How to open a Second Life account

One of the best ways to explore virtual worlds is to open a free account with Second Life. Begin by pointing your browser to http://secondlife.com. Click on the large orange button in the upper left corner that says "Get Started. Membership is free." You will be directed to a screen where you choose your avatar's name (you will have to select from a list of last names if it's a free account) and enter your birth date and e-mail address. Follow the steps to create your account and password. Save this info.

Be aware that a lot of people have issues accessing SL from behind their corporate firewalls. Try it from a home computer or a guest network if you start getting error messages. That will probably be faster than asking your IT department to open the necessary port.

Second Life is not browser based: you have to run the program from the Second Life viewer that you'll be prompted to download. Click on the Second Life icon on your desktop or find it under "programs" on your computer. You will be prompted to enter your character name (NOT your real-life name) and your password. Then, bingo, you'll find yourself at "Orientation Island." You will be asked to select a sex for your avatar, which will then appear, back towards you. Be sure to make some time to customize your avatar - this can be the most fun you've had all week.

You might opt for a quick, mildly modified default avatar or invest more deeply in an ongoing process that rises to the level of artistic self-expression. Once you've decided whether to be Superman, Wonder Woman, Darth Vader, a vampire, dragon, pink flamingo, or simply a stylized version of the real you, you're ready to begin roaming around the virtual world's fantastically detailed landscape.

Just steer your avatar with the arrow keys. Tired of walking? Hit "flying" on the menu at the bottom of the screen. Flying getting old? Teleporting gets you there instantaneously. Hit "Search" in the bottom of your screen, enter any search term you want, and hit the "teleport" button. To talk with other people, click the "Talk" button at the bottom right of your screen. Get a computer headset in any electronics store for optimal sound quality.