HOW TO DO SOME USEFUL THINGS IN SECOND LIFE

B. The menu will have different choices, depending on the nature of the object and the scripts inside. Most things that you would normally sit on will have a "Sit Here" option, including land (and some things to don't want to sit on will have the same choice). Vehicles available for use will have a Drive/Ride/Sail option or something similar.

C. Objects you can buy will have a "Buy" or "Pay" option. Some things are free, but the only way you can get them is to "buy" them for 0 Linden dollars. Note that the "Buy" option usually lets you see what you are buying and get some information about it first, while a "Pay" option does not.

D. Some objects will give you a Notecard with information or open a menu when you just Left Click (plain click on a Mac), and some require that you Right Click/Cmd Click and Left Click "Touch."

2. Avatar Info. There are several ways to access an Avatar's Profile page in order to know more about him or her.

A. Right click on any Avatar in your vicinity and choose Profile in the menu. This is not considered rude, and they can do the same to you. They cannot see you doing it and you cannot see them doing it.

B. Right click on yourself and click on "Friends" or "Groups" in the pie menu, then double click on the Avatar's name and the Profile window will open (in the Group list select the group you want and click on "Info").

C. Access the Friend or Group List from your Edit menu and do the above.

D. Open your Search window and click on the People tab. Type the Avatar's name in the search field and click Search. The Profile page will appear on the right.
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3. Chat Info. There are two ways to type messages to another Avatar that he or she will be able to see on his or her own screen:

A. Chat: Click the Chat button on the bottom bar of your screen to open a typing field. Just type your message and hit "Return" or "Enter" on your keyboard and the other Avatar will see it. You do not have to say your name, as it will automatically appear to them. The default conversation is set to "Say," which means that everyone within 20 meters can see what you are typing. If you click "Shout" before typing, it means your message is being broadcast for 100 meters.

B. IM (Instant Message): This is for private messages between two people, or sometimes within a group you belong to. Click the IM button, choose someone to send to, type your message, and hit Return/Enter. You can also access an IM option when you click on an Avatar directly. If the person is not online, an email notice will be sent to them unless they have this option turned off on their end.
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4. See Objects. To look at or use something you've acquired or bought, open your Inventory window and drag it to the ground. Things to be aware of:

A. Doing this is called "rezzing" or "to rez something." This is SL slang for "ressurect."

B. If something you rez says "no copy" in your inventory, that means that when you rez it the object leaves your inventory and if you want to keep it you have to "Take" it back when you open the pie menu. If it says "Copy" or "Copyable" then the original stays in your inventory and a clone appears on the ground.

C. To delete an object that you have rezzed, open the pie menu (Right Click/Cmd Click), Left click on "More" and choose "Delete."

D. To delete an object in your inventory, Right Click/Cmd Click and choose "Delete" from the list.
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5. Movement and Personal Viewpoint.

A. Normal ground movement is carried out by using your arrow keys or WSAD. Up arrow moves you forward, Down arrow moves you backward and turns you around if you hold it long enough. Right and Left arrows just turn you to face right and left, unless you hold the Shift key at the same time, and then you walk right or left.

B. Normal viewpoint shows your Avatar as if you were watching through a camera above and behind him or her. You can create a more panoramic view by left clicking on your avatar, holding the mouse button down, and moving the mouse around. This can also improve walking if you hold the mouse on the avatar and use the arrows keys in combination with the mouse to move around, but it takes a little practice.

C. If you click 'Mouselook" from the top View menu, or click M when your chat box is closed, it is suddenly like you are looking out through your Avatar's eyes. Movement is tricky until you realize you are always moving toward a hard-to-see kind of cross-hair cursor in front of you.To walk or fly well, keep that cursor on or near the horizon when you walk with the arrow keys. When you are not moving, it is a good way to have a long look around. The disadvantage is that your bottom menu disappears. To turn off Mouselook, hit the ESC key, press M when Chat is closed, or roll your mouse backward.

D. Learn and practice "Camera View" by clicking on Alt (PC) or Option (Mac). This bring up a kind of camera cursor. With the key still pressed you can zoom in and out with your mouse and look at things far away from your Avatar. Holding down the Control key (on both PC and Mac) lets you move the camera to look straight up or straight down. Working with the camera takes practice, but it is essential for Building skills and exploring.

E. Jumping: to jump, press the Page Up key lightly and then the forward arrow key immediately. If you press the Page Up key too long, you will start to fly.

F. Flying is one of the joys of Second Life. To begin flying the normal way, press the Fly button at the bottom left of your screen. This lifts you a little bit off the ground. To go higher, press the Page Up key, and to go lower, press the Page Down key. Pres the Up Arrow to fly forward and the Down Arrow key to turn around and fly in the reverse direction. The Left and Right Arrow keys simply turn you left and right. If you press them at the same time as the Up Arrow you bank to the left or right. If you use Mouselook while flying, try to keep the cursor on or near the horizon as you fly. To descend, DO NOT press the Stop Flying button (it appears just above the Fly button) unless you are just a few feet off the ground. To descend gracefully, press the Page Down button in short bursts, or just tap it over and over for better control and a softer landing. When you have almost landed, press and hold it to land firmly. Flying is very useful for moving quickly, better views, and for getting out of deep water.
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6. Wear & Sit. Beware of "Wear" and when you don't "Sit Here."

A. One of the choices on some pie menus is "Wear." That's good for bodies and clothing and jewelry, but sometimes it appears with objects that are not appropriate and if you don't click carefully you can end up with a house on your hand or a car on your head. If that happens, you can Right Click on your Avatar or the object and click "Detach" or if the object is in your inventory you can Right Click on the inventory icon and click "Detach" from the list.

B. Odd things can also happen when you click "Sit Here" on an object where that isn't appropriate. When you sit on anything a "Stand Up" button appears on your bottom menu bar. Just click on that to detach from the object. You may also have to walk or fly away from it.
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7. The Red Beacon of Confusion.

A. Sometimes when you visit a location a vertical red beacon appears nearby, along with a red arrow that follows you around until you walk through the beacon to make it disappear. However, sometimes the beacon is in a place where you can't walk through it, and sometimes the red arrow follows you when you teleport to a new location.

B. Here is the simple way to take care of this problem: When you arrive at a location and there is a red arrow trying to point you to the red beacon, and you find it more irritating than helpful, just click on the arrow and it will disapear.
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8. Voice Communication.

Second Life allows you to speak directly to other avatars when the voice option is enabled in a Region. This is indicated by a Voice icon at the top of your screen, a white dot above the head of your avatar, and a "talk bar" somewhere on your screen. Pali Uli is now voice enabled, so you can speak to another avatar there by pressing on the "talk" key you have designated on your keyboard.

To enable your ability to talk with your own voice, go to your Edit menu at the top of your screen, click on Preferences, click on Voice Chat, and make your choices. Headphones and a microphone are recommended, but not absolutely necessary. However, if your Chat line is open when you press a letter key or the spacebar to speak, your cursor will move and you may hear a typing noise. Try to select a non-typing key for your voice if you can.
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9. Pose Balls.

Throughout Second Life you will frequently encounter "pose balls," round balls of various colors that are usually, but not always, located on furniture, and that usually, but not always, have some floating text to describe their purpose. These are objects that contain animation scripts, enabling your avatar to do something outside the normal range of behavior. These can be something as simple as a "sit here" animation to just let you sit down, dance animations, sexual animations, and many others, including one that lets you stand perfectly still for working on your appearance. You access the animation by right clicking on the pose ball and picking a menu option. If you get stuck in an animation you don't want to continue, go to your Tools Menu and click on "Stop All Animations."
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10. HUD Displays.

Many objects, including books, make use of a feature called a "Heads Up Display" (HUD). Sometimes it is simply an alternative to "wearing" something like a gadget. When available, the feature can be accessed by right clicking on the object in your inventory or in-world directly. You will get a menu choice that typically starts with "Attach" and then to "Attach HUD" and then a location for the HUD to appear on your screen. If you have a HUD operating it cannot be seen by other Avatars.
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11. Giving Gifts. Not surprisingly, there are several ways to give gifts to another Avatar.

A. Open his or her Profile Page (see #2 above). Near the bottom of that page is a field labeled "Give." All you have to do is to drag something from your inventory and drop it in that field. This works even when the other Avatar is offline.

B. If the object you want to give has Copy permission, just drop it on a surface where the Avatar can find it. He or she will have to Right/Cmd Click on it, choose "More" from the menu, and then choose "Take Copy."

C. If the object has Transfer permission, Right/Cmd Click on the object, choose "Edit" from the menu, and under the General Tab check the "Sell" box and make sure the amount is 0L (zero Lindens). Then he or she can Right/Cmd Click the object, choose "Buy" from the menu, and receive it free.

Note that if your gift is pre-packaged, the Avatar will have to Right/Cmd Click and choose "Open" from the menu, then "Copy To Inventory" in the window that appears.
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12. OnRez Viewer.

Tired of so many crashes and slowdowns using the Second Life Viewer? OnRez is a sales site like SL Exchange, but it also has its own viewer available for free download. Testing indicates that it is more simple, crashes less, works on less powerful computers, and is more smooth than the regular Second Life viewer. It is not very intuitive, however, so be sure to read how to use it on the site.
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