How much knowledge in LSL will I need before I can start getting hired as a scripter?

Well I already know a good amount of ANSI C so the syntax was not hard to grasp at all. However, LSL has so many different functions that I believe that it's impossible to memorize them all. That being said, there's the wiki for reference, so putting that concern aside...

How much knowledge of LSL do I need before I can start working for people? Is there some sort of benchmark or test that I could do to see if I'm proficient enough in LSL?

If you can make scripts that work you can start.
People are so happy for scripts that do what they want them to

Good question.

There's no "Certified LSL Developer Program" (thank goodness).

I guess one way to judge readiness for a broad range of scripting jobs might be a subjective self-assessment of the ratio of questions to this forum that one could answer oneself. (Well... "oneself" with some aid from the wiki. Knowing that some function exists and more or less what it does and where the "gotchas" are hiding is more important than remembering the details of its name and syntax.)

It's probably easier if you latch on to an area of specialization, so you know what kind of jobs you'll take and those on which you should pass. (Unless it's an area of particular interest, I'd advise *not* starting with physical objects; most anything interesting to be done with them will also require a lot of non-physical functionality, so physics just adds a layer of complexity--and some risk of really screwing up your customer's sim.)

Another consideration is exposure to pre-existing scripts, public domain or otherwise. I mean, it would be a dreadful waste of money and time to unwittingly redevelop MLP from scratch, for example. I'm not sure there's any foolproof way to search and detect that a solution already exists; it would seem to depend heavily on experience to recognize how other scripters have carved-up the universe of SL scripting problems and provided reusable solutions to the resulting chunks.

You could start being hired tomorrow, as long as the jobs you're hired for are within your capacity to complete and do well.

In other words, only take on jobs you know you can do. As your knowledge and experience grow, you will be able to do more complex work.

Put some effort into making a 'resume' of scripts. Make some items you can rez in a sandbox to demonstrate what abilities you do have. Doing so will be the practice you need to build up the skill. (^_^)

You'll have a pretty easy time coming from ANSI C. I've gone from C to C++ to C# in RL and, while lacking the ability to code in OO conventions, LSL is really easy to adapt to from those respects. (^_^)y

If there was, I'd never pass.

Instructors would be exempt

I'd suggest instead by starting off creating scripts for fun. Think of some neat projects and tackle them. Share what you have done with friends and other folks around you. Maybe even do it in a public sandbox ( ). You'll not only build your own confidence this way and gain knowledge of the LSL API library very quickly, but you'll undoubtedly run into opportunities to hire yourself out doing things similar to what you have already accomplished.

actually there was a certification program at one point (I think scripting was in there, I KNOW building was in there)... pretty sure it died a lonely death though

Looks around at her steampunk machines and fancy-ass scanners and notecard-configurable simwide teleporters and collars and particle widgets and door systems and says ...

the fun part is easy. Finding people interested in paying more than pennies ... priceless!

The concept of "certification" as a scripter or builder died before it got past the discussion of the concept. No one could agree on objective criteria to test someone on, for scripting or for building.

Wow, lots of different responses on this topic. Thank you all *bows*

I forgot to mention the other question about where to find people that will hire you. I believe there was a section on this forum that is sort of like a classified section. I suppose I will start there.

Yeah.. That's one place. Also, putting info in your profile stating you take on scripting jobs or even nabbing a little land and setting up a kiosk or store for people to find/contact you. Join groups of builders/scriptors inworld. Network with creative people. There are a bunch of tools to work with to get the word out. (^_^)y

I still refer to the wiki for formatting of functions and to find out what one is going to do the job all the time - and I've been scripting for over a year on SL.

The trick is to make a few general interest scripts - and maybe even objects that you say, "I did all the scripting on these!" Once you have a few gadgets released - you'll get IM's all day long asking for scripting help and to see if you do custom work. lol

I agree with those who say to start writing your own scripts first.

I'll go one more and suggest you make products and sell them on XStreetSL, and learn through customer feedback. The problem is, you not only have to write code that works, you have to deal with a world that's more complex than it first appears when learning to write scripts. Things like changing ownership or deeding to group can have unanticipated effects (for certain kinds of scripts). People will do things with your product that you can't possibly anticipate!

Consider browsing XStreet's scripts category, looking for something you think you could do as well or better and sell at a much lower price.

Also, watch the Products Wanted forum.

And remember that this is for FUN. If you start out right away trying to get RL rates for SL work, without a serious portfolio or resume, well, anyone who hires you is likely to get what they deserve. So start out with the expectation of making chump change, in RL terms (which can still be a tidy little income in SL terms).

Also, do lots of pro-bono work. It's amazing what you can learn and how much fun you can have when you offer your services this way. A warning, though: if you post a script or product for free and it becomes popular, expect to get help requests.

Yes, thank goodness! A portfolio is worth a thousand certifications.