Incredibly new to ALL of this

[BananaNana007]

Hi everyone! Im brand new to these forums and to Second Life. Im a soon to be empty nesterand my daughter thinks that all I do is come home from work and stare at the walls. This is not true, sometimes the TV id on.

She set me up an avatar and Second Life acoount but I havent even had a chance to log on yet. I have a lot to learn and I dont want to piss anyone off.

Im terribly shy and even posting this is something I've never done. Hopefully I can become a part of this community.

     Hava a great day everyone!

[Pamela Galli]

Welcome. There are lots of empty nesters in SL, not that age means much here. You can be any age or personality you like. So if you want to, say, be shy, you can do that, just tell everyone you are shy, so they will know. Or not, if you want a different personality for a change. 

Do a forum search for lots of tips for beginners here. Then post any additional questions you may have. 

Warning: SL can be very addictive, esp if it is your main social outlet.

[Madelaine McMasters]

Welcome to Second Life, Nana!

Now you can stare at virtual walls, though not as many since we spend more time outdoors in SL than we do in RL. Watch Hippie Bowman's "Where are all my friends?" thread on Sunday mornings. He posts a link there to the 8AM SLT (PST/PDT) Sunday breakfast.

And yes, don't go pissing people off, that's my Phil's job.

;-).

[Rufferta]

Welcome! There is a steep learning curve to entry in Second Life, but once you've passed that hurdle you may find you enjoy it. If not, you can at least tell everyone that you've experienced "virtual reality".

Once you are here, check out places like Helping Haven, NCI, and the Caledon Oxbridge learning center. You can IM (that's sending an instant message) me inworld and I can send you a more complete list of landmarks or answer any questions I can.

 

 

[Amethyst Jetaime]

Welcome to SL and the Forums.

While there is a lot to learn about SL, if you stick with it, you are in for a grand adventure.  It isn't something you can learn all about in just a few days.  It may take weeks but you can probably learn the basics relatively soon.  Since you haven't logged in yet, you will find this helpful as a starting point.  https://community.secondlife.com/t5/English-Knowledge-Base/Second-Life-Quickstart/ta-p/1087919

As you learn you will probably have questions.  The Knowledge Base (points to the tab above) and the SL Wiki have tons of answers.  You can also use the Answer Tab to post questions about SL and the forums here for other questions.  You can also take classes or go to areas that have mentors to help new comers. Rufferta named a few.

Don't be too shy.  Remember that in SL you can be anything you want to be.  Many people shy in RL find they aren't so shy in SL.   Also remember that you can reveal only what you want to reveal about RL.  So if someone asks you about something you don't want to reveal just tell them your RL is private.  

In SL, you'll meet people from all over the world and if you get to know them it will broaden your horizons considerably.  You can also do all kinds of things that you probably couldn't or would never do in real life (RL) as well as things you enjoy in RL.

 

[BananaNana007]

Thanks so much for all of the advice! I will check out all of the places you've mentioned.

I did log on for the first time. Stressful...to me..beyond belief. I did finally make it thru that obstical course after falling thru gaps in the floor REPEATEDLY when trying to jump...and then trying to figure out how to say Hi to someone who had said hi to me!

I did feel a sense of accomplishment once I got to the end!

[Madelaine McMasters]

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BananaNana007 wrote:

I did feel a sense of accomplishment once I got to the end!

---

Woo hoo, Nana!

I think I can speak for at least a few of the oldbies here in saying that we envy your noobnewbieness. We have fond memories of our early days here and the wonder of it all.

Have fun!

[Pamela Galli]

 Keep in mind there is no way to really injure your avatar. Feel free to jump out of an airplane or throw yourself into a volcano. 

 So there's nothing to be afraid of, just enjoy exploring.  Second Life is not for everyone but for many of us it has been a fascinating blessing in many many ways .

[Pamela Galli]

---

Madelaine McMasters wrote:

---

BananaNana007 wrote:

I did feel a sense of accomplishment once I got to the end!

---

Woo hoo, Nana!

I think I can speak for at least a few of the oldbies here in saying that we envy your noobness. We have fond memories of our early days here and the wonder of it all.

Have fun!

---

Yup, I remember playing and playing and thinking, I am eight again.

[Amethyst Jetaime]

LOL, Pam is right.  In my early SL days (a long time ago now) me and friends would jump off platforms thousands of feet in the air sometimes with parachutes, most times with nothing lol.  We also did other risky things that would kill you in RL just for the thrill of it, lol.  

I too envy new people and the adventures they have in front of them, although after 10 years I still enjoy SL.

[Madelaine McMasters]

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Amethyst Jetaime wrote:

LOL, Pam is right.  In my early SL days (a long time ago now) me and friends would jump off platforms thousands of feet in the air sometimes with parachutes, most times with nothing lol.  We also did other risky things that would kill you in RL just for the thrill of it, lol.  

I too envy new people and the adventures they have in front of them, although after 10 years I still enjoy SL.

---

Amethyst, if I ever put my skybox back up, I'll invite you over and push you off my patio into the abyss.

One of my fondest recollections of SL was watching Scylla open her campaign against violence. She did a wonderful job on the venue and had a good opening night crowd. Unfortunately, after moving the venue into final position, she forgot to update the coordinates in the welcome area's teleport pad.

I was the first to pass through, and was saved by my habit of flying before teleporting. I found myself floating in a beautiful blue void. I quickly backed up, turned and waited, vibrating with anticipation. Within seconds, visitor after visitor to Scylla's anti-violence display materialized in front of me, plunging to their deaths as I cheered them on.

RL can certainly bring me joy, but not that kind.

;-).

[Amethyst Jetaime]

It's a deal, but you have to go with me. lol

Funny story about the event.  Here's another similar one.

I bought a ballroom club several years back that was very popular.  Under the RL sales contract, the owner stayed in the groups for a while to help transition things and help run things while I was off building everything for complete sim rebuild.  She was then going to leave the groups.

A bit over a week later,  the buyer had buyer's remorse and wanted me to give it back to her.  I had invested a lot of time as well as RL $ upgrading things and building, so I told her no.  Well to try to force things, on the busiest night of the week with the sim full,  she returned all the build, which was built on prims not land.  She was going to then spread a rumor that the club closed permanently thinking that it would take weeks to get back up and that I would sell it back to her.

The patrons all fell into the ocean since the land was sunk to the max. I immediately came to the sim, and omg the way people carried on like they were really drowning!  I had to put down platforms for people to get on as a number of them were in a panic and didn't think to fly or just tp out if they didn't want to be in the water! LOL

The former owner was banned from the sim immediately on my arrival, of course, and a call to concierge for a roll back restored it all within the hour.  But I still laugh every time I think of all those people in formal wear floundering around in the water and 'drowning'. 

[Phil Deakins]

An experience I had still makes me chuckle when it crosses my mind - like when reading your post.

I used to rent out skyboxes, which I made myself, of course. They featured the menu-driven ability to change all the decor, inluding making certain parts invisible and phantom. One day, I received an IM from a tenant who told me that he fell through the floor and plummeted to the ground below. So I checked it out and found that I'd made a mistake and the floor could be made phantom at the click of a button.

What makes me chuckle (still) is the vision of tenants looking at the menu and thinking, "I wonder what this button does"

[Phil Deakins]

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Madelaine McMasters wrote:

And yes, don't go pissing people off, that's

my

Phil's job.

;-).

---

You do have a memory problem, Maddy. I handed that particular job back to you some time ago because you are so much better at it than me. Wake up, girl!

And for anyone who is thinking of taking up Maddy's offer of a freefall, remember where the fires of hell are. Down below

[BananaNana007]

So, I've logged on a few times. The first time I spent wayyy too much time trying to get out of the plsce you go to when you first log on. I kept falling thru gaps in the floor where you have to jump to get out. I think it took me at least 10 times to finally get the hang of it and another hour to get out competely. Very stressful! I had to log off to calm myself down! I signed up for a premium membership so I could have a place to work on my avatar. This took HOURS! I just dont get the body/skin thing and I ended up bald with only a head, hands and legs...everything else was invisible! I finally got a dress to work and I dont know  if it gave me all my body parts back but at least it covered it up. LOL This is quite an adventure...oh and I saw a naked man

[Pamela Galli]

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BananaNana007 wrote:

So, I've logged on a few times. The first time I spent wayyy too much time trying to get out of the plsce you go to when you first log on. I kept falling thru gaps in the floor where you have to jump to get out. I think it took me at least 10 times to finally get the hang of it and another hour to get out competely. Very stressful! I had to log off to calm myself down! I signed up for a premium membership so I could have a place to work on my avatar. This took HOURS! I just dont get the body/skin thing and I ended up bald with only a head, hands and legs...everything else was invisible! I finally got a dress to work and I dont know  if it gave me all my body parts back but at least it covered it up. LOL This is quite an adventure...oh and I saw a naked man

---

Hehe, sounds about par -- now just wait until you find yourself in a store wearing a box on your head, naked..

I have not bothered to keep up with dressing my avatar, it has gotten so complicated, but there are a lot of experts in the avatar forum. 

[Madelaine McMasters]

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BananaNana007 wrote:

So, I've logged on a few times. The first time I spent wayyy too much time trying to get out of the plsce you go to when you first log on. I kept falling thru gaps in the floor where you have to jump to get out. I think it took me at least 10 times to finally get the hang of it and another hour to get out competely. Very stressful! I had to log off to calm myself down! I signed up for a premium membership so I could have a place to work on my avatar. This took HOURS! I just dont get the body/skin thing and I ended up bald with only a head, hands and legs...everything else was invisible! I finally got a dress to work and I dont know  if it gave me all my body parts back but at least it covered it up. LOL This is quite an adventure...oh and I saw a naked man

---

Hang in there, Nana. SL has one of the steepest learning curves I've ever encountered, but it's been worth the climb for us and we're rooting for you.

The Answers forum can offer help when you're stuck, and there are lots of articles in the Knowledge Base, which you can reach from the tabs at the top of this page. You can also take classes at places like Caledon Oxbridge University, Helping Haven, and New Citizens Inc.

Have fun, keep reporting, we love hearing about your progress!

[BananaNana007]

Thanks to everyone here for all of the advice and directions on where to go and I will definatly update on my adventures. One thing Ive found is that EVERYONE wants to be your friend and I have a hard time saying no. I cant even keep up with conversations!

[Pamela Galli]

I have hundreds on my friends list, could probably not name five of them (and many I would consider friends are not on that list). It doesn't mean much other than that some people like to know if you are online, I guess. It's not like I have ever once in nine years IMed someone just to chat.

[Phil Deakins]

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Pamela Galli wrote:

I have hundreds on my friends list, could probably not name five of them (and many I would consider friends are not on that list). It doesn't mean much other than that some people like to know if you are online, I guess.

It's not like I have ever once in nine years IMed someone just to chat.

---

So that's why I haven't heard from you. Hrrmph!

[Pamela Galli]

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Phil Deakins wrote:

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Pamela Galli wrote:

I have hundreds on my friends list, could probably not name five of them (and many I would consider friends are not on that list). It doesn't mean much other than that some people like to know if you are online, I guess.

It's not like I have ever once in nine years IMed someone just to chat.

---

So that's why I haven't heard from you. Hrrmph!

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Well anytime you want to talk about the weather, I am here for you, Phil.

[Rhonda Huntress]

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BananaNana007 wrote:

Thanks to everyone here for all of the advice and directions on where to go and I will definatly update on my adventures. One thing Ive found is that EVERYONE wants to be your friend and I have a hard time saying no. I cant even keep up with conversations!

---

You will find that on the whole there are a lot of friendly and helpful people in SL.  Everyone wants to be YOUR frind becuse they want to be sure you have someone you can ask for anything at all.  Everyone was new at one time and it is not an easy program to grasp right away.  It also means they have faith in you; that you will be around after the newness wears off.

Welcome to insanity

I know you have heard this a lot but seriously, if you have any question or would like some help wiht anything at all, just ask.

[Phil Deakins]

What Rhonda means is, do you have a large jar of jello?

 

[Madelaine McMasters]

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Phil Deakins wrote:

What Rhonda means is, do you have a large jar of jello?

 

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Where on Earth do you live, Phil?

Where I come from, Jell-O is sold in cardboard boxes that contain a bag of powder that teen girls use to dye their hair. You can get pre-made Jell-O in tiny plastic snack cups, but you'd go broke trying to fill a suit that way.

If you don't mind going off-brand, I recommend this...

https://www.amazon.com/Bulk-Jello-Wrestling-Supply-Refrigeration/dp/B00M56XLJE

Roll over the 2nd product thumbnail image on the left, I suspect you'll approve.

[Aislin Ceawlin]

LOL, this thread has really reminded me of the joys of being a noob! It really is a magical time to look back to once you've been around as long as a lot of us have! Good times, good times!