Can you remember your first day in Second Life - what did you do?

[Loki Eliot]

After discussing Basic Viewer in another thread, I and another resident got on the topic of first day experiences. I thought it would be interesting to see how everyone spent their first day in SL. How did you find it, what did you do was it similar to anyone else's first days?

To start off my first day as i remember it is as follows...

I was browsing the apple downloads pages when i came across a feature about SL. I down loaded the viewer and logged in  not really knowing what it was about. I half made an avatar, talked to a parrot, learnt how to fly then teleported to the main grid. That first teleport i remember blew my mind open because i realised then that orientation island was just one tiny place in second life :). I cant remember where i ended up. I was on a roof of some building where i set forth to design my avatar working out the editing controls (the resulting avatar has hardly changed in shape since 2006). I finished the day by discovering a dance club where friendly people talked to me and i pole danced. The sheer scale of exploration in SL had me hooked from there. It wasn't until a week later that i discovered building with prims.

[Claireschen Hesten]

i remember getting in to SL for the first time was a challenge i tried logging in several times i got inworld but saw nothing but blue i was about to give up when on my final attempt i got in someone IM'd me sensing i was new and handed me an LM to freebie dungeon to get free stuff i TP'd there long before where ever i'd first landed had even rezzed to something i could make out i spent all my time grabbing loads of free stuff getting some boxes several times cos i didn't know you got the whole box contents not just the stuff you clicked on i remember at some point during my flying and walking round freebie dungeon i wound up at an art gallery and discovered camping all the campers which floor mopping were taken i walked round a bit more to an area that was oriental themed then i think i logged out. i found some really fantastic places in my early days just by flying round the grid they must be gone by now if i could go back and do one thing i'd LM all those places

[Ossian1488303077]

I was pretty confused at first.  I walked around a lot, left a welcome area and entered a mall nearby. When I crossed from one sim to the next, I lagwalked my way underneath one of  the stores. Nothing was down there except for a box wrapped like a present, and I couldn't get out.  Somehow I knew about Home so I went back there, and then wondered about that box! It was OBVIOUSLY a secret or surprise, so I kept crossing the sim, trying to find the magic way back under that store.  But I couldn't duplicate the experience, although sometimes I ended up under other stores in that mall.

Next I looked at the mini-map and saw a lot of green arrows. I figured it was a flock of birds, so I flew out to see them, but was never able to find them.  I tried that many times, too.

At that point I would have given up, except that a friend had told me about Second Life, and he'd described some of the things available and what he was up to (he was running an RPG), so I wanted to find him and some of the stuff he'd told me about. That -- and the way he talked about SL -- were what kept me going.

[Vania Chaplin]

I remeber well my first time in SL. I had already heard of Sl but never took a look in it. In the begginig of 2007, I was lonely, and think that would try it. Searched for second life, found the site, etc, etc, etc.

I was born in one of those places with a hud teaching us how to change the shape (btw, I borned nude, with an teerible yeelow skin, no nipples - the worse part). Anyway there was plenty of nude people around, so not a big deal.

Changed the shape a little, made my hair (lilac!) than the next exercise was how to make clothings. Made a T shirt, a skirt, a pair of shoes, and left the appearance mode. Started to read the signs around, doing of the said. Than folllowed the signs (there were a path, with words "this way") and more signs, when clicking than another exercise, teaching a new feature, or the hud changed with a new tip. This way I learned to fly, to move a physical object and so on.

At the end of the path tere where a final sign, I don't remember what it says, but I clicked it, received a warning that I was leaving the place to the world, if I was sure. Clicked Yes, and was teleported to another place.

Many people there, nobody talking, the majority just staying, some walking. Than a girl that seemed wonderful to me (how could I have her appearance? Previously I changed much my sikin but all I could have was a different tone of yellow - remember that I didn't knew anything about skins at that time, to me al was made in appearance mode). Her clothings, her hair.. wowww.

Followed her, and than she sit on a wall. I left-clicked the wall and nothing ocurred. Right-cliked it and the pizza appeared, found "Sit", and sit at her side
moved the camera (yes, I had discovered already how to use cam, using the cam controls. It was a pain but works) to see we both in front view and... realized that my new hand-made mini-skirt let everybody see that I forgot to make panties!

I swear that even my avatar blushed!

[Rhonda Huntress]

My very first day was a long time ago.  There was also over a year between my first day and my second day.  I had a friend from my old Everquest guild that talked me into trying out SL.  I was in world maybe 30 minutes before I was hopelessly lost and she bailed me out.  She lived on a sim with some other people in the furry community and so the first few people I met were not people at all!  And I still have a fondness for the furries because they were so patient and helpful to me.

I remember I paid 9 USD to start the account and it came with 512sqm but I could not find anywhere near my friend to buy.  I remember that feeling as being frustrating and confusing ... back then I had no idea about mainland or estate and I think they finally convinced me to not try "buy" the plot of land anyway.  It is just as well because I never made it back into SL after that day with that account.  I have no idea what that account's name was. 

[Raudf Fox]

I vaguely remember my first day in SL.  A friend of mine had spent weeks trying to talk me into joining and when I finally did, he wasn't such a great help.  After doing the whole orientation, realizing that most of it was borked (which was apparently how SL was going to be from time to time), I wandered into the welcome area.  It was the boardwalk and it didn't take long for some well meaning soul to explain to me how to IM and how to open boxes.. after I had wound up with one on my head. 

I also met my first Linden, but I can't remember who it was.  Back then, everyone paid 10 USD to have an account and as such had a 50L stipend per week, so I'd had just a bit and went shopping.  I probably spent entirely too much for some of the items that I bought, but hey, I learned as I went!

Back then, the 1.0 viewer was the only the thing and man was it confusing.  But I'm one of those "Hit every button and see what it does," so I spent DAYS working with it.  Back then, sandboxes weren't the horror stories of today, because there was usually a Linden in them, building right along side of us.  All of us would chat as we built, exchanging tips, jokes and helping other newbies as they showed up.  I kind of miss that time...

[PeterCanessa Oh]

30th March 2007.  Logged-in at Orientation Island (I think) where you had to go through learning to move, chat, and a couple of other things before you were allowed to enter the wider-world.

I lesrnt to move, I learnt how to chat (both pretty standard, I thought),  SL crashed.

When I logged-in again I was at some welcome area, packed with unmoving, unspeaking avatars and I was on top of a pile at the rez point.  Very laggy, very hard to get off the pile.  SL crashed.

A couple of days later I tried again.  Welcome area was still awful and about as unwelcoming as it was possible to imagine.  Lost.  Now what?  Tried moving - soooo slow - tried chatting - no response from motionless avatars.  Got away from the crowds and looked at some of the signs around.  It was easier to move away from the crowd!  There were people chatting - although only amongst themselves.  Still no idea how to do anything interesting or even how to find out what interesting things there might be to do.

Found an advert/LM-giver for NCI.  Saved :-)

[CiaoBella Mirabella]

As soon as I came out of orientation I was met by a male avi who was really helpful. He offered to tp me out of there which I being a newb had no idea what any of the SL lingo meant.. So he tp'd me to a sim and asked me to follow him.. He had me follow him into a cave and he laid down.. I may have been a newborn newb BUT knew this was not a avi with good intentions.. So I waddled outa there as fast as I could with him trailing after me apologizing... uhhh yeah... I still go to this sim.. its got alot of little fun things to do...

 

 

[Marigold Devin]

November 2007, and remember the day like I can remember my very first day at school, except on my first day in Second Life I didn't spend the whole morning crying to go home!

I remember going through the orientation process, and was totally unable to detach the torch for some unknown reason.  (I still can't remember how I did get the thing off me).  When I got to the end of Orientation, I was allowed to teleport out into the big wide world, and my home login point became Korea3 (or Korea2), where I met up with another brand new avatar, and we stumbled around together.  Same day we found Noob Island, someone at Korea3 took us there and showed us how to get started with free hair and shape and skin. 

Looking back, I remember the first two weeks feeling really complicated, and I nearly packed it in, but I think I had the beginnings of the addiction (!) and continued on.  I would hate to have to be a noob and go through those first few weeks all over again.  Late last year, I began a new account with a "rival" virtual world, feeling the need to "get away from it all", things, people, situations in SL getting me down a bit, and although I knew the basics, because its so similar to Second Life, I just couldn't face getting used to a brand new world (and the things I needed to get away from were with me and not with Second Life anyway), so I logged out of it, never to return.  Its SL or RL for me.  

[Maitimo]

With my first avie, in about October 2006, I was shown round by a RL friend who was also into SL. I got to Braunworth infohub first, which I hated because of all the fog making it difficult to see and navigate around. My friend showed me everything I needed to know, then he took me freebie-shopping.

The pic below left is me at some point in my first week (it's small because I didn't know how to zoom in the camera). Below right is me now.

My overall look actually hasn't changed much at all; always red hair, white shirt, black waistcoat and blue jeans. These patchwork jeans I've actually had since very early on, at least in my first year, and I love them.

[Coppurr]

My first day was yesterday. I spent time trying to figure out how to navigate and get around. I did say "hi" to a few people. As I haven't spent much time online yet I haven't really changed my avi or done much else but explore ... or rather attempt to explore. lol

[PeterCanessa Oh]

---

Coppurr wrote:

My first day was yesterday....

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Get to NCI and ask about everything!  Search for NCI or, possibly, 'New Citizens Inc'.

[Rhonda Huntress]

---

Coppurr wrote:

My first day was yesterday. I spent time trying to figure out how to navigate and get around. I did say "hi" to a few people. As I haven't spent much time online yet I haven't really changed my avi or done much else but explore ... or rather attempt to explore. lol

---

Welcome to SL.

 

[kattatonia Wickentower]

I remember it very well.  I googled SL a bunch before I joined.  I found lot of advice for fixing up your av.  Some of it was way out of date but I didn't realize it.  So I set about changing my appearance right away and  was doing just fine until I tried to make a bracelet to hold a walk animation.  I didn't know about huds or AOs, the article I read spoke only about making a different walk.  So I was trying to fit this simple gold bracelet to my wrist and because I had no experience manipulating prims I was having a terrible time getting it to fit.  So I followed the advice of something else I had read and tp'd to NCI to get some help with it.  Well the helpers at nci were quite tickled with this day old newbie who had all the technical questions about making an AO bracelet.  I'll never forget Quite Oh, who helped me immensely.  First she took me shopping for a free ao Then she gave me my first lessons in how to work with prims.  NCI became my home for the first three months and I learned so much from the people there.  I fell totally in love with SL and have been addicted ever since.

[Tepic Harlequin]

Yep, can remember it well!  Great disappointment that the default AVs were nothing I could possibly imagine myself as, except for the one that looked like a fox - I know, it was some sort of ring-tailed thingamabob.  Anyhow, after selecting that as my AV, I read the instructions I was given, and visited all the tutorials in the arrival area (not even sure it was Help Island then...).  I read the notice about going to the main grid, and how I wouldn't be able to come back after I left, so I went round again.  Spent almost a week getting used to things before I plucked up enough courage to click the notice and finally explode onto the main grid!

[Loren Twine]

I signed up with another avatar in july -07 after having seen a spoof  of Second Life. Wanted to see what the mockery was about. Didn't get very far because my computer couldn't run SL. Then I got a new computer in November, and when moving files I came across the viewer I downloaded but couldn't use. I gave it another go, and there I was.. rezzing in as a longhaired chick in a purple shirt... :smileysurprised:   I stumbled around a bit thinking this was crap... Found the parrot, ran over some rats, and then I found the edit appearance tutorial. Phew. Got a sex change, worked quite a bit on my shape, dived into the library for better rags, and then I fell off a bridge and got stuck in water. Couldn't move, and thought it was game over. Logged off, returned the next day and was still in water. :smileysad: Happily found out I could move again, ran off, found the big green arrow and was on my way into the big world.. Hyrule.

From there I walked and flew around. I would see green dots on the minimap and go closer.. and then chicken out, as I got a bit freaked out when people talked to me.  Somehow I stumbled in through the doors at The Shelter on Isabel. Sat on a chair in the back hoping noone would talk to me, and just observed people and learned from the questions others asked. To this day The Shelter is my default location if I have no other plans.

[squashy Beeswing]

Well, let's see.  I'd come from spending a week or so in Active Worlds which was as dead as the proverbial dodo, so i already knew how to move/speak etc.  That was my only experience of virtual worlds . 

I logged into SL at some welcome area or other on 29th July 2009.  I don't recall exactly what i did but i think i fiddled with my avie a bit,  using the sliders.  I also remember the horrible non-prim hair.  

The second time i logged in, I remember looking round frantically for someone to greet me or offer help as i'd somehow acquired an orange skin without my knowledge.  In the end, i asked for help in Local Chat and a guy took pity on me and also showed me my first free clothing in or near that same welcome area.   Attired in my new togs, I quickly found the destination guide and left that place, never returning to any of the traditional newb areas.  Looking back, i was quite independent -- too nervous to speak to anyone, but off on my own and exploring.  :smileyhappy:

Next day or a couple of days later, i tried to modify my avie to resemble my RL self.  To this day i have no idea why i thought this was a good idea.  At least i was no longer orange.

Because i'd come from the dead zone that was Active Worlds, i hadn't really grasped  the fact that people actually owned properties etc., in SL, and whilst i was inside someone's house innocently exploring,  i was pulled up for trespassing by a security guard.  Fortunately, he could see i was new and he was very helpful.  He gave me lots of tips and my first (very simple) prim hair.  This was on Enchantment Island, the first place i ever visited.

Then i discovered shopping. :smileyvery-happy:

[Bunky Snowbear]

I remember constantly sliding through walls and travelling through the ground before crashing. This was back in about 2005, and Australia had relatively primitve internet. I forgot about SL until 2009, by then things had gotten a lot better.

[PeterCanessa Oh]

@ Bunky - and then they banned SL?  Whatever happened to that plan of Australia's to cut off the internet?

[Luc Starsider]

I only remember my first hour in SL. The rest of the day is completely gone. In the first half hour, though, I did a lot of things;

Laughing my head off the first time I saw someone air-type. I didn't understand what it was at the time, but it looked incredibly funny.

Becoming very frustrated because I couldn't get the hair to look the way I wanted, not realizing I had prim hair on, and it was unaffected by me adjusting the hair sliders. At the time I didn't know what a prim was, let alone what prim hair was.

Struggling to not bash in to other avatars, trees and signposts when I tried flying for the first time.

Scratching my head as I tried to figure out how to get out of the place where I rezzed.

In a way I'm glad I'm not a newbie anymore, but there was something special about the first weeks in SL, everything being new and unknown and having to figure out how everything worked...

I'm still learning...

- Luc -

[Cybin Monde]

Ah, those days of yore when everything was new and the world was small.

I joined SL back in January of 2004 and remember my first few hours were spent a couple steps away from the spot where i first rezzed. I had stepped closer to the Appearance board there in the beginning of the old Orientation Island (where the parrot would give you L$50 or something like that, just for talking to him) and then stayed there for a few hours while i worked on my appearance. I've slimmed down a tiny bit since then, but other than that my sliders and colors have remained the same.

Originally i changed out of the normal clothes and wore a dirt texture instead. Over the next couple months i worked on creating my own clothes and settled on a look about a couple months into my SLife, which also hasn't changed in these past 7 seven years. Other attributes i changed early on were to make my own face tattoo and the particle sparkly thing on my forehead.

But this is about the first day, so i'll get back to that.

After spending all that time creating my look, i patiently made my way through the tutorial, then TPd over to the mainland and the boardwalk Welcome Area that had balloon rides and a couple motorcycles sitting there. I think it wasn't long before i found myself at the Luna Mall where i found (and bought) a pair of particle wings that i still use sometimes.

I don't remember much else, but it sure has been quite a ride since that first day!!

[Quinn Morani]

I don't actually remember much of my first day experience. I didn't have any mentors early on. I was completely self taught. I do remember that I very quickly figured out how to TP out of whatever area I rezzed in, before I had done any of the tutorials so I had no idea what I was doing at first. I eventually found a public tutorial area via search where I had my one and only experience with being griefed. I logged out and when I when I came back later, the place was empty so I was able to read the tutorials in peace.

Later via search, I found a newbie orientation event hosted by a resident who has since left SL. Most of what he covered there was stuff I had already figured out on my own, but that's where I made my first friends and joined my first SL group. I mentioned also being interested in events for writers, and another attendee at the meeting pointing me in the right direction for that. That newbie meeting was my first social experience in SL and I felt welcome, which is what encouraged me to stick around.

Mostly I was just trying to get the lay of the lay of the land, understanding what SL was all about and whether or not it was a viable platform for some work-related activities. A year and a half later I'm still undecided on that, but it doesn't really matter since work is no longer my primary reason for being here.

[WinTrain]

I went to Escort Oasis, made a few friends, one of them I still remember all their names from 2009 I became friends with my first day of SL.

I also went to a beach I think and was like I need  a guy member for my avatar, so went looking for a male ***** which happened to be the Lotus at the time. I think Xcite 3 was a thing but didn't know about it until 2010.