Experience Second Life

Getting Started

Landing in Second Life, a virtual world, has been compared to arriving in a new city. It takes awhile to get the lay of the land, to meet people, to find places you want to go and things to do. It takes even longer to learn "the ropes" - the social behaviors and customs that set newcomers apart from long-time residents. With this in mind, here are some suggestions to help you get started on Second Life Grid:

1. Register. If you haven't done so already, register, create, and name your avatar. Give yourself some time to learn how to get around Second Life and interact with objects and other avatars.
2. Explore. Visit organizations using the Second Life Grid. You'll find a listing of both in-world and real-world businesses on the Second Life Wiki. Many businesses are using the Second Life Grid for internal projects and their land is private. You can read about many business uses; some articles also provide links or information about the location on the Second Life Grid. For more about Education uses, see Education.
3. Learn. Get the book "Second Life the Official Guide" - it has lots of good suggestions of places to go and things to do in Second Life. There are other books, such as the "Entrepreneurs Guide to Second Life," that may be more useful for businesses. You'll also find Second Life-themed books in other languages, such as German & Japanese.
4. Build. Want to learn more about building? Try your hand at the Ivory Tower Library of Primitives or one of the other building tutorial spaces in Second Life. Sandboxes and building tutorial sites tend to be busy and good ways to meet people.
5. Socialize. Connect with other like-minded Second Life Residents via our various social networking features. There are thousands of themed groups that can help you meet others with a common social or business interest. To learn even more about the culture and business of Second Life, subscribe and read periodicals, business blogs, mailing lists, and other public information about Second Life.

Once you have the lay of the land, start thinking about your business and/or education objectives, learn from others how to create a sustained experience that engages your customers or students and meets your objectives. For assistance, consult with a Solution Provider, check out our Support Programs section or look at Universal Benefits.