Using Second Life - a guide for learners/Creating your account

To use Second Life you first create an account that will let you log into Second Life. Use the Second Life website to create your account SecondLife.com. You can also check out Second Life here What is Second Life - in particular you might want to read the Frequently Asked Questions section, the QuickStart Guide, the Online Saftey notes, and also browse the Second Life for Beginners entry in the Second Life support area. Have a look at Education in Second Life if you are specifically interested in starting your search into how education is using Second Life - this link is not necessarily recommended for learners. A Brief Introduction to Second Life. Second Life for IBM.Welcome to Second Life.

Does age matter?
Second Life is for people 18 years and older - if you are younger, the teen grid is for people 13-17 years old, have a look here Teen Second Life.

The terms of service include complying with Community Standards
The Second Life Terms of Service includes agreeing to conduct yourself in a way that complies with the Community Standards, for people 18 years and older ; and for users of the Teen Area.

Understanding avatar names
Your log in name for Second Life is divided into two parts, a First name and a Last name. This name is also the name of your avatar. It is like you are giving a name to the avatar that represents you in the 3D world. Also note that the day you create your account and log in to Second Life, becomes your avatar's "rez-day". A rez-day is the day an avatar was first rezzed in Second Life. Rezzing is a Second Life word used to describe the creation of an object in the 3D world.

You can enter any name you want for the first name. Linden Research provides a list of last names that you can choose from. You will enter your first name, last name, and a password when you log into Second Life through the Second Life Viewer.

Once you have given your avatar a name that name is permanent. Keep this in mind as you choose the name of your avatar.

Groups
As you create your account you may be asked if you want to join particular Groups, in general we have left this for when we are in Second Life. A Second Life group is an interest group.

Confirming your account
To create and confirm your account you will need an email address. If you want to get going provide an email address that you can log in to straight away, for example an email address that you can log in to through a web page.

Trying to create an account when in a classroom
If more than a few people have tried to create an account through your connection to the Internet, you might have a problem creating your account. Linden Research restricts the creation of an account from a single IP number. If a class group plans to create accounts at the same time and your computer network has one gateway to the Internet, you should contact Linden Research about whether they can allow for a number of accounts to be created at the same time from your IP number.

Before you log in to Second Life
Download and read The Quick Start Guide.

Next - make sure you arrive at the right place.
We also suggest you set up your Second Life viewer so that you start at the place in Second Life where you are taking your class. Landing in the right place.