he game. But, mainly, you feel excited as you learn to play and learn the tricks to survive in such a strange world.Survival! Yes, I never thought that would play such a great role in a game!
A few months ago, I was persuaded to join Second Life by some friends. It was not long after when I decided to try it out. My first day was a pretty normal, nice people were talking to me, others simply ignored me, and one girl Vikky Palianta, was very kind to take me to a freebie store so that I could get new clothes. The next day I logged in and was very lost, I had no idea where to go, what to do and what to expect, that’s when I met Dalton Lytton, who is now my friend and somewhat of a mentor; he helps me out every time I need a new Second Life Lesson.
I thought SL, as it’s called by all the residents, would be fun and interactive, but I soon learned that many of the residents had other intentions. I thought I could trust everyone in SL, but many residents have been disrespectful, mean and have taken advantage of the “Newbie” situation. I will not generalize; there have also been very nice people that have helped me out many times, like Vikky and Dalton. I have run into griefers, spammers and many other people that just look to harm others and their properties. I never thought Second Life could be such a dangerous place if you are weak and an easy catch to these types of people. It is truly a resemblance of Real Life.
Second Life is full of surprises, no one can know what to expect in every sim. You can find a sim where you can enjoy a pleasant time, meet new people and experience what SL should really be about. Other times you will find sims that are full of “pervs” that only want to harass you. I had that experience my very first week. I was exploring SL, when I got a TP from a person I had met, so I took it. I ended up at a sex island sim and that person just left me there when I said I did not want to have “sex” with him. I walked all around asking people how I could get out, but no one helped me. There was one man that treated me nicely and told me to have a sit with him and I did. After a few exchanged words, he began asking me if he could touch me in a sexual way, I got mad and left. He kept sending me IM’s telling me how sexy I was and what he could do to me in Real Life; I got so scared that I even thought about closing my SL account.
After talking to my friend Dalton, I learned that I could report a person, but I had forgotten his name. Now, things have been much easier for me. I have learned to “put my guard up” and not let anyone take advantage of me for being a “Newbie”. I can now say that with a very tough lesson learned I can enjoy Second Life as it should be enjoyed. “Newbies” don’t get fooled by nice faces or people treating you nice, you can never know their true intentions.
Lizzy Arriaga
