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Second Life Grid » Getting Started


Getting Started: Plan and Build Your Private Virtual World

You're Not Alone: Information for Planning

There is an incredibly extensive roster of information sources about Second Life available to help you establish your presence on the Second Life Grid. Many of these resources were created by Linden Lab's community of Solution Providers. Read on to learn about what's available to you.

  • Complete a contact form on our Have Linden Lab Contact Me page. Ask for an initial consultation about best practices and strategies for success for your organization on the Second Life Grid. We can talk with you about the basics of setting up your presence on a "Private Region" or an "Estate" (a group of private regions), buying land, and locating Solution Providers.
  • Read about how to find a Solution Provider and then visit the Solution Provider directory to learn about experienced companies that you will want to help you build Second Life regions and environments.
  • Consult the online information sources dedicated to Second Life. We maintain our own Getting Started section of the Second Life wiki, but a growing number of books, blogs, websites, and communities can answer many of your questions. We've listed some links to them further below on this page.

When You're Ready: Steps to Creating Your World

  1. Set the objectives for your presence on the Second Life Grid. Establish clear goals and a timeline for achieving them. Your consultation with Linden Lab Support will help you understand how to use Second Life and what to expect when establishing your presence.
  2. Select a Solution Provider to work with from the Solution Provider directory. Identify one that mostly closely matches your needs.
  3. Create a Second Life account. Register, create, and name avatars for the team that will work on your presence. Give everyone time to learn how to get around Second Life and interact with objects and other avatars.
  4. Explore. Visit organizations already using the Second Life Grid. The Second Life Wiki lists both inworld and real-world businesses, although many businesses use the Second Life Grid for internal projects and their land is private.
  5. Working with your Solution Provider, buy the amount of land you need to establish your presence. The Buy Land page will provide you with information and links to help you move onto the Second Life Grid.
  6. Start building...

Other Resources and Information

The Resources section of this site provides links to other helpful information. You can also visit the Marketing section of the Second Life Wiki, which provides up-to-date resources in several areas, including:

Here are some additional links from other sections of the Second Life Wiki:

In addition to the wiki, you might want to explore these Second Life-themed resources on the Web: