Second Life For Dummies

Sarah Robbins, Mark Bell

• Publisher: For Dummies
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN: 9780470180259
• eBook ISBN: 9781118051962
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Computer Science General
• Index: Computer Science

You've heard all about Second Life. Maybe you've already jumped with both feet—and gotten stuck. Or maybe you're a Second Life veteran who wants to build something or run a business. Fear not! Second Life For Dummies is hear to hold your hand, pat your back, and cheer you on through this new and enchanting reality.

Written by a pair of Second Life old timers, this easy-to-use, flip-and-find guide is packed with expert advice, seasoned insight, and handy tips and tricks to get you moving fast. You'll find out how to set up your account, create an avatar, meet people and socialize, and find your comfort zone and stay in it. But it's a big world out there, so you'll also learn how to make stuff, buy stuff, do stuff, and keep track of all the stuff you're accumulating. Discover how to

• Install Second Life get started
• Create and customize your avatar
• Meet and get to know fascinating people
• Stay safe and comfortable as you learn and explore
• Make, wear, and sell your own fashions
• Script your Second Life
• Buy land and build a house
• Become a land baron or a money maker
• Make real money in Second Life
• Get a real-life education—even a degree

Complete with fantastic lists of cool places, answers to big questions, and supplemental software, Second Life For Dummies is your ticket to a great virtual adventure.

Part I

Second Life Overview and Basics

In this part . . .

**IN a DROPCAP**

Learning to use Second Life is kind of like riding a roller coaster. Going up that first hill is slow and steep, but after you get to the top, it’s “Yeeeee-haaaaa!” all the way down. It’s a fun, exciting place full of smart, engaging people, and you’re going to be one of them. We show you how it’s done.

Before you can really enjoy all the fun stuff that attracted you to Second Life in the first place, you need to know the basics. In Chapter 1, we tell you what all the fuss is about. Even though Second Life changes every day, a few standard elements of this virtual world keep drawing in folks. Chapter 2 will help you prepare to get started. You need the right tools for the job, and because hardware is one of the biggest barriers to using Second Life, we tell you how to get your computer up to snuff to enjoy Second Life at its best.

After you garner a bit of background and your computer is prepped, you’re ready to jump in. In Chapter 3, you start getting your hands dirty by setting up an account. Finally, in Chapter 4, we show you how to log in and see how to get around. By the end of this part, you’ll be flying, walking, and teleporting like a pro.

Chapter Chapter 1

The Meaning of (Second) Life

Defining Second Life

How Second Life is different from a game

The origins of Second Life

Who has a Second Life?

Second Life is the Web of the future

You keep hearing about it in the news. Reporters flying around a digital world talking about the strange things happening there. Politicians meeting their constituents in digital bodies. Music events with virtual bands playing for virtual audiences. Companies such as IBM, Reuters, American Apparel, and Nike have all staked their claim to open digital storefronts.

This is the world of Second Life (SL). A world of avatars and virtual landscapes where anything can happen and usually does. Whether you’re a student taking online classes, a budding fashion designer looking for an opportunity to show off your latest threads, or just someone who likes to dance the night away without paying a cover charge, Second Life has something to offer. We’ll show you how to get in there, get started, and get up to speed — so read on!

When One Life Isn’t Enough: Explaining Second Life

Most of us have enough going in our First Lives (translation, our real lives) to wonder why anyone would need a second one. Running between meetings, trying to keep up with friends, and the occasional entertainment we might have time for seems to be enough to keep us busy morning to night. Rather than thinking about Second Life as just one more new technology to keep up with, though, think about it as a way to simplify much of what you already do. Instead of driving between meetings, you could fly. Instead of making five phone calls to organize your friends for tonight’s trip to the dance club, you could be sending them teleport requests to join you at the latest hip spot. Forget waiting in line to buy concert tickets; with Second Life, you can attend a live concert any time you’d like without paying ten bucks for a beverage.

So how does Second Life work? There are some basic elements to this cyber-world. After you understand how they work, you’ll be able to dive right in and start having fun.

Account types: Verified and unverified: If you associate a credit card or Paypal account with your account you’ll be listed as verified, that is you proved who you were when you created your account. Basic and Premium: Basic accounts are free. If you own land you’ll pay a monthly fee and be moved to a premium account. For more on account types, see Chapter 3.

Avatars: An avatar is your virtual body in Second Life. You could be a bombshell, decked out in the latest Gucci knock-offs, or a dinosaur wagging your tail, as shown in Figure 1-1. In Second Life, the only limits to your appearance are the limits of your imagination, your time, and your wallet. If you can think it, you can be it. For info about customizing your avatar, jump to Chapter 5.

Moving: Second Life allows you to get around in lots of ways. You can fly without without wings (see Figure 1-2), run, walk, drive a car, or teleport from place to place.

Figure 1-1: In Second Life you can lou...

Table of contents

• Title
• Contents
• Introduction
• Part I : Second Life Overview and Basics
• 1: The Meaning of (Second) Life
• 2: Tweaking Your System: Adjusting Your Computer to Best Run Second Life
• 3: Starting Your Second Life
• 4: Navigating the Second Life Interface and World
• Part II : Living Your Second Life – Exploring and Socializing
• 5: Creating Your Second Life Persona
• 6: Jumping into the Conversation: Express Yourself
• 7: Getting a Social Second Life
• 8: Staying in Your Second Life Comfort Zone
• Part III : Inventory, Cash, and Land
• 9: Becoming Materialistic with Your Second Life Inventory
• 10: Understanding the Second Life Economy
• 11: Spending Your Cash in Second Life
• 12: Staking Your Claim in Second Life
• Part IV : Building and Customizing
• 13: Building Basics
• 14: Taking Your Building Skills to the Next Level
• 15: The Clothes Make the Avatar: Creating Your Own Clothing
• 16: Making a Statement with Poses, Animations, and Gestures
• Part V : Real Life Opportunities in Second Life
• 17: Getting Paid in Second Life (It’s Not Easy)
• 18: Bringing Big Business to Second Life
• 19: Education in Second Life
• Part VI : The Part of Tens
• 20: Ten (Or So) Great Places to Shop
• 21: Ten Great Places to Visit