.
... your friends and loved ones, that is...
... your friends and loved ones, that is...
It was not that long ago when as a noob, I was feeling a lot like a new transfer student in a new school and in a new town. You cannot feel more out-of-placed than that.
Feeling utterly lost on the reasons for being here in the first place, I was left without a purpose. Like most of us who came in-world without any expectations, one cannot help but try to find cause. It must be human nature to find reasons and answers to our being, even in a virtual world.
More tips and mentoring from the Queen of Barcola
Feeling utterly lost on the reasons for being here in the first place, I was left without a purpose. Like most of us who came in-world without any expectations, one cannot help but try to find cause. It must be human nature to find reasons and answers to our being, even in a virtual world.
More tips and mentoring from the Queen of BarcolaHuman Nature
Being helpful towards others must be a built-in feature to some people. Like when Keeley Huet helped me out on my second day by sharing tips on how to easily find the things I need in SL. If not for her I would still end up as that Haraguy. Her mentoring on how to effectively use the Search Button was perhaps my turning point in SL as a resident. You can say that Search was the front door to an even bigger Second Life.
I still remember her words clearly when she said: "Search is your friend." and she was absolutely right.
Confidence will help you make the Grade...
... though too much of it might leave you in the dunce list. I guess like alcohol, it should be taken in moderation hahaha.
There seem to be this need to refine our AVs. I now laugh at the thought of promising myself not to touch Haraguy, and to carry on being him as I explore SL. It would seem that real world commercialism and capitalism exists even in the most unlikely of all places, Second Life.
The desire to be unique was perhaps the catalyst to upgrade compulsory. It could take several hours to fine-tune the way you look. The more you wish to mirror your RL persona, the harder it is to refine the features.
Some may see upgrading as vanity. But however you would prefer your cup of tea, I personally think it still is necessary. Hearing compliments on how good you have done your avatar helps build that confidence.
Confidence however, is as important as currency in Second Life. It gives you the courage to meet other residents as well as helping you blend into the crowd with ease. A lot better than ending up as a virtual hermit, in my opinion.
Next Step, Etiquette and Character.
As much as I wanted to keep a low profile in-world, adding character to the AVs is as natural as brushing your teeth every morning (assuming ALL of us religiously do that everyday eeeep O.o). Even as virtual avatars, the uniqueness of each "individual" would still show. It is also natural to carry-over our RL character into our alter-egos.
Like in real life, every day in SL is a learning process. We learn a lot more not by being alone, but by interacting with other residents. We also have to remember that we are sharing this virtual world with different cultures from various nationalities other than ours. It is after all, their second life too you know.
It is best to avoid topics on religion and politics just to be on the safe side. I believe there are proper venues for that in Second Life, though I have yet to see one for myself.
Sticking to the universal rule may just help us get through a day without incident. Be nice. Be polite. I believe the most important of them all is, BE HELPFUL.
Call it the unwritten rule in Second Life etiquette, but we must let others enjoy SL as much as we would want to enjoy it ourselves.
Like in real life, every day in SL is a learning process. We learn a lot more not by being alone, but by interacting with other residents. We also have to remember that we are sharing this virtual world with different cultures from various nationalities other than ours. It is after all, their second life too you know.
It is best to avoid topics on religion and politics just to be on the safe side. I believe there are proper venues for that in Second Life, though I have yet to see one for myself.
Sticking to the universal rule may just help us get through a day without incident. Be nice. Be polite. I believe the most important of them all is, BE HELPFUL.
Call it the unwritten rule in Second Life etiquette, but we must let others enjoy SL as much as we would want to enjoy it ourselves.
Just like in the movie (of the same title, you should see it!) which stars Haley Joel Osment (yep, its that kid "who sees dead people" hehe), showing any form of kindness to others is a virtue. Second Life is not a selfish place as some folks would think. There are a lot of good Samaritans out there willing to help other residents who are in need, especially to the new ones. Be it giving some advice and tips, directions or even freebies; some people are just glad to go that extra mile. It may be a small simple gesture of kindness, but the impact on someone else may in fact be tremendous.
I speak of this as one who has been a recipient of such kindness.
It shouldn't be a surprise that a lot of in-worlders bring in their good-hearted nature with them to Second Life. It is also because of these good folks that Second Life can be a pleasant experience for a lot of us. The unconditional help they give away is something you will not ever forget. Even in silence you just carry on that feel-good sensation on your chest.
I speak of this as one who has been a recipient of such kindness.
It shouldn't be a surprise that a lot of in-worlders bring in their good-hearted nature with them to Second Life. It is also because of these good folks that Second Life can be a pleasant experience for a lot of us. The unconditional help they give away is something you will not ever forget. Even in silence you just carry on that feel-good sensation on your chest.
Who is LisaHot Juran?
She is an icon in Miramare, as residents who hang-out there frequently know her quite well. It is not too hard to find her as she is around all the time. The spark-plug that helped jump start my virtual engine, she pulled down my iron curtains so I could see a bigger and brighter Second Life.
Always here to help... Lisa doing her public service.
I remember the first time she showed me how to make storage boxes, which sort of baffled me in the beginning. Making sure it would have been easy for me to understand her instructions, she stooped down to my level and spoke the same noob language (in other words, she was very patient!). Having then taught me the basics of prim building (primitive shapes) not only helped me understand how virtual objects are manipulated, but also helped me sustain a well maintained inventory.
Through her mentoring, I have pretty much gained enough knowledge to aid me in creating my very own stuff. Building virtual items such as furniture and novelty items has never been so simple: from applying the right textures to effortless tasks such as linking multiple objects together (very important especially in building furniture).
Always here to help... Lisa doing her public service.I remember the first time she showed me how to make storage boxes, which sort of baffled me in the beginning. Making sure it would have been easy for me to understand her instructions, she stooped down to my level and spoke the same noob language (in other words, she was very patient!). Having then taught me the basics of prim building (primitive shapes) not only helped me understand how virtual objects are manipulated, but also helped me sustain a well maintained inventory.
Through her mentoring, I have pretty much gained enough knowledge to aid me in creating my very own stuff. Building virtual items such as furniture and novelty items has never been so simple: from applying the right textures to effortless tasks such as linking multiple objects together (very important especially in building furniture).
What would take others at least a week to learn only took me a couple of days! Now that's sound advice worth more than a million lindens, something I will surely never ever forget.
Thanks Lisa!
Keep Moving Forward...
For sure with all the help I have been receiving from good Samaritans like Keeley and mentors like Lisa, just saying a simple thank you would not be enough. I guess the best way to show my gratitude is to help others! After all I used to be a noob in need myself.
Though I do wish that there would be less griefing by some residents. Some people (greifers) find it funny and amusing to harass others. In some extreme cases, they even hassle the very people who would want to make a difference in SL. Having more of the "helping" rather than the "griefing" would surely make Second Life very pleasant for us all.
On the look out for noobs in need, Lisa along with Lizzy and I in Miramare: paying a good deed forward.
So if you ever were approached by someone just wishing to help you out, please be nice. There is a big chance that it might be Lisa just wanting to give you a helping hand, or Samaritans just wishing to pay a good deed forward!
