walking through a door, using cameras. There is a rather high threshold for getting comfortable in SL, and once you’re comfortable there it is easy to forget how much time it took you to get to that point of familiarity.
I’m including part of the dialogue here, since some of it may be helpful for readers who are also just starting out. If you are the type of person who would prefer to read a book, I have found the following book to be most practical: Second Life: A Guide to Your Virtual World by Brian White.
After a while, Stim dropped by, and later Kat, who was kind enough to give Maxine some further suggestions and background. Here is the transcript, below.
Pema Pera: Hi Maxine!
Maxine Walden: hi, Pema
Pema Pera: how about sitting out in the Sun for a change?
Pema Pera: I see you teleported right into the tea house
Pema Pera: It’s a lovely day and the landscape is well sorth looking at
Maxine Walden: you know, I just stay here, when I ‘quit’ I am in the teahouse and just return. But I will follow you outside if I can figure out how to move easily
Pema Pera: sure, just get up
Pema Pera: by clicking “stand up”
Pema Pera: yes
Pema Pera: and then walking to a door
Pema Pera: either door
Maxine Walden: which way is the door, to the right or left
Pema Pera: both ;>)
Pema Pera: there are two doors
Maxine Walden: oh, yes, I should have known…
Pema Pera: to go through a door, you left click on it
Pema Pera: and it will open
Pema Pera: there yo go!
Pema Pera: I am to your right
Maxine Walden: this is great out here
Pema Pera: yes, about time we got you outdoors ;>)
Pema Pera: you haven’t explored much in SL, have you?
Maxine Walden: I agree, …no I have not explored it much, have used it
Maxine Walden: as a way to connect with PaB…these discussions
Maxine Walden: you are building a place nearby is that right, here in SL
Pema Pera: sooner or later you probably would like to explore more, it is such a rich land here, in so many ways.
Pema Pera: And also with respect to our discussions, the sense of immersion makes a difference, I think, I feel.
Maxine Walden: could you say more about the immersion?
Pema Pera: I would like to hear your opinion about that, in due time, as a psychologist.
Pema Pera: But for now, if you turn to the right, how about sitting down here?
Maxine Walden: I will try to turn right and sit down…
Pema Pera: you can right click where you’d like to sit
Pema Pera: there you go!
Pema Pera: you did it ;>)
Pema Pera: Isn’t this a great view?
Pema Pera: The view itself is part of the answer of your question about immersion :)
Maxine Walden: but I seem to be facing the wall
Pema Pera: Now you also will have to learn to control your camera, independent of the position of your avatar
Pema Pera: ah
Pema Pera: just sit down again
Pema Pera: Once you sit, you can use the left and right arrows on your keyboard to let your camera swing left and right
Pema Pera: If you stand, those keys let your avatar turn
Pema Pera: if you sit, the same keys let your field of view turn while you avatar stays put
Maxine Walden: to sit down again I need to turn around the select the seat, don’t I
Pema Pera: yes
Maxine Walden: I am trying to turn with the arrow keys and nothing seems to be happening
Pema Pera: just keep the key down for a while
Pema Pera: ah, if you are still in text mode
Pema Pera: then hit escape key
Pema Pera: the text window will become transparent
Pema Pera: then you can move
Pema Pera: clicking on the text window will bring you back there
Pema Pera: there you are, back again on the wooden board in front of the tea house!
Pema Pera: Now can you hit the left key, say, and let your field of view turn?
Maxine Walden: oh, back to the text windown but I seem to be facing the wall
Pema Pera: escape from the text window
Pema Pera: then hit left key
Pema Pera: and see your view swivel around
Pema Pera: does that work?
Pema Pera: Hi Stim!
Maxine Walden: yes, but the wall is back, will try to turn again
Pema Pera: once you have escaped from the text window, you can turn left and right with the left and right keys on your key board. Does that work?
Maxine Walden: ok, I was backing through the wall, am out again
Pema Pera: also
Pema Pera: you can use the up and down keys
Pema Pera: down will zoom out
Pema Pera: up will zoom in
Pema Pera: can you try that too?
Maxine Walden: I will try
Pema Pera: Hi again Stim!
Pema Pera: I saw you flying by, and therefore I offered a tp
Stim Morane: yes, I was just looking around. I saw you here but was curious …
Maxine Walden: Pema, would you say more about the immersion? I do have some thoughts about it but would like to hear yours.
Pema Pera: well, there is so much to say about it. . . . arriving here in SL is like undergoing a kind of immigration
Maxine Walden: yes
Pema Pera: You have to learn to move around, as you are now beginning to do, but that is only a very small part of it.
Pema Pera: You meet people, you leran the culture — actually a large number of subcultures, but there is a general etiquette, a way that people interact, expectations about how to behave.
Maxine Walden: yes, is this part of trying to separate from daily RL?
Pema Pera: No
Pema Pera: Not trying to separate
Pema Pera: it is just how things have grown here
Pema Pera: If you travel in Europe you behave differently in different countries
Pema Pera: because the culture and expectations are different
Pema Pera: and if you don’t you won’t fit in
Maxine Walden: yes
Maxine Walden: I have traveled some and think I know what you are talking about
Pema Pera: so here over the years a particular culture has emerged
Pema Pera: I can try to explain it in words
Pema Pera: but really the only way is to experience it
Pema Pera: and then, afterward, we can sit down and try to analyse it
Pema Pera: so I suggest you take some time to look around
Pema Pera: To get started, of course you need to know how to move your avatar and camera
Pema Pera: that is absolutely essential
Pema Pera: and there are several ways to learn all that, depending on your preferences
Pema Pera: most people go to a welcome area and/or learn from others and/or use trial and error
Pema Pera: I personally like reading a book with hints; did I already give you the name of a good book?
Maxine Walden: I can here your strong recommendation. I did some trial and error, but actallly did a tutorial when I first signed on to SL, guess I forgot it some,
Pema Pera: oh, I forget it all the time at first
Pema Pera: it was VERY frustrating
Pema Pera: then finally I decided to plunge in
Pema Pera: and then it became really fun.
Pema Pera: This is the book I mentioned, Second Life: A Guide to Your Virtual World by Brian White
Pema Pera: can you click on that?
Pema Pera: Hi Kat!
Kat Lemieux: Hi!
Kat Lemieux: Hi Maxine
Maxine Walden: great, I can click on it. Hello, Kat, you helped me a couple of days ago
Maxine Walden: with QSL
Kat Lemieux: Right!
Kat Lemieux: Nice to meet you Stim!
Stim Morane: Nice to meet you too
Pema Pera: Stim, this is Kat, with whom I am heading QSL, the Qwaq-Second Life Liaison
Maxine Walden: Hello, Stim, sorry I did not see you earlier
Pema Pera: So Maxine, I suggest you order that book, as a general reference
Pema Pera: I found it very helpful
Pema Pera: and the rest is just plunging in
Maxine Walden: I will, thanks, I need all the help I can get
Pema Pera: Kat, I have lured Maxine out of the tea house ;>)
Kat Lemieux: ;-)
Pema Pera: until now she tp-ed in and out
Pema Pera: and I thought it was time to get some fresh air ;>)
Kat Lemieux: You need to explore!
Kat Lemieux: There’s lots of fascinating things to see in SL
Pema Pera: what is your recommendation for the quickest way to get started
Pema Pera: through the SciLands?
Maxine Walden: yes, doing it the shortway, limiting exploration
Kat Lemieux: Well, just do it
Pema Pera: haha
Pema Pera: need more info
Pema Pera: intro?
Kat Lemieux: The SciLands?
Kat Lemieux: Hmmm.
Pema Pera: Maxine is still at the very beginning
Kat Lemieux: Well, of course, i think the best place to start is where it started — the ISM
Kat Lemieux: But there’s a good intro to SL on SciLands island
Pema Pera: can you give here a lm?
Pema Pera: for the intro part?
Kat Lemieux: Sure
Pema Pera: I love your lag T shirt — hahahaha, words of experience!
Pema Pera: “Mind the Lag”
Pema Pera: I thought it was the London Tube
Kat Lemieux: ;-)
Maxine Walden: mind the gap
Kat Lemieux: Yeah, I don’t wear t-shirts normally, but couldn’t resist this one
Pema Pera: yes, hehe
Pema Pera: where did you get that one?
Maxine Walden: Kat, thanks for the reference
Kat Lemieux: I don’t actually remember….
Pema Pera: we sure got our share of lag this week
Kat Lemieux: Let me see if it’s copy/transfer
Kat Lemieux: Rats, no transfer
Kat Lemieux: Bossa Nova Mainstore
Pema Pera: thnks!
Kat Lemieux: The store is at Muse (176, 95,24)
Pema Pera: ah, great, thanks!
Pema Pera: But Maxine, I hope you didn’t mind that I was steering you around
Pema Pera: and don’t worry about it taking time
Pema Pera: we all need time to learn
Maxine Walden: oh, no, I was/am very appreciative
Stim Morane: Thanks for the landmarks, Kat!
Kat Lemieux: YW
Pema Pera: just take it easy
Pema Pera: and soon it will become second nature (no pun intended)
Pema Pera: actually, we can go over there, since no one else is showing up — shall we do that, to the Scilands intro?
Kat Lemieux: Sure
Pema Pera: you go and tp?
Stim Morane: I need to do a few things in rl before the qwaq meeting, so I’ll say good bye here.
Pema Pera: sorry, Kat, for such a short intro!
Kat Lemieux: NP
Pema Pera: People new to SL seem to be more in a hurry ;>)
Pema Pera: things just take longer here
Pema Pera: but that has its peaceful side too
Pema Pera: like the Southern US culture, different from the NYC hurry
Kat Lemieux: ;-)
Kat Lemieux: It’s too hot down south to rush around
Pema Pera: haha
Pema Pera: yes
Pema Pera: Kat, lead us wherever you’d like
Pema Pera: it’s time to get Maxine moving a bit!
Maxine Walden: are we going to the ism clubhouse, as it seems to be showing up behind the text screen, or what
Kat Lemieux: We could
Pema Pera: that screen you are looking at is a lm
Pema Pera: landmark
Pema Pera: you got it from Kat
Maxine Walden: just trying to keep up with you who know what’s what
Pema Pera: it is in your inventory as well
Pema Pera: many things to learn . . . .
Pema Pera: for now you can just click on the cross and let it go
Maxine Walden: it is a landmark, so many things to learn, like the first day of school…
Pema Pera: YES
Pema Pera: very much so
Pema Pera: but also fun!
Kat Lemieux: Well, the inventory tutorial is a good place for noobies– catch it before you get overwhelmed!
Pema Pera: a whole new way of life
Pema Pera: did you know, Maxine, that you are called a noobie?
Pema Pera: ;>)
Pema Pera: new person here
Kat Lemieux: There’s a folder of reference landmarks
Maxine Walden: ok, will recheck the tutorial, the inventory tutorial may be different…a noobie or a newby, I am familiar with each
Kat Lemieux: The first LM in that folder is for the tutorials on Dreams
Maxine Walden: yes, the folder, looks like an envelope
Kat Lemieux: Right
Maxine Walden: tutorial on dreams, I will be very interested in that, should I look now or later
Kat Lemieux: Or a little manila folder, with the tab at the top
Kat Lemieux: Well, later, maybe
Kat Lemieux: It’s possibly something to do by yourself
Kat Lemieux: It’s a very pretty island, though
Kat Lemieux: Created by stroke victims
Maxine Walden: by stroke victims…
Kat Lemieux: It’s a place they got together to do some recovery/group therapy
Maxine Walden: sounds wonderful
Kat Lemieux: Then they made a really nice island
Maxine Walden: a dream place
Kat Lemieux: Yep
Kat Lemieux: Spaceport Alpha used to be just one sim away from there
Maxine Walden: where they could go/come in their dreams and fantasies
Kat Lemieux: Until we started SciLands and moved
Maxine Walden: one sim, what is a sim?
Kat Lemieux: sim == simulator == one region == 256 meters square, 256 by 256 meters
Maxine Walden: thanks,
Kat Lemieux: also called an island when it’s not on the mainland
Kat Lemieux: YW
Kat Lemieux: Estates can be on mainland, or a cluster of islands, usually more than one region/sim
Maxine Walden: what is spaceport alpha
Kat Lemieux: Spaceport Alpha and Spaceport Bravo are where the International Spaceflight Museum exists
Maxine Walden: I see
Kat Lemieux: Alpha was our first island
Kat Lemieux: We added Bravo about a year ago
Kat Lemieux: In fact, a year ago this week was our grand opening for Bravo
Kat Lemieux: Alpha was opened in Jun 2006
Maxine Walden: sounds like you and others have been doing this for some time;
Kat Lemieux: We started the museum in Sept 2005
Kat Lemieux: Right
Maxine Walden: I see, nearly 3 years
Kat Lemieux: Gearsawe and I started in SL in July 2005
Kat Lemieux: We used to have our first houses across the street from each other in an old sim called Luskwood
Kat Lemieux: That’s where we met
Kat Lemieux: Then I bought land in Aglia
Kat Lemieux: And after that we started the museum, Gear and I
Kat Lemieux: Then Gear bought land in Aglia
Kat Lemieux: Now he owns an island and I rent 1/4 of it from him
Kat Lemieux: That’s where “Kat’s Beach House” is
Maxine Walden: I see
Maxine Walden: and what does the Museum house?
Kat Lemieux: We have lots of rockets and spacecraft and interactive exhibits
Kat Lemieux: And other stuff
Kat Lemieux: You’ll have to come see.
Kat Lemieux: Almost all our exhibits are full scale
Maxine Walden: I would enjoy that
Kat Lemieux: Including the Vehicle Assembly Building, the 3rd largest (by volume) building in the world
Kat Lemieux: OK, let’s go there now, ok?
Kat Lemieux: Got time, Pema?
Pema Pera: sure!
Kat Lemieux: OK
Kat Lemieux: The “Interenational Spaceflight Museum” landmark is for the landing poitn
Maxine Walden: I was planning on going to Qwaq in 12-15 min
Kat Lemieux: I hope
Kat Lemieux: We can have a quick look before you have to leave
Kat Lemieux: But you’ll have to come back there & explore — it will take hours
Maxine Walden: good, but I am afraid you will have to ‘tell me how to follow you there
Kat Lemieux: OK, I gave you a landmark to it.
Kat Lemieux: Just doubleclick on it and you’ll teleport there
Kat Lemieux: Do you have a LM to International Spaceflight Museum now?
Kat Lemieux: I see some of the things I gave you are lagging
Kat Lemieux: Look in your Landmarks folder
Maxine Walden: OK
Kat Lemieux: It’s a good idea to stand up before you TP
Kat Lemieux: TP == teleport
Maxine Walden: the folder says I do not have permission from the owner so cannot go, I think
Kat Lemieux: Oh, dear. That’s not right, but SL must be having problems again
Kat Lemieux: I got that message yesterday or the day before a lot
Kat Lemieux: It’s the database messing up again
Maxine Walden: maybe I can come over soon, when the database and I are running better
Kat Lemieux: OK
Kat Lemieux: Try this one instead … Stage right
Pema Pera: thanks a lot, Kat!
Kat Lemieux gave you Stage right, Spaceport Alpha.
Maxine Walden: thanks
Pema Pera: We probably should go to Qwaq now
Kat Lemieux: OK
Pema Pera: Thanks for your time!
Kat Lemieux: YW
Maxine Walden: thanks Kat and look forward to seeing you again soon
Kat Lemieux: OK, nice to meet you!
Pema Pera: see you in Qwaq, Maxine — busy day today!
Maxine Walden: ggreat, see you in a few minutes. And thanks for your patience, Pema
Kat Lemieux: See you later!
Pema Pera: I keep forgetting how long it took me to learn things . . . .
Kat Lemieux: ;-)
Pema Pera: Well, gotto run!
Kat Lemieux: Ciao
