End of current Orientation Islands?

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Funny, the HUDs must not have been up and running the night I registered--I didn't have one. I do remember that there was something about accomplishing Tasks (though I can't recall the terms used). I did dutifully go to all the areas and try to learn what I was supposed to, but, like most people I could see that night, actually spent most of my time working on my appearance. ^_^

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Many thanks! Getting in the swing of things on a new message board can take some time, so I do appreciate the kind greeting.

HA! I'd forgotten the instructions to Run Over the Rats!!

You're right---that probably did give an odd idea of SL to many newbies. My experience was slightly different because I'd done a fair amount of reading about SL before venturing in, so I didn't think that much about the Rats aspect.

But of course, LL can't expect that most newbies will have done a lot of reading in advance---they have to allow for the possibility that most newbies will take every single aspect (rats, for example) with great seriousness (instead of just shrugging it off, as someone forearmed with knowledge of SL probably would).

One side-effect of my reading-up-in-advance was that I was eager to see some of the places I'd read about---and so teleported to one of them right from Orientation Island. Thus I never saw Help Island (though I later did come to a Public H.I.) or the Welcome areas.

At the time I felt kind of cheated---since you can't (or couldn't at the time) go back to a 'real' Help Island, once you'd been to the Mainland. I felt as though they should have had signs on Orientation Island warning me of that.

But I've since realized that they really can't have signs on O.I. warning people of EVERY possible thing. That would be a turn-off in itself.

I haz rat!

/curious as to what part of the body that goes on

I think a poll might be in order to decide where it should go.

Hehheh I nominate this idea for today's Friday thread

As someone who is new by only a few months, I can assure you that people new to second life NEED a neutral place to learn how to move around. Some people have never been to a 3D game or community and hear about second life. These are the people LL should work to impress.

From what I've seen Help islands have been places where intimidating avatars loiter, many spouting effects which are disorienting to those new to the medium (fortunately that didnt happen when I started, but many people I know who were directed to one from the OI did not have it so smoothly; I ended up taking them to the mainland one, which wasnt any less intimidating, but at least they had a friend with them).

Just because that lamer wheel spokes castle fly through the building thing of theirs didnt work out doesnt mean OI's in general should be ditched. That's a big mistake. The original one (with the parrot and beach ball) is very very good and should still be the launch point for anyone starting out.

That's Help Island Public... Gladly, the true Help Islands have the same access restrictions a the old Orientation Island; Newly started residents and Mentors only. (^_^)y

agree

And I can't ever say it enough - the sooner they can get rid of that aspect, the better. I go to HIP fairly often, and half the time there are two classes of avas there besides any newbies coming though - people who are there to help and answer questions, and people who are there to be disruptive and create a negative experience.

I remember my first time landing at Help Island Public ... I left as rapidly as I could. It was the most unwelcoming and unfriendly experience I had ever had in an online environment. If I hadn't been a long-time gamer, who knows that newbs in any environment are ripe for this sort of targeting, I'd have quit on the spot.