If you are interested in organizing medical or scientific events in Second Life; educating your students or introducing your e-patients to virtual support groups and centers; in this step we help you how to create your avatar, your second life.

1. Go to Secondlife.com and click on the Get Started button.




2. Choose not to join a community by clicking "Skip this step".



3. Choose an appearance (don't worry, you can also change your design and appearance later):




Click on an image to see the whole avatar.


4. Type your first name and choose a last name from those offered by Second Life. Fill in the other details (birthdate and e-mail address). Your chosen name may have been taken by somebody else so you will have to choose another.
5. Confirm your e-mail address by checking your mailbox and clicking on the link you just received from Secondlife.com.



6. Download the software (35 MB) and install it on your computer (it takes about 5 minutes). Make sure you checked the system requirements and it can run on your computer.

Choose the platform


When you finished installation, open the program; insert your name, surname and password so you can enter Second Life.



If you get an error message, you may have a firewall problem (e.g. while trying to enter Second Life from institutions). Ask your IT people for assistance.

First time, you will automatically be teleported to Help Island to learn the basics. You can practice moving, flying and communicating.



In the Freebie Store, you can buy clothes, vehicles or furnitures.



Now it is your choice where to teleport from there (see some tips in Step 1 and in the slideshow below).

Medical & Psychological Sites In Second Life

When an avatar is "killed" it is teleported back to the home base but only in damage-enabled zones. In these zones, you can monitor your health with the red heart icon on the menu bar.

Even if the majority of Second Life is not damage-enabled, avoid visiting places marked "Not Safe".

Use your avatar wisely as it can be a representation of your real identity. For example, a leader of a support group may decide to have a professional look.

You can start changing your appearance by right-clicking on your avatar (virtual persona) and choosing the appearance button.



Click on the body part you would like to change and use the buttons to set the details. After you finished, click on Save All.

The developer team of Second Life provides you with many pieces of advice about how to defend your virtual presence:

• Protect that Password!: safely guard your password by avoiding "password protected objects".


• Help! My account has been compromised!: The support portal will help you with this.


• Age-related Issues and Safety Tips for Teens and Parents: Teens should use the Teen Second Life.


• Shopping Safety: There are users who would like to get your money, just like in real life. Precautions and suggestions can help you how to shop in a secure way.


• How To Handle Online Harassment: If somebody attacks you, feel free to send an abuse report to Second Life Support.

The main page of teen.secondlife.com

Moreover, the IBM Research Team created a set of Virtual World Guidelines.

Second Life doesn't charge us for attending events, joining groups or participating in any other activities. But owning a land needs premium membership. You must sign up for the Premium membership to be able to purchase a 512 square meter plot of land without any land maintenance fees.

"Lindens" are the currency and are used to purchase objects and services. You have to pay for buying clothes in stores; creating official groups or importing media content into Second Life.

You can purchase Lindens for your avatar's account by using your credit card. You can also convert your Lindens back into US dollars.

Buy Linden Dollars in your local currency through the Lindex.



And you can buy Lindens in-world: