Where's the Building Tutorial in the New Second Life User Orientation? Coming Soon, Say Lindens

In my review of Second Life's new new user orientation and "Discovery Island" last week, reader Marianne McCann noted "there is no mention at all that one can build. Not even the slightest mention of building whatsoever. I sense this will be a continuing trend, and one that concerns me." (I was surprised myself, but assumed I might have missed a building tutorial during my brief tour.) I asked the Lindens about this abscence, and company user experience lead Petra Linden sent this reply:

"We are planning to launch an area for new users that are interested in building. What we launched with is just the beginning, a foundation for us to build upon. We didn't think that a creator area was critical for launch, since we know the key things new users are most interested in doing in Second Life is socializing/meeting others and shopping. That said, we are in the process of designing an area for creators and welcome any feedback on what should be included in this design."

So there's that. I actually agree that building and other user-generated content should be de-emphasized in the very early stages of the new user experience. (Provided it's gradually introduced after the noobie gets over the "first four hour" hurdle.)

Comments

[Uccello Poultry]

Just yesterday, Daniel Voyager and I were talking with M Linden (see pix at http://poultryreport.blogspot.com/2010/04/usra-daniel-and-m.html) while visiting one of the public discovery regions and the idea of a sandbox was mentioned, perhaps some tutorials. At this time the only hint anywhere that creation is possible is watching a "new media" video wherein a Linden rezzes a prim to decorate her new house.

[Mallory Destiny]

It does not have to be that difficult. The never defeated Ivory Tower Library of Primitive, Natoma (210, 162, 27) is in fact what you need. Why create a new tutorial if it is there already?

[Harrie Skjellerup]

"since we know the key things new users are most interested in doing in Second Life is socializing/meeting others and shopping"

So no building for new help for new av's yet, makes no sense to me, but as LL have told us, new av's want to socialize, meet others and shop. I guess new av's shouldn't set their expectations too high as the ability to socialise/meet others in V2.0 is severely hampered by the non functionality of event search, which leaves them only with SHOPPING for which they will need L$'s... funny that isn't it!

[Nexus Burbclave]

"We didn't think that a creator area was critical for launch, since we know the key things new users are most interested in doing in Second Life is socializing/meeting others and shopping."

Wow, that comes across as incredibly condescending to me as somebody who does build, but maybe to somebody without my perspective it doesn't. I guess I have no way of knowing, since I only have my own perspective to use as a gauge, but it just kind of has a "pat the new avatar on the head and tell them to leave building to the big kids" feel.

[Isobella Citron]

Second Life was not the place where EVERYONE could create? Just asking... because what we are presented today smells just like a Mall. Welcome to Second Mall everybody... supposing you are interested in living inside another Mall.

[Hitomi Tiponi]

Don't other worlds (or Facebook apps) have socialising and shopping. Won't new users want to know 'well what is different about this Second Life place?' Some of them may very well ignore it, but some will like the sound of it.

[M Linden]

@Uccello -- it was fun meeting up with you, Daniel and a slew of other folks on Disco Island this weekend!

Discovery Island (and Welcome Island, too) was designed to be modular so that elements could be added with ease...new "pods" so to speak. We will be adding something for building, because the moment you terraform something or rez a prim is a definite "ah ha!" moment in Second Life.

Both Welcome Island and Discovery Island will evolve quite a lot based on what we observe and learn. Both allow for that because they are modular in design, yet have a natural flow. Next time you rez into Discover Island, look middle left then middle right and imagine what you might see there :)

[LittleLostLinden]

Someone should do a story on the wasted new free Linden homes.

I travel there and to quote C3PO "What a desolate place this is."

It actually brings tears to my eyes to see all these wasted homes. Noone seems to visit them. Is the whole free home to Premium users accounts just a big flop?

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bowston/182/127/48

[Harper Ganesvoort]

To M Linden -- I hope that you do include something to give at least the basics of building, in the very near future. Without something to let the newcomer know distinctly that building are possible, and to let them experiment at least briefly with it, at least some percentage will never know what that Build item on the menu bar is all about. Without new content creators -- and new creators' ideas to keep the pool fresh -- Second Life builds would eventually stagnate. This should be a priority; not the top one, perhaps, but within the first three.

To Mallory Destiny -- While I agree that the Ivory Tower is there, and still excellent after all these years (and far from crazy), you need to get the newbies' attention straight off. Have a basic tutorial on the Discovery Islands, or even the Welcome Islands -- I first experimented with building on Scholar's Orientation Island -- and then have a dispenser of landmarks or notecards, with coordinate's to the Ivory Tower. (Also one, perhaps, to the Particle Laboratory.)

[Crap Mariner]

"Next time you rez into Discover Island, look middle left then middle right and imagine what you might see there..."

Besides a pirate ship, ready to take the new users for ransom? (Oh. Wait. That's the ads for buying L$ and Linden Homes and stuff instead of highlighting culture. Never mind.)

Go To The Destination Guide isn't enough.

- A few examples of artwork, and a kiosk for Art Galleries of Second Life. (Linden Endowment for the Arts, blah blah blah oooh shiny prims!)

- Vidtut on searching events, slideshow highlighting performance arts (music, theater, comedy, discussions, writing)... you know, the things that people will use that animations HUD giveaway for.

- Documentary/demonstration on how Welcome & Discovery Island were built to show that building is possible and put some faces behind the faces responsible.

- How to file a Support issue. Make up a problem and show people how to get/escalate an answer for it... F1, Answers, call support, Jira.

- Vidtut on the TOS/AUP/Community Standards, highlighting how to deal with disputes/griefers.

Just off the top of my head. I'm sure that wiser heads have their own ideas... besides more mallspace for the passed-over fashionistas and furniture makers.

-ls/cm