Tips for a gentle beginning
Posted by
Arella
Posted on: 07/10/08
Tips for a gentle beginning
Here's my #1 tip so far for a gentle beginning into Second Life:Don't leave the Help/Orientation Islands behind, until you feel comfortable with moving, operating, and socializing.
(Once you leave the safety of the nest, you can't return.)
Why?
The Help Islands are designed for this very purpose -- to get you comfortable and up to speed in a low-key, friendly, supportive environment. You're interacting with basically only 2 categories of individuals:
1. The folks who are at about the same skill level as you.
a. less distractions/overwhelm
b. less to no feeling of inferiority
c. better opportunities to socialize
2. The Second Life mentors.
a. wonderful attentive support
b. help whenever you need it, at your own pace
c. more great opportunities to socialize
These factors are a lot more significant than than they might at first seem. It's beginners' land. Again, remember, this is for the gentle approach.
Folks at the same skill level:
a. The avatars around you are not quite as distracting to your exploration when they are not holding 15 different chat conversations, and some instant messaging in your area. Or trying out all the new dances and animation moves, or raining x-rated items from the sky.
b. No one actually has tried to make me feel inferior in Second Life, but the fact is, I can't "keep up" yet, out in the mainlands, and I can hardly ask people to wait, while I try to tag along like some kind of younger sibling.
c. One of the things I most enjoyed about the Help Islands was the nearly instantaneous ability to have conversations with the other individuals around me. Even before I could walk well, let alone fly, I was able to meet and chat with other avatars from across the globe; we all had the commonality of, "how the heck do you do this?"
This was an incredibly satisfying experience. Within a few short moments of my entry into Second Life, I was already having conversations with multiple people (in English) from around the world. The uncertainties of, "how do I socialize in an environment like this?" were very quickly replaced with, "wow, this is surprisingly fun, easy and effective. I can't believe this is happening."
All I had to say was something along the lines of, "I'm still getting the hang of this..." People responded -- they were in the same situation as I, and seemed happy to connect using this opportunity. I liked that a lot.
This useful opportunity vanishes on the mainland (for the most part), and with good reason. Imagine being the older, more experienced sibling, off involved with his/her own adventures, when the younger kid comes up and says, "I don't get it, will you help me?" Not so effective.
The Second Life mentors:
a. These are some of the most supportive, attentive individuals you will ever meet in Second Life. They are literally there, for you. Your comfort level is a big part of the reason the mentors even exist (as I understand it). How often in Real Life do you get that kind of experience? My advice? enjoy it. Appreciate them, don't harass them, and enjoy this special good attention for what it's worth.
b. With perhaps few exceptions, these are a beautiful hearted lot, that you can count on whenever you need Second Life help or support. They're "old hands" at Second Life; they remember their own challenging experiences as a beginner; for whatever reason, they want to devote some (or a lot!) of their free time to helping you increase your Second Life comfort level. Much gratitude to these angels.
c. The mentors are another great group with which to practice your socializing skills. They go at your pace, and by their very nature, they're interested in you.
And don't feel like you're wasting their time, because when they have their Mentor title on, you are their reason for being there.
P.S. Each mentor you engage with will help you in their own personalized way. Don't expect the same exact treatment and response each time. Just like the real world, mentoring means different things to different people.
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