Second Life Etiquette
July 05th 2006
Ok, now that I’m spending more and more time in Second Life I figured I’d post some helpful little lessons on basic etiquette in Second Life (SLetiquette?) as there has been some things happening that have been bugging me. As well some personal notes on things going on in world for me.
Plus, since there are lots of newbies coming in and I haven’t seen anything like this I figured I’d start the conversation. Hopefully others will add to it in the comments and we can get a good old fashion conversation brewing.
- Because Second Life is not a game, just because I’m “in world” does not mean that I can socialize the second I arrive. Patience is important.
- If you IM me when not in world, I get it e-mailed to me and will usually respond because I think it’s great that I can do this. But, don’t freak out when you can’t find me in world because of this. *grin*
- If we are friends in world you can find out where I am at any time and teleport there, but this is very bad form. Always drop an IM before just showing up. It’s the polite thing to do and you never know what you might be popping into the middle of. I had someone pop into the middle of a meeting the other night. Doh!
- Many people conduct meetings in world. Just tonight I was on the phone with someone while they showed me around some places. I had someone arrive to chat with me and I politely told them I was busy and couldn’t chat and they got it and said “talk to you soon” and I appreciate that. Please keep in mind that business is happening in SL. People are doing work and sometimes can’t just socialize.
- Linden Labs has not yet added a way to become friends with people unless you are both in world at the same time. I have a habit of jumping in, becoming a friend and jumping out. This sometimes leads to people seeing me, IMing me and then wondering why I left so quick. Now you know why.
- My current office in world (new one still being built) is just that an office. If the doors are open, come on in. If they are shut then perhaps there is a reason. Chill outside on the hammock or watch the movie of the week. I’ll be back soon.
- Second Life is all about community and thus chatting and just saying hi to people is highly encouraged. Just keep in mind that they might be shopping, building or just passing through and can’t chat at the moment. If they don’t say hi back don’t pester. But, also don’t get scared off from saying hello to the next person.
- Snapshots are great, but in case you don’t know, every time you do a sound goes off an your avatar will show that they are taking a picture to everyone. Most times this is cool, but it’s quite possible that the situation might not be appropriate. Just think before you snap.
As I said this is just a starting point in the hope that it’ll kick off some more comments here on the Blog so that we can all pool our knowledge and experiences.
See you in SL!
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Comments(11)
[...] Shared my thoughts on some basic Second Life Etiquette last night. It was bugging me so I wrote it. *grin* [...]
This is a great start! It occurs to me that the social mores of an online world seem to stem directly from the social mechanics and tools of that world. We have to base what we should or shouldn’t do based on what we can and can’t do (if that makes sense). Based on this, as the tools become more complex, the social conventions will become more complex. Should be fun to watch!
Intellagirl
Here’s a utility you might find handy or at least worth trying…
http://slexchange.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&ItemID=80911
When you’re having a meeting, configure it to its most aggressive settings to only allow meeting participants and teleport everyone else away. You might have the occasional interruption, but it should take care of your basic privacy needs in an automated fashion… and hey, only L$99…
I can’t imagine every teleporting to someone’s venue without their invite! But I guess the point is they don’t realise. I was just thinking about Skype and how they system where you can set your availability mode: Online, Away, Not Available, Do Not Disturb, Invisible, Offline and Skype ME! Perhaps the same personalisation of your availability could be of use in SL. Though I must admit, I don’t use these settings in Skype. I’m either on or off!
[...] Want to know more about Second Life? I have posted about Second Life on quite a few posts. But before you think of dropping in on Allan and I unannounced (because I know you wouldn’t dream of doing so in the ‘Real World’), please read C.C. Chapman’s exquisite post on Second Life etiquitte. [...]
“If the doors are open, come on in. If they are shut then perhaps there is a reason. Chill outside on the hammock or watch the movie of the week. I’ll be back soon.”
Having explored and written about the architecture of SL for almost a year now this is one of the simplest and yet most compelling arguments I’ve come across for the presense of doors in a virtual world – a symbolic role as status indicators
[...] Hmmm, perhaps I should have read C.C. Chapman’s post on Second Life etiquette before having a party in the Text 100 office. Ah well, if there’d been someone there to talk to I wouldn’t have had to amuse myself . [...]
[...] Want to know more about Second Life? I have posted about Second Life on quite a few posts. But before you think of dropping in on Allan and I unannounced (because I know you wouldn’t dream of doing so in the ‘Real World’), please read C.C. Chapman’s exquisite post on Second Life etiquette. [...]
[...] CC’s useful guide to SL etiquette [...]
[...] is C.C Chapman’s guide to Second Life Etiquette, and some suggestions about event planning, jargon and teleporting at The Bryper Blog, an [...]
[...] a section dedicated to online etiquette. If you’re unsure of the codes of behavior in Second Life, the principles of social networking in Facebook, or the standards of attributing credit to fellow [...]