"Written" Instructions. Where?

I'm not finding Second Life to be any fun at all. I'm getting nowhere faster and faster. What I really need are *written* instructions that I can print out and study.

Something in writing would be immensely helpful, at least to me. (And, maybe others?) Otherwise, I just fly around and do nothing--when not just staying away even. Where do we go to download all documentation and the FAQ?

(Jeesh, I'm so pathetic at this that I'm finding I even need help with Help Island!)

Hit your F1 key while inside SL... lots of written instructions and help there.

In the window where you are reading this right now.... scroll up... at the top of the website is a link labeled "support" click that.

On the next page, on the right side, there is a link that says "How to do everything in SL"

That's because they have been saving them for their BOOK. You can find it on Amazon, comes out in December and purports to tell all the secrets you could otherwise never learn, only $25 or something.

coco

Cynic.

Just wait til I publish "The SECRETS of the Secrets of Secondlife Book"

chapter 1: how to read a book
chapter 2: oops, they published it too early without the copybot info rendering their info very unimportant
chapter 3: you may copy this book, declare you are the owner, and sell it. If you get caught, you may get thrown out of the bookstore.
chapter 4: Phillip lost 110 pounds in two days; his secret weight loss tip

Yah, tell me about it!

Geez, and I was so good for so long, too.

coco

Yeah F1 in the client or the support link.

The best help in SL is from a nice friend, ours was a wonderful neighbor, we'd have been lost in the muck had it not been for him. Your best help in SL is from others, most are happy to answer a few questions at a time for you, good luck and hoping you have a great SL experience.

Some folk in-game sport the title Live Helper. They are of immense help .. and nice people into the bargain! Makes for a real community which for me is SL's hugest attraction.

I cut and paste snippets of IM for further reference. Much more fun than reading a boring old 'Secrets of the Secrets of SL - the Copybot Fights Back'!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! In fact, thank you all. Maybe now SL will become something other than life's most recent exercise in abject frustration.

Also, Abba, I attempted to reply to your e-mail. But as with my many other SL frustrations, it bounced. (Yes, I merely hit "Reply." Thanks especially for your kind offer of one-on-one assistance. When I login, I'll certainly be looking for you. I want to buy some land! (Even with others' help here, I never could figure out how to find some terminal to validate something in order to spend money in SL.)

(However, I'm not certain the book notion is really that cynical. )

When you get onto the main grid, click Search, select the Places tab, then type "New Citizen" (without the quotes). The first result should be for New Citizens Plaza. Select it and hit the teleport button. The supply of information, FAQs, etc. start on the wall behind your landing point and fill the building inside. If you remain outside, you'll undoubtedly notice the free instructor led courses listed on a huge poster at the front of the classroom area, as well as volunteer helpers who will be only too happy to answer your questions.

Again, thank you all for your responses. Yes, the written instruction are there. However, they are far from being in a "digestible" form. They need to be in a "using-the-bathroom" form where they can be printed out and digested in bits, or after a single printing and study session. I shouldn't have to sit in front of the computer the entire time, or jump through hoops to have it all printed in a reasonable and easily read format.

(There's a reason Reader's Digest has been around so long. The articles are just the right length. And regardless of what one might think of USA Today, the same applies there. Each makes the information digestible by remembering a proper format should be employed--a format that allows for easy and expeditious acquisition of the information.)

In sum, the organization and format of the knowledge base leave much to be desired and should be improved. <sigh> Jeesh, calculus was easier than Second Life. Even more, LISREL and simultaneous equations were easier to learn while in my doctoral program! (Maybe I need to go back to graduate school for a major in Second Life. )

Take a trip to http://sl.stratics.com and look up some of the help guides, available on the left hand side if you scroll down.

There is also a link to the pages from the computers inside our Headquarters building in Rosieri (it's available in Find>Places).

Also inside the building is a noticeboard with clickable landmarks to several new player friendly locations too, for your convenience.

Lewis

There's also the 'Unofficial Complete Fool's Guide to Second Life,' which was put together by Foolish Frost; it's online here, is downloadable so you can read it at your leisure, and is both entertaining and easy to understand.

Yes, but nothing can be printed. (Sorry, but that glaring omission deserves a "Duh!" )

Let me suggest a good basic introductions:

The Unofficial Complete Fool's Guide to Second Life
http://www.sldrama.com/index.php?page=2

It is a PDF book about using Second Life written by Foolish Frost. It's a great resource for new players--and its free!

Also, please come out to New Citizens Incorporated, we have tons of FAQ-type notecards, tutorials, landmarks to other places to learn, classes, freebies, a sandbox, and a SL newsstand.

We are at:

NCI Plaza Kuula
NCI Plaza South

Click on either link to open a SLurl window to the NCI location.

Finally!!! Thank you.

Downloading it now. Reading it later today and tonight.

Lewis, thank you for the link, but my security settings are giving a definitive "No!" to the URL.

I also received an e-mail notice of this: Second Opinion Kiosk.Net Server - Message From Second Life. However, I have no idea what it is. When I logged in, I saw nothing I thought was related to it. What is it?

I'd like to second that! I sure wish I'd seen it sooner. But I've passed the link along to friends that have just joined and to one that is hoping to... (as soon as he gets a decent vid card!)

So thanks much! (To you too Zen for starting the thread.)

I am only few weeks old yes there is a major annoying learning curve sometimes the information in f1 and on forum or script information is really really really frusterating and difficult to understand.
You can look me up and I can share what I have learned.
Although at this point I am not sure if I am going to want to continue membership if things don't improve. I don't mind lack of game content like in other games I am here because I am creative and want to create and enjoy exploring 3d worlds it the other things that I found with in Second Life I have found annoying the zombies, the nickle and diming, the unfriendliness towards new players yeah they want our money and lindens but... the learning curve, not being able to find events or when I find event not being there.
I do appreciate the few nice people I have met but truthfully it can be bit isolating and walking around in big ugly mainland mess of zombies or ghost world

Thanks for the thumbs up!

As it is, we've been watching it download about 1000 copies a month. Not sure how many are being USED, but I figure that the number of copies distributed person-to-person outweighs any incomplete downloads.

I'm just glad people are finding the guide useful. Would have been a shame if I spent the months on writing and laying it out, and have it be useless!



Anyway, I'm off! (or that's what my therapist tells me, at least...)

Nice one Foolish! Excellent read - certainly directed me a few pointers I hadn't known.
I shall distribute that url in-game to be sure.

Zen, I received your message, SL saves a certain amount of IM's until I log in again. I replied. I'll be off and on all weekend, let me know when you're available. I offered friendship, if you're inclined to, accept it, and you can see when I'm online from your friends menu (bottom row of buttons 3rd from left: Just click once and a menu pops up). I have to work all day Saturday, but I'll be home and probably online around 7pm CST (5pm SLT I think) and perhaps we can hook up then. I'll be happy to share with you what I've learned (even though I'm a somewhat noob myself with a born on date of August something.)

My husband can't see the attraction to the game either. He didn't have the patience for learning anything in-world (but he *is* ADD so that might explain a thing or two) and I've tried to walk him through some basic things.

I assume you know some of the basic language shorthands of SL, so if I skim something, please feel free to stop me and tell me to elaborate.

I have a small parcel myself (just recently becoming a landowner WOOT!) and you're welcome to visit if you'd like.

I'll go over whatever you'd like to learn in-world, there simply is not enough room in the forums for all the basics, never mind the more complicated aspects such as building elaborate flex prim items or buildings.

I also have an extensive list of people who have been of invaluable help to me (Shout to Sasha Wheeler especially) and I'll be happy to put you in touch with them if it's something I can't answer.

See you in-world!

A