Rough welcome

I'm brand new to this game. I just logged in for the first time about 10 minutes ago. While I as trying to make sense of the UI two players approached and started to verbally insult and call me names I won't repeat here. Is this the norm for this game? I was curious about this game from reviews I had read and thought I'd give it a shot. However if this is a common occurance I won't be back.

Clear off! This is not a suitable forum for noobs to post!

Pep (Yes, manners here are pretty poor; if you have a thin skin you're not going to enjoy it.)

Sadly, the "welcome" areas where new residents are dropped into are notorious for this kind of behavior. We have long clamored for LL to do something about it. Rest assured that once you get out into the larger world that comprises the rest of SL, you will run into social miscreants far less. They still exist in other places on the grid, but not concentrated like they are in the "welcome" areas.

Cues the "It's not a game!" chorus in 5...4....3.....2.....

There are some bad, some good, just like real life.
You had a bad greeting, contact me in world if you want, I'm one of the many who want this abuse to stop.

No, it isn't common. Find new places to go.

However, I can attest that one's first post in these forums is sometimes met with a "shut up."

Lol.

I do not know why people do this. Once away from the newbie areas you will find most people are polite, helpful and usually rather nice.

If you know how to use search and can t (teleport) to places that way, try looking for these places:
NCI
The Shelter

Either one of them are great places to get started, ask for advice and find a few people to help with the rather steep learning curve.

Yes, unfortunantly, the starting areas are full of jerks abusing new members. But there is so much more to SL than that. So much more than just a agame.

First post?
Unless my spidey senses are on the fritz, I am 99% positive you have posted here before; only with a different name.

They are pretty much the SL equivalent of the yahoos you see in small towns across the country. They never leave town, still hang out with the same group from high school, hanging out at the filling station, making fun of the city slickers passing through. Sometimes one may be playing the banjo someplace in the background.

Far as they knew it was my first...It counts.

Second Life is full of people. Much like in real life, some of those people a jerks. Also, much like in real life, most of those people are pretty nice.

Navigate around the jerks and most importantly, ignore them. They are seeking attention and if you provide it, they will only be encouraged.

(not unlike some forum players who insult everyone in hopes of getting a "live one" on the hook for entertainment.)

I'm so sorry this happened to you, Kipit.

Once you get off Hell Island... er, I mean Help Island... things should improve. Unfortunately, the griefers tend to target the newbie areas because they know the newbies don't know what to do about it.

2 things you can do right away:

1) IM one of us in world to teleport (TP) you OUT of there and into the "real SL".

2) Use the inworld Help > Report Abuse to report the incident. Be sure to copy and paste the names and the chat. You can turn on chat logging under Edit > Preferences.

This is common in areas where newbies arrive, but not in the rest of SL. I am afraid that those who get kicks out of that sort of behaviour go to where they will find those who are not accustomed to the place and maybe even a bit nervous in a new world.

SL is massive, but the majority of people I have met have been friendly and polite, but as in all places, you will always get one or two jerks. Just sorry that it's those new inworld who mainly get jumped on by the minority.

Welcome to SL Kipit, sorry you got the treatment you did, on entry. You know how bullies pick on the new kid in school, well, because they can. The new kid is unsure and hasn't found his feet yet, a common criteria for bullies. If you suddenly morphed into a 25 meter tall dragon and shot fire on them they'd all run crying down the street cause that's how bullies are. It's worth it, Kipit, don't give up. SL is a big wide world and those types are more around the entry points than anywhere else.

You can use my home to explore the UI and figure things out in peace and quiet if you like, whether I'm home or not. I sent you a Landmark in world.

As far as I can remember I never got a rough welcome. But maybe that's because I never went to any "welcome area." (And I can't remember why.)

I did. I even still have the 'chain mail vest' in my inventory, sentimental you know.

LOL!!

Oh, you poor lamb . . . nasty Scylla crapped all over you!!!

/me picks her banjo while grinning a gap-toothed smile . . .

Just use the experience to develop your thick shelled turtle persona so that all the griefer abuse just bounces off

So THAT's what you're into.

I remember after going through the 'official' SL mentor program I asked if there was something we could do to make the welcome areas better. I was told 'nothing' which defeated the whole purpose, I thought, I being in the program.

Hi, Kipit, welcome to the forums! SL is full of nice and helpful folks; those who like to harass are relatively few. But, as others have said, very prominent around the official "welcome" areas.

Yes, try NCI and the Shelter. If you join the group called "The Forum Cartel", you can ask all of us for help inworld, as well. [To join a group ... oh, heck, somebody please send Kipit an invite? Then all he has to do is click "yes" in the blue dialog box that shows up in the upper right of the screen].

If you have any specific things you'd like to explore, post them and we can probably point you to some relevant places. SL has a lot of beautiful spots to do explore and do things like hang glide etc..

You can sometimes find some of us at a place called "The Forum Hangout". There's a Halloween party there this week, basically all day on Oct. 31st. Join the group and you'll get notices sent to you whenever there's a party.

Welcome to SL!

Sorry about the mistreatment. It is not the norm, but it does happen. If a particular individual is bothering you, the fastest way to handle it is to right-click on their avatar and select "mute."

I've only been harrassed once.

When I spoke to the guy sternly, he apologized and backed off.

Another time I saw a guy harrassing a girl in an infohub, so I showed her that together we could butt him off the cliff he was standing near, and that was pretty good fun.

Unfortunately, the welcome areas or help island or whatever, are just about the worst places to be. Maybe it's because boneheads (like the ones who accosted you) can't figure out how to go somewhere else.

Another place you can go is Caledon Oxbridge. You can get there by this link:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Oxbridge/128/128/0/

There is an excellent tutorial there which you can walk through at your own pace, and lots of good and helpful people.

Yes, like dead people stuck on this plane because they don't know they must leave! Go to the light, the light!