| How to open a Second Life account
One of the best ways to explore virtual worlds is to open a
free account with Second Life. Begin by pointing your browser to http://secondlife.com.
Click on the large orange button in the upper left corner that says "Get Started.
Free Download." You will be directed to a screen where you choose your avatar
(be bold, pick one of the more creative avatars, you can always change the look
of your avatar later :). Next, you'll pick your avatar's name. This is actually
an important choice that can't be changed. Your avatar name will be visible over
your head for everyone to see. You can pick any first name, but if you pick something
common like "Tom" it might already be taken. Business people frequently pick a
first name that bears resemblance to their real name, but you're certainly free
to go with something more imaginative. You will have to select your last name
from a list. Follow the rest of the steps to create your account and password.
For the last question, "Verify that you're not a robot," type the words in the
box. You will receive an email with links to verify your account and download
the Second Life viewer. Second Life is not browser based: you have to run the
program from the Second Life viewer that you'll be prompted to download. Click
on the Second Life icon on your desktop or find it under "programs" on your computer.
You will be prompted to enter your avatar name (NOT your real-life name) and your
password. Then, bingo, you'll find yourself at "Orientation Island." Your avatar
will appear, back towards you. Be sure to make some time to customize your avatar
by right clicking on it and pick "Appearance" - this can be the most fun you've
had all week. Be aware that a lot of people have issues accessing SL from
behind their corporate firewalls. Try it from a home computer or a guest network
if you start getting error messages. That will probably be faster than asking
your IT department to open the necessary ports. Click here
for a link with information about firewall configurations to access Second Life.
Just steer your avatar with the arrow keys. Tired of walking? Hit "flying"
on the menu at the bottom of the screen. Flying getting old? "Teleporting" gets
you there instantaneously. To talk with other people, click the "Talk" button
at the bottom right of your screen. Get a computer headset with microphone in
any electronics store for optimal sound quality. To find your way to the Gronstedt
Group's Train for Success for our weekly meetings, hit "Search " in the bottom
of your screen, pick the "Places" tab and enter "Train for Success" as the search
term and hit the "teleport" button. .
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