Do you think the SL OFFICIAL GUIDE is useful?

Do you think the SL OFFICIAL GUIDE is useful?

I am planning to buy one, anyone one has read this book, is it useful for new player to starting their business?

i thumbed through it at the bookstore one day. For a new player it may be of use for general questions. Most info can be found here or in world I guess, but it might be useful to have it at your fingertips.

I bought it when I was new and it helped me somewhat.

Nice to have to show your friends when they ask you what SL is...

The book that they advertize on the SL home page is OK as a general introduction to what SL is. I red it cover to cover. It has lots of quotes from people in the forums here (including several from me), and several player profiles for more famous individuals in SL. I don't think it is all that 'useful' however in terms of helping someone to start a business or build or do things in SL. It's more of a "What is SL and what do people do in SL?" book, than a "How do I use SL and make a profit here?" book. (Yet it hardly mentions stuff like all the sex in SL.) Mostly, it's a PR publication. Nice for your coffee table, and to tell friends what SL is, without blowing their minds too much.

There's another book due out in August, by a different author, that will have far more detailed info on building, landscaping, and other "how to" info. Look in major bookstores starting in mid August. (It's not my book, nor do I get any profit from that new book, though I was interviewed for that new one and contributed material for it.) I know how to place pre-orders for that new book, but I need to check with the author to see if it is OK to mention the title and author's name in the forums yet.

I have it, and its pretty much based on the early -their is no limit on what you can do here- philosophy. I mean it even lists escorts on their -employment opportunities- list. If you're looking for a VERY basic tool with some hints for creating decent AVs or a peek at the scripting language, its okay. But other than that its pretty much outdated and void by the constant changes in policy.

I bought the book after having been in SL for about 2 months. By that point the only part of the book I found interesting was the tour-guide section (although many of the places I wanted to visit had already vanished by the time I read about them) and some of the profiles of the famous avatars were interesting.

The how-to stuff would be invaluable to newbies in their first days or weeks, but the stuff on building was utterly useless to me, there was really nothing at all about scripting or animations. And all the 'exclusive content' on the included CD was bunk. I already had all the 'exclusive content' downloaded from the SL website.

Really, I think for something that changes and develops as fast as SL, any printed book is going to have large chunks of it go out of date before it hits the shelves. I consider it as a souvenier, but not much more.

-Atashi

I haven't seen the guide so I can't make a proper, evaluative comment. But it is probably very useful if one of the legs of your RL's computer desk is too short by the same amount as the thickness of the SL guide!

I can see how it would explain SL to RL's but half the fun is working with other AV's and having someone answer a question. That's how I have met many of my current friends.

Go to Help Island or Orientation Island Public. Mentors hang out, sometimes a Linden (yes they do exist) but also look for group titles. I am still learning but I am in a Newbe Helper group and have managed to guide a few....


Good Luck to you and hope to see you around

I've suggested the book to a couple of people. I think it's because they feel a little lost and there are times when you can't find people who can answer your questions or find someone who knows the right answer. I also suggest they come to the forums and read it too.

I got the book after two months and read most of it. I could tell that a lot of the material was dated and no longer applicable. Or totally wrong, maybe... I seem to remember the inventory section talks about using your alt to store back up copies of no-transfer items!

The thing about the book I found VERY useful was the history and context it gives. How things developed, major world events, who played significant roles. That kind of stuff is interesting to me, and helps me to understand why things are the way there are.

But it's definitely a limited view of SL, more PR than anything else.

I agree with ATashi completely; the book is cool for understanding the SL that was and getting the sense of how quickly SL can change. It is more useful as a way to understand SL's history then how to be in SL now. But I am glad I have it.

Its good for convincing peopel you are not crazy and Second Life isnt some weird Internet Cabal.