Tips for a gentle beginning

Second Life Glossary*

The Big Six

In Second Life, most of the rules we generally take for granted are temporarily suspended -- gravity, for example.

But there are a few rules -- packaged as "The Big Six", designed to allow each individual significant freedom of expression, without hindering the freedom of expression of those around them.  Also called the "Community Standards", you'll find 'em below:

The goals of the Community Standards are simple: treat each other with respect and without harassment, adhere to local standards as indicated by simulator ratings, and refrain from any hate activity which slurs a real-world individual or real-world community.

The "Big Six"

1. Intolerance
   Combating intolerance is a cornerstone of Second Life's Community Standards. Actions that marginalize, belittle, or defame individuals or groups inhibit the satisfying exchange of ideas and diminish the Second Life community as whole. The use of derogatory or demeaning language or images in reference to another Resident's race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or sexual orientation is never allowed in Second Life.
2. Harassment
   Given the myriad capabilities of Second Life, harassment can take many forms. Communicating or behaving in a manner that is offensively coarse, intimidating or threatening, constitutes unwelcome sexual advances or requests for sexual favors, or is otherwise likely to cause annoyance or alarm is Harassment.
3. Assault
   Most areas in Second Life are identified as Safe. Assault in Second Life means: shooting, pushing, or shoving another Resident in a Safe Area (see Global Standards below); creating or using scripted objects which singularly or persistently target another Resident in a manner which prevents their enjoyment of Second Life.
4. Disclosure
   Residents are entitled to a reasonable level of privacy with regard to their Second Lives. Sharing personal information about a fellow Resident --including gender, religion, age, marital status, race, sexual preference, and real-world location beyond what is provided by the Resident in the First Life page of their Resident profile is a violation of that Resident's privacy. Remotely monitoring conversations, posting conversation logs, or sharing conversation logs without consent are all prohibited in Second Life and on the Second Life Forums.
5. Indecency
   Second Life is an adult community, but Mature material is not necessarily appropriate in all areas (see Global Standards below). Content, communication, or behavior which involves intense language or expletives, nudity or sexual content, the depiction of sex or violence, or anything else broadly offensive must be contained within private land in areas rated Mature (M). Names of Residents, objects, places and groups are broadly viewable in Second Life directories and on the Second Life website, and must adhere to PG guidelines.
6. Disturbing the Peace
   Every Resident has a right to live their Second Life. Disrupting scheduled events, repeated transmission of undesired advertising content, the use of repetitive sounds, following or self-spawning items, or other objects that intentionally slow server performance or inhibit another Resident's ability to enjoy Second Life are examples of Disturbing the Peace.  http://secondlife.com/app/help/rules/cs.php

System Requirements

A gentle introduction to virtual worlds . . .

The Journey Begins...

1. The Journey Begins With a Name

The trickiest part about this new venture is picking a name.  Once you pick one, you're stuck with it for "life", unless you want to start over.  Apparently, you can become so well known in your second life, that this name becomes more relevant than your rl (real life) name -- even in your professional community.

This becomes doubly tricky when I discover that I only get to choose my first name. For whatever reason, you have to choose your last name from a predetermined list -- a list that changes every so often as they introduce new names and recycle old ones. 

As soon as I enter a first name in the signup form, I'm able to see my surname options.  Here's the list I get to choose from:

Andel, Ansar, Banufong, Bellic, Bookmite, Burnstein,Constantine, Dezno, Dubrovna, Footman, Galicia, Gothly, Guisse, Helendale, Inglewood, Jarvinen, Kaligwa, Khandr, Landar, Lupindo, Magic,  Mavendorf, Mimulus, Mubble, Muhindra, Naidoo,  Nootan, Olifone, Parx, Quintessa, Raviprakash, Seriman, Shippe, Skytower, String, Svoboda,       Szczepanski, Triellis, Vaher, Whybrow

Hmm...lots of interesting, and basically unsuitable names to choose from, as far as I'm concerned.  But I've been warned that there's not much to love in the surname selection. 

Since you can have more than one persona (or avatar, as your persona is referred to), my plan is to start with a more conservative persona.  If I decide I want to do things a little more "casually", I can always create a second one, later.

Considering that the name I'm trying to create could have professional implications, I conclude I have a slim list of surnames to choose from.  I can't see myself being Amy Banufong, for example.  

With the idea that I could indeed get "stuck" with this name for good,  I decide on four that seem the most innocuous:

Andel, Constantine, Dezno, Inglewood

Now I have to come up with a first name I can work with...

2. It's Al-i-i-ve!

Time to choose my new body...

Signing in turns out to be a fun part of the process.  After I enter my name and e-mail,  I'm offered a set of avatar templates to pick from.

I've got 12 or so options available to me.  They're all fairly generic, but these are just building blocks to work from.  They tell me I can change my image as much and as often as I want, once I'm inside.  With that in mind, the pressure is off and the fun begins.

My choices include (what looks like): 2 or 3 males, 7 women, a character made of cardboard boxes with a drawn on face, oh, and a blue dragon.

(At this point, I'm reminded of my technical issues.  It's time to replace my monitor - the screen is a little dark, even with adjustments made, which makes these characters slightly less distinguishable for me.   Also, I'm hovering just below the required system requirements*, hoping I don't have to wait till I upgrade to start my "new life".)

Of the women, there are 2 blondes, and 5 with dark hair.  There may be a redhead, but I can't tell on my screen.  Mostly at this point, it's about attitude.  They're all sexy; there's no getting around that.

The first woman is modern looking with a kind of urban vibe.  I like her, but with her short tight white tank and hip hugger jeans, she's not quite what I'm looking for.

Next, there's a long haired blonde with a tight, long sleeved top and dark pants, maybe a mock turtleneck?  Again, the reminder, new monitor needed.  She doesn't feel right, so I'll skip her for now.

Then there's what looks like an elf in forest greens and browns, with some kind of leather armor perhaps? Fun image, but I'll skip her too.

The next one is very feminine, a soft and vulnerable brunette in a little pink polka dot dress.  Looks like she's ready for the school dance.  Or perhaps the Stepfords.

The next one is fun and funky -- yellow shoes, faded-frayed denim mini skirt, black and white polkadot leggings, a tight white t-shirt, tiny vest, hot pink lipstick, green beaded necklace.  Still not the one for me.

Next one looks a bit rebellious with torn jeans and a don't mess with me stance...

Looks like the last one is the new me.  Short, stylish blonde hair, what looks like a dark business casual suit, a lighter blue shirt showing from beneath.  She looks serious enough to do a good job, but still looks like she could enjoy some fun on the side.

My first taste of the new world...

On to the next page.   

Here they get smart and don't ask you all the pertinent required confidential info, until after they've already hooked you in with your choice of avatar.  You're already starting to identify with a screen persona, then they say, oh by the way, we need the name of your first born. 

So close now, I can almost taste the pixelated pie.  But a bunch of legalese to deal with before the doors open.  Terms of Agreement, Privacy Policy, important stuff to go through.  Also, their community rules** (like joining a community club).  No spitting, kicking, hitting, biting... oh wait, those are the wrong rules. 

I find I like their set of rules, seems like it could make for a nicer community.  Guess we'll find out together in my next post.

See you on the other side!

3. We have the technology

4. Now what?

5. Orientation Island

What's in a Name?

My New Name

New Article

What do you think?

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