Introduction
Some important things to consider before diving in
What Exactly Is Second Life?
Briefly, Second Life is a virtual world — a metaverse. It was founded in 2003 by Philip Rosedale, head of Linden Lab, the company that has owned Second Life ever since.
Note: A metaverse is a virtual world in which users interact while represented by avatars, typically in a 3D environment, with the experience focused on social and economic connection.
The term "metaverse" originated in the 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash as a portmanteau of "meta" and "universe." In Snow Crash, the metaverse is envisioned as a version of the Internet that is a single, universal, and immersive virtual world.
— Source: Wikipedia
Second Life is a remarkably complex world with many thousands of inhabitants — typically around 50,000 of them online at any given time. And while Linden Lab has built a significant part of it, the greater part has been created by those inhabitants themselves — known as avatars, or residents.
It offers a virtual economy with its own currency, the Linden Dollar (L$), which allows residents to buy and sell items inworld, is also exchangeable for real money through Tilia, the company that administers user's US Dollar (US$) stored value accounts and transactions in Second Life.
SL is a highly inclusive virtual world in which discrimination of any kind is strictly prohibited. Discriminatory behavior toward other residents — based on nationality, religion, race, political views, sexuality, or any other characteristic — can be reported to Linden Lab and may result in sanctions ranging from a temporary to a permanent ban.
It is also worth noting that this metaverse was designed primarily for adults, and permits adult content in specifically rated areas — including strong language, violence, and explicit sexual material, ranging from romantic to hardcore. Second Life uses three maturity ratings: G (General), M (Moderate), and A (Adult). Be aware: Second Life is not a game, and it is definitively not for children. While the minimum age to join is 16, avatars under 18 may only visit G-rated areas.
Advice: Whether you're brand new to Second Life or a long-time resident who hasn't done this yet, we strongly recommend taking the time to read, understand, and abide to Linden Lab's Terms of Service, Second Life Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy.
Second Life has an official website containing important resources for the community — including blogs and forums — as well as access to the Marketplace and a user account section where you can manage your account, buy or sell L$, and withdraw your virtual earnings as real US dollars, among many other features. While its use is not mandatory, we consider it essential.
Background
To understand Second Life, we need to go back to 1999 — before SL even existed. Philip Rosedale (known in-world as Philip Linden), founder of Linden Lab, envisioned a vast, continuous virtual space distributed across multiple servers, where residents could build and inhabit an ever-evolving world.
That vision became Linden World in 2001, which was later renamed Second Life as its developers searched for a name that captured the expansive, always-changing nature of what they were creating.
On March 13, 2002, Steller Sunshine became the first avatar resident of Second Life — building Governor Linden's mansion and a treehouse, and setting the tone for everything that followed.
The word avatar itself comes from the Sanskrit Avatāra — meaning "descent," as in a deity descending to the earthly spheres. In SL, your avatar is simply who you are in that world. Human, furry, robot, demon, child, or abstract object: the only limit is your imagination.
After a beta period, Second Life officially launched in June 2003.
A Couple of Notes on this Handbook
Why is it Useful?
For newcomers: it serves as an exhaustive introduction to the virtual world and its numerous features, covering everything you need to hit the ground running.
For experienced residents: it goes well beyond a simple beginner's guide, covering many aspects of Second Life in depth — making it a permanent resource to consult and clarify any doubts.
How to Use it?
This handbook is designed to be read linearly. Start with the essentials: head to the "HOW DO I START?" section and work your way down from there. We recommend reading through that section in one sitting, then visiting the rest of the handbook as needed.
How this journey begins? The first section starts from scratch, walking you through the process of creating your account.
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