Will it get better? Question from a new resident

[Nagumi Yazimoto]

Well he's long gone I am afraid. It actually did get worse... 

Edited September 23, 2022 by Nagumi Yazimoto

[SeattleChris]

On 6/30/2022 at 12:06 PM, Renfieldandmina said:

My question

Do you have any recommendations what I could do to improve my situation in sl? Some important things to learn or important things to know? Will it get better by time or will it remain a struggle? What could be an important next step?

Newer users come and go - sometimes very quickly - in Second Life. There is a stigma (for some) about being new that I don't quite get. We want the grid to stick around, so it just stands to reason new people will need to come help populate it. Welcome!

Clubs are often only open for very short, specific times based on DJ/Host availability and scheduling. As SL has users from around the world, it's entirely possible the club that plays the music you love is simply scheduling events in a different time zone. You can always use the Destination Guide and other tools to find out which places may be having active events during the times you are online. Because, yes, with the grid as large as it is, even with 45,000+ avatars online, it might be difficult to find populated places just at random.

It is helpful to remember that virtual worlds offer a safe having to people with social anxiety or social awkwardness, and it's entirely possible all those silent avatars standing around you are mostly thinking the same thing ("Why won't anyone say anything?") Also, sometimes public chat gets negative feedback from the less than friendly participants, which discourages people to talk. There are some very friendly, outgoing people in Second Life. If you meet a few and hang with them, they might be able to introduce you to the good start of your own social network.

The learning curve for Second Life is VERY steep. Probably the biggest barrier to overcome for new users. I spent the first three days walking around like a frozen chicken while people made fun of me. But others helped me out and soon I found I was moving about the grid about as naturally as in RL. That part definitely gets better, and soon you will find yourself swapping out avatar bits (if you so choose), choosing your own style and animations. It gets so much better if you stick with it.

I also wanted to say something about ban lines. Many parcels and sims are people's SL homes. Many places that host events (like large monthly shopping events) close down and don't allow people on the parcels during those times. Other places have age limit restrictions where only players who have accounts older than a certain number of days can enter (as you've already experienced). This is because new accounts are very easy (and free) to create, so the less savory user (like griefers and trolls) often create new accounts when old ones get banned from places, or from Second Life altogether. Don't let that discourage you! There are always plenty of places to explore. And though it may feel like you're being penalized for being new, it's not you that caused the account age restrictions, so don't feel badly about it.

I would suggest looking for groups that match your interests via the group finder. Chatting with people in a group can feel less awkward (if you, like me, experience social anxiety), in that it is very much like a Discord or old style IRC chat. That might very well lead to "Hey! Let's hangout at this place or that."

I wish you all the best. It took me a while to feel comfortable in my Second Life skin, but there's so much to see and to do here that I personally found it well worth the effort. The "new kid in school" thing will wear off quickly and you'll be an old hand at Second Life soon enough.