2009 Update: Your avatars will come through New Media Consortium's portal, not the general Orientation Island. Still, the advice below applies in terms of public nudity. Otherwise, skim this part and move along to the rest of the guide.

You are "born" on a tropical island.  When I wrote this guide, I was a volunteer mentor for the company, so I could return to where avatars spawn. The company booted me from the mentors' group for not going to meetings...but that was another story.

First, you will materialize in a plaza that begins your learning. If you see naked people, don't panic. They have removed their clothes and haven't figured out how to put them back on, like this poor guy. I gave him something to wear other than shoes and a smile. See my help page on accidental nudity, if it happens to you.

The company has recently changed (and simplified) the orientation experience.  There used to be two islands--Orientation and Help Island--to get avatars started.  Then the company decided that avatars were learning fast enough to send them straight to Help Island.

For all I know, they'll change things again before our semester begins!  For right now, at least, we'll refer to the island where you are "born" as Orientation Island. From the central plaza, you'll find different areas to explore.

Expect to spend about one hour learning the basics, tweaking your look, and picking up freebies.  Don't leave too soon, or you'll end up half-equipped at a "Welcome Area" on the Mainland. This can be daunting!  Get yourself ready first. The topics in this wiki will help, espcially those under "first steps" and "your avatar."

Not so fast...