New Scripter

Hi All.

I just joined SL, and am interested in getting into scripting.

I currently work in RL as a software developer, have a bunch of years of software design, algorithms, and growing experience in databases and web-based design, (languages such as Visual Basic, Python, C++, C#, ASP.NET).

I've been hanging out lately at IBM's CODESTATION working on a maze-solving robot, but am looking for bigger tasks. Basically, I was wondering if anyone has any projects / groups / partnerships / companies that would have room for a very skilled programmer / developer but unexperienced second life scripter. I typically can learn on my own simply by being given a hands-on problem and going out finding the resources needed to accomplish it goals, but someone in the same group to bounce ideas off and generally be a "mentor" might not be a bad idea

Linden Labs has alot of job openings and could use the help In SL I don't know sorry, just wish LL could get all the bugs and kinks out of SL. I really miss how it was a year or so ago. Good Luck and Welcome to SL

go on down the forums abit, theres a cupple of sections

one being the scripting forum, which is the place where all the questions are asked, you will probally notice that LSL is a limited, aggervating, loosley documented little scripting system thats ripe for ppl who love challenges

syntax is pretty simple, format wise its simmilar to java /c / php / any other scripting
its state/event driven, states are sorta like subscripts (and often used by noobs in place of pointers and counters) like if your offline you want the script to be effectly dead to the world, and when your online you want the script to accept money you would use 2 different states

events are simply when stuff happens to the object (like touched, spoken to ect) run the functions defined under that event

its pretty simple once you learn its quarks

usefull links
scripting forum
old, more complete lsl wiki
my mirror of the above wiki, html download available
new offical lsl wiki, not 100% complete

the other section is the products wanted forum, heres where you will find projects to do

Thanks for the responses all.

As for the actual technical things, I think I can handle that on my own. I have a few links and example scripts that have been doing me well.

Right now, I'm just posting in case people had specific in-SL projects or groups of people who do projects that could use a scripter and didn't mind a little inexperience. I thought about checking out the open source viewer and maybe squashing a few bugs, but realized that it would probably be a bit more time-consuming than I am looking for.

Being part of a big project is a worthy goal, but learn the environment first.

You can find a zillion interesting scripts in the Forums or the wikis, and many, many more in freebie collections at places like Yadni's Yard Sale or the Gnubie store.

Play with those, understand them, start making modifications. once you have a small portfolio, then people with real projects will be more willing to take you on.

for example, you could make an object that explores a sim without bumping in to people, buildings, no-build/script property, and then comes back and tells you what it found.