"Second Life: The Official Guide"

I love books.  Nowadays, actual books are a little old-school for a tech savvy 24-year-old, but I can't quite get into the eBook thing.  I suppose I enjoy the tactile sensations that come with reading.

(Yes, I bought the book mentioned above.  Yes, I realize that makes me a huge dork.)

Anyways...  Having somehow skipped over Orientation Island and all that, this guide has proven to be a worthwhile read.  It is broken up into parts and chapters, organized in a chronological fashion--the most basic and important stuff is mentioned first.  Although it is over 300 pages long, it's actually a quick read due to the wide margins and numerous full-color photos.  The version I have is a little outdated, but it honestly doesn't make that much of a difference.

I loved learning how Second Life came into existence and seeing what the famous hot-spots were.  Another really helpful chapter explained the overwhelmingly vague Appearance menu, where I learned how to fine-tune my shape.  (I have a free one from Betty Bish.)  Before those hints, I moved the little sliders around randomly, hoping to make myself look decent!

This is what I used to look like--yikes!!

Ugh...not much better here.

Probably the most useful things I've read about so far (I'll keep you updated) are about Animations/Gestures and Inventory.  Learning to use movements really adds to your SL social experience.  I won't get into it, but there are Gestures in your Inventory that you need to activate and practice using.  And the Inventory--you arrive in SL with a whole bunch of useful stuff for free!  You really don't need to buy anything because of all the stuff in there, plus in the Library folders.  Don't overlook it.

Virtual Hedonist

I never really had a "set" of goals or expectations when I joined Second Life.  As I've mentioned before, I am most of all fascinated by the idea of a virtual self (which connotes immortality) and the user-created focus of the world. 

However, if you've been following this blog you'll have noticed my unintended focus on the adult areas within SL.  The virtual realm has allowed the inner pervert in me to come out and play--something that is obviously limited in RL.  To my surprise and utter delight, there is a huge and diverse community of perverts in SL!

"Warning! Perv Bitch Sin Playground! No Church in Town!"

Now, I'm not new to "forbidden pleasures", as some may call them.  I used to be a stripper in RL, I prefer sleeping with women, had a couple of three-somes, worn a strap-on, enjoyed watching porn videos, and sex in public places.  Now that I've gone square (I work with kids in RL, so...yeah...), my sexual life has been seriously lacking.  :(  It is wonderful to have a new outlet!

This photo is from Gawker.

By the way, if you have questions for me or just want to hang out, feel free to comment on my blog or look me up in SL.  My name is the same: MissAshleyDoll. 

Explorations

There hasn't really been any methodical way that I've been exploring SL--I go where my whim takes me.  When you teleport to a new region, there is almost always advertisements for similar places to visit.  It is also helpful to check out the popular places advertised on the SL website.  You can also find plenty of noob info there.

My travels have led me to a lot of shopping (lol), which is something I love to do in Real Life (but hardly get the chance to do since I'm a recently-graduated student swamped by bills and loan payments).  Now, I have TONS of new clothes for my avatar and I'm running out of L$!  So I started looking for a job, but because I am just a week and a half old there are not a lot of options. 

I've chosen a very popular route for SL females--dancing and escorting.  The fact that I've also been a stripper in real life influenced me in this decision.  The reason why dancing/escorting is so popular in SL is its humongous and infinitely varied adult industry.  It makes sense when you think about it.  A virtual social world where you can be anonymous and completely safe from physical harm...of course people are going to explore their inner pervert!  I believe there is a pervert in all of us; its as human as love and greed.  (Do I sound like Freud?) 

Exploring the sexual side of my new world was not something that I had originally planned to do.  I was mostly interested in the SL culture, as sociology is something I've long been obsessed with.  I also wanted to meet people and create things.  I've never done any kind of virtual creation, and SL is rich in these types of resources. 

But now that the sexploration opportunity has presented itself...I've been thinking about some risque things I could do.  For now, I'll leave it at that.