To start off I would like to inform everyone on a few issues before you start up your account within Second Life.
- When you enter Second Life you are asked to create an avatar, a 3D representation of yourself within the space. You are asked to create a user name for your avatar that will identify you within SL. You are limited to the last names that SL provides, and often people come up with very creative or unusual first names as well. When you post on the blog please put your real name followed by your user name so that others can find you within Second Life.
- After logging on for the first time, you start on what is known as Orientation Island. There will be many other new Second Lifers around you with their user names floating above their avatar's head. It is important that you follow the path on this island and read all the instruction signs you come across. These signs give you small tasks to learn and also let you take the information that they provide on a note card which you can store with your avatar. Take all the note cards from that island because they will be very useful for you as you start off in Second Life.
- When you have completed your tasks, which include a number of things like a bit of flying, you end your journey with a final sign that teleports you to a new island when touched. This is Help Island and should also be examined pretty thouroughly. Help Island has a Sandbox, an area that you can practice building on. Teleporting and flying are your two main ways of traveling in Second Life. To find new places to teleport to in Second Life your best option is to use the search function on the Second Life web site and after finding your location you are looking for click on the teleport now. The website will send the information to the Second Life program and all you have to do is open your map and hit the teleport button.
With that bit of info out of the way let's go to Second Life. Your task is simply to teleport to three different locations and report back to the blog about anything that you have seen in Second Life that interests you. Also feel free to post any questions that you might have.
Adam (Rad Beam)