? Would I be able to do it with no scripting experience? Can I hire or buy some sort of preset area? Would this have some sort of montly charge?

All I can think of right now.

There would be a monthly charge for the land area you used - although, if your counselling firm is formally registered as a charity, you can apply for a discount.

You don't need any scripting experience to create an area of that type. You _could_ build it yourself (which is not the same as scripting) if you like, or you could pay/ask someone else to build it for you, or you could - as you mentioned - buy a preset area model and drop it there.

Hi Antonio

I migrated over to SL from IRC with a role play group. I had NO interest whatsoever in building/scripting/selling, etc. In fact, about 10 years ago or so I tried Active Worlds when it first began and left because it was a "blank slate" and needed to be built upon.

I've been in SL now a little over a year. The first 6 months or so were involved with the role play community which I left and began exploring - primarily dancing at a wonderful little jazz club.

I've always loved education (ironically hold a Master's in Mental Health Counseling *smiles*) so I began taking some classes here in SL.

Jump forward to now - not only do I now teach in SL, but I learned so much in the classes I took that I went from a person who didn't want ANYTHING to do with building to recently purchasing some land to have a small shop and try my hand at that.

SL is basically different things to different people.

Welcome

I know one avatar who does fortunetelling in SL. Its kinda counselling. Anyways the way they do it is:

Sit in the same public place at the same time everyday or day of week, so people get to know you and come to rely on your regularity. Places like public Welcome Areas, Help and Orientation Island Public, sandboxes etc.

And you just chat to people and help the newcomers who stop by, with SL issues as best you can. Issues like how do I put my hair back on =) People who help other people do get noticed. They are the gotoguys. And when you are one yourself, then people will come to you with any problems they may have. And some of them will have RL issues, or RL views that SL confuses for them, for which you can provide a professional counselling service.

As for an office, I'd suggest renting a small place in a peaceful setting to start with, where people can meet you by appointment.

Wait. You are looking at an item that makes SL 3-D and are asking what to do in SL?

Hellllo.. 3-D bewbies!!

Just kidding. Good luck if you start that council service in SL.

I have to agree with a lot of the responses given so far. You really have to spend some time with SL and try to find your place in it. I think ultimately where people go wrong is asking what is there to do in SL, instead they should ask themselves what am I going to do in SL. Honestly both are broad and intimidating questions, but usually if you indulge your interests it will lead you in the general direction of your answer.

For me I came interested in the medium, it's technology, the geeky things about it. I was not in a good way when I came and my Avie showed it, but in ways SL helped me indulge some desires I could not achieve RL, like having my own home. I also met really good friends that helped me further, eventually took up DJing, something I would never have courage to do RL. This eventually lead me to meeting my one and only partner who has more than less brought me out of my dark times and has made me very happy. We have been together in SL for more than 8 months now and have plans for the future where in coming here neither of us had intended to get involved with anyone let alone date some one so long and fall so for them.

In short SL has a way of turning things different, it can open a lot of possibilities you may not consider when you first join.

P.S. Sorry if the seems less then coherent rambling, it's late, my love has gone to bed already and I to should be sleeping... Next on my list.

I had the same dilemma when I first came to SL. What is there to do? More specifically what was *I* going to do here? Very lovely scenery, some rather bizarre, depending on the tastes of their creators.

I spent the first few months in SL searching "Events" and just started going to things that I thought might be interesting. This helped me to meet people, (I'm basically shy) and I made several wonderful friends who I could bounce ideas off of and recieve input. You would be surprised the type of people you can meet in SL who are full of good ideas are knowledgeable and don't mind helping out . If not for that I probably would not have stayed in SL as long as I have. The people I met helped give me ideas and find a place in SL that is comfortable for me.

Good Luck!

Mortus nails it below.

There are a good number of counseling organizations and groups in Second Life, so you wouldn't exactly be alone should you choose to follow that particular interest. One thing I might suggest, since you seem to have decided to begin your latest journey here at the forums - Join The Forum Cartel. We are a divirse and ever growing group of forum users who regularly meet up in-world. We have a "hangout" in allana, and I'm willing to bet that if you spend some time there engaging some of us, bouncing your ideas around in real time, you're bound to solidify some of them and get closer to actually realizing some of the potential.

At any rate, I do encourage you to heed the advice below, as it is absolutely true. You'll quickly find that the waters will part more readily if you get your feet wet.

Cant speak for anyone else, but personally I see SL as a platform for me to demonstarate my previously untapped creative abilities, and those abilites just happen to be rewarded with money which is convenient. Take away content creation and I would have no long lasting interest in SL and I would just go back to playing structured MMO games instead of spending the last 4 years here playing with building blocks.

SL is what you make of it. If you cant find anything that interests you then go and learn how to create it yourself.

We're all different but I am with Porky 100%. I love building, landscaping, hate scripting and have very little aptitude for it. I love to unleash the frustrated creative writer in me (a very small number of people can testify to that, but they are not on this Forum and never have been if they have seen the very best of me, and I say that with humility!).

I find it all one great big perverted wonderland but then yanno ... smiles ...

It's not really a game. It's a virtual world. You get out of it what you put into it, as in the physical world as well. You can create, network, form friendships, have relationships, discuss, explore, whatever you wish to do. But it's not a game with set goals, it's just another mode of being. Some people enjoy that and others do not.



Counseling services do exist in SL. I am not sure that they use real time video communication -- I think often it is in-world chat interaction.

As far as what it has to offer...like you [the OP] mentioned, it is the best virtual world out there to date. If this kind of technology and community-base interests you, then SL is the best option. It has everything you could want in a virtual world, and more.

Especially if you have a hankering for modeling, designing, or texturing...then a whole new world is opened up for you. You can create pretty much anything in SL...and you can sell it for real world money. If that isn't a big draw, then I don't know what is.

There is a TON of things in Second Life to get into. You don't have to go to dance clubs, stip clubs, pseudo-casinos, camp zones or any of that...you have to search and explore. Generally speaking, the places that are extremely popular are the places you want to stay away from. If it has super high traffic...chances are the place is a spamfest of avatars, bots, and lag...so stay clear.

Check the events in the search tool--bare in mind, the majority of events are pretty lame, and carbon copies of each other...but every now and then you'll find a real gem. Or...you can start your own event/group.

Good luck.

I hate to be a moaning minnie but I have to lightly dampen what's said by the previous posters. (And guys, this is largely because saying that kind of thing can bite back. If you say that "you get out of SL what you put into it" then someone who isn't enjoying SL on exactly their own terms will think you're calling them lazy.)

And it's not true that "you get out of SL what you put into it" - SL is a society as well as a virtual world. That's like saying, if you make enough effort to be popular at a party, you certainly will be. Which isn't true since the other people at the party have the free will to treat you however they want, no matter how much "effort" you make.

Likewise, "especially if you have a hankering for modeling, designing, or texturing...then a whole new world is opened up for you. You can create pretty much anything in SL...and you can sell it for real world money." As I've found to my chagrin, just because you have a hankering for things doesn't automatically mean you're talented at them, and you need to be in order to sell anything for real money, and especially to make a profit. Note that this isn't saying that you shouldn't try doing these things if you want to - just that you shouldn't expect easy or guaranteed money and you shouldn't feel bad if things don't work out.

The main five activities on Second Life are chatting, playing games, creating, exploring, and doing business. If you can enjoy these then you'll probably enjoy Second Life. Simulated progress, as offered by most computer games and especially most MMORPGs, is not a feature of Second Life, so if that's what you are looking for you won't find it.

You might want to contact one of the existing in-world helper organizations about borrowing or renting some of their space for your counseling activities.

I would suggest "Help People!" The head of the group is Brett Alexander.

You're looking at things far too narrowly. Using your example, of course if you wish to be popular, you can't wave a magic wand and make others like you, but you *can* choose to be more social, you *can* choose to interact with others differently. You can't control the reactions of others in all cases, but you can certainly control what *you* do, and over time you *can* change situations, with patience, attentiveness, reflection and effort. For as many things are out of your control, many other things are firmly *in* your control, including recognizing what is, in fact, not in your control. Therefore, your statement is regrettably pessimistic, and reflects more on your own perspective om these things than it does on the actual state of things, in my opinion. I maintain my strong view that one's experience in SL is directly proportional to what one puts into it. You chose to interpret that to mean "effort", which of course is not what I wrote, but really your own projection.

Sure, you can, but it's largely going to be based on fitting in with other people and adapting. If you come in with a vision of exactly what you want, you can't expect or demand that other people fit in with it, _ever_. That's the key fallacy of "you can do whatever you like in SL".

And in fact on Second Life it's often a bit harder, since people who DO want something that's not available right now tend to leave or to become "meh", making it much harder to gather them to arrange anything. It's not impossible, but it's harder.

Well I just installed it again. Going to try it again.

Antonio, you want to know what there is to do?

I will send you a TP, I know a quiet place...

Meanwhile, while I do my hair, you could do worse than to look at http://www.mermaiddiaries.com at the places to in section.

And yes IM me if you like, and i will show you a good time and no, I don't mean *that* Hang out with people, see what they like to do and see what rubs off
.

I am not sure what you mean Yumi, about the visual aspect being much more important than the social aspect. Taking that at face value, I would have to disagree.

I could well do without the visuals. I came from IRC where everything was text and no visuals. The pictures were much better there, because they were filled in by imagination. If SL suddenly went dark and lost the visuals, I would blunder about finding my friends (and probably bumping into one or two strangers in the darkness) and talking to them, and still feel good.

I do like the visuals though, its cream on the cake.. but the cake is the social aspect, for me, and the best part.

To the OP, I would say take your time, learn about SL and all the diversity that is here, and you will know in about three months where your market is and how you want to present yourself and your corner. And, while you are doing that, take some basic building classes and find the joy of putting two shapes together, and texturing them, and making something unique.

All the best at your second go at SL

imogen

For SL as a whole, the social aspect is more important that the visual aspect, I agree.

However, if you are coming onto SL to "live out a dream", then you are more likely to be able to do so if the _visual_ aspect of the dream is more important to you than the social aspect. This is simply because SL gives you much greater control of the visual aspect than the social aspect. If you want to be a fairy or a princess or a war hero or .. (etc).. then it's much easier to buy an avatar that looks like one and then just go to a regular club wearing it (ie, the visual aspect of the role is there but the social one isn't - the club people won't change their behaviour much because of your av) than it is to find other people who will actually socially support one of those roles.