Second Life Virtual World Basics

The Second Life website asks, "Who will you be?". p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }The Second Life website asks, "Whowill you be?"

An infinite choice of possibilities are available for an avatar's appearance. Your avatar can be like looking in a mirror, or not. Bulging muscles or Power Girl breasts (DC Comics if you don't know), an anthropomorphic animal, have hair of any color and fashioned any way from the normal to the bizarre. An avatar begins with some template body and facial features that can be subtly or drastically altered.

There are lives to live in Second Life. Hike a wilderness area, meet avatars from all over the world (lots of opportunity to learn or practice a language), dance the night away with the beautiful avatars, go hunting, learn about Buddhism, and most other things you can do in real life, and more. There is a multi-billions of pixel world waiting.

Avatars can buy virtual land where they can build elaborate and fantastic homes. These range from castles to armed compounds, from Elven forests to high-end meeting places, and they can be free to visit or the owner can charge a fee, in Lindens. And, like the real world land ain't cheap in Second Life.

Undeveloped virtual properties where you can build your own dream home or business are auctioned off starting as little as 250 Lindens to more than 20,000. There are also themed pre-built islands and private homes.

You don't have any Lindens? That might present a problem.

Convert some Uncle Sam dollars to Lindens. An avatar can find some virtual employment maybe in a happening nightclub or selling someone else's services or products. There are also Money Trees, places you can take surveys for Lindens, or dance for Lindens. That last one deserves some explanation. Your avatar dances non-stop for a specified time in order to win a specified amount of Lindens. The amounts are usually small but you can be away from the computer doing other things while your avatar gets funky.

Will your avatar act, and react like you or will they have a different personality. This is virtual reality and you can be laid-back, rude, gregarious, shy, or antagonistic? Warning though. Like the chat rooms, back-in-the-day, there are folks that go around flaming other avatars and just being rude. Unlike chat rooms though, crime is possible in Second Life and some avatars carry, and can use weapons like swords and guns. There are drugs to be purchased and used, alcohol to be consumed, guns to buy, and other questionable activities to get involved in. The nice thing is you can always log out or teleport away from conflicts or situations you don't feel comfortable in. It's not that easy in real life.

Second Life is a great virtual way to meet people from all over the planet. You can put in keywords that will lead you to destinations. There are German lands, American lands, Elven Lands, Tibetan stupas, oceanic environments, fantasy islands up in the clouds (did I mention your avatar will be able to fly?), and many shops and malls to visit. As an avatar you join groups and clubs like writers groups, fantasy role playing clubs, and groups from many religions and philosophies. For fun you can visit amusement parks, swim in an ocean, and take archery classes.

While there is a lot to learn when you first start out in Second Life the interface is easy to learn and there are SL help areas you can go to. If you find yourself confused just stop a passerby and ask for help, most will be willing to lend a hand.

Second Life is free to join and to create an avatar. They do offer a paid Premium Membership that includes a home and other bonuses. It's your choice and inclination whether you use SL as a way to learn about other cultures and people, to play FPGs with other avatars, use it to find love, or get kinky.