Will Ross here, welcome to The Traveling Avatar’s Quick and Dirty Tips for a Better Second Life. On this show we discuss tips and tricks for the game Second Life, created by Linden Labs. Today’s topic...Oh, actually it looks like we’ve got something in the e-mail…

[Message from Stewart Huffhines]

Huh. OK, I think I can speak for all of us when I say…Yikes. But it brings up a good topic for today’s show. When it comes to Second Life, the rule of thumb is “Safety First.” Today’s Episode: Playing Safe.

Now, Second Life is a wonderful place filled with, to the most part, honest, goodhearted people, and I don’t want to give you any other impression. But it’s also a place to be completely anonymous, and anonymity will always attract a few unsavory characters. I mean, even in a good neighborhood most of us still lock our car doors, right? Now remember, no list of safety tips can cover every situation, so use your best judgment.

The first and most important thing is to set boundaries. Figure out your limits and stick to them. Remember that as real as Second Life can feel some days, it's still a game and you need to treat it as such. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve met some great people who turned into real life friends, but I still held out for a long time before giving out my e-mail address or my Skype information. Remember information can't be ungiven.

And speaking of things that can’t be ungiven, let’s talk a little bit about photos. I don’t really recommend putting a real life photo into your profile. I’ve got nothing against sharing photos, but it’s probably best to only share them with your good friends. Now, I’m about to become hated by every male in Second Life with an online girlfriend, but ladies, PLEASE don’t send people any photos that you wouldn’t want to be forwarded to every e-mail address in the world.  I’m sure he’s the nicest, sweetest schnookums in all of Second Life; but even if he is, it only takes one friend borrowing the picture from his computer to make you an instant Internet celebrity. And just think of how fun THAT will make Thanksgiving dinner: “Can you pass the potatoes…”  “I don’t know, can you start WEARING CLOTHES!?”

If you plan to talk to Second Lifers using e-mail, instant messenger programs, or Skype, make fresh accounts using your Avatar’s name, not your own.  Many of these services display the name you signed up as, and a name and just a few details can yield a goldmine of information about someone with just a Google search. If you don’t believe me, Google yourself and see what you find. Wow. That sentence sounds wildly inappropriate.

Now once you’ve completely ignored all of what I’ve said so far and decide to meet prince or princess charming in real life, use good common sense. Meet them in a public place, preferably on your own turf. Make sure to let friends and family know exactly where you are and don't deviate from that. Give them any personal information you have about who you are meeting and arrange a time to call them during and after the meeting to let them know things are going OK.  Even better, bring your friends and family with you.

Now an old blind date trick that still works is to have a friend call you twenty minutes into the date. If things aren’t going well, you can always use this call to fake an emergency. Always remember, you have instincts for a reason, so listen to them. If anything about the meeting doesn't sit right with you, just don't go. Better to be a disappointment than a headline.

Finally, if you’re married or in a relationship in real life, you need to be honest with your spouse about your Internet behavior, especially when it comes to informing them of threats or complications. I know, most of us follow the old Vegas maxim “Whatever happens in Second Life, stays in Second Life,” but keeping secrets is a good way to set your family up for embarrassment, or worse, disaster. Now I'm not here to judge, nor am I in any position to cast the first stone, but for anyone with a family this is crucial. Trust me, it's better to sleep on the couch for a few nights than to have them find out after Glenn Close has already cooked the bunny.

That’s it for this episode!  Stop by the website at QuickAndDirtyTips.com to check out my Twitter page if you want to see what I’m up to on any given day! Send your feedback or question to secondlife@quickanddirtytips.com, and our comment line is 206-888-6975, that’s 206-888-MYSL. The Traveling Avatar’s Quick and Dirty Tips for a Better Second Life is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips network, so be sure to check out other great shows like Legal Lad, Mr. Manners, and Grammar Girl, at QuickAndDirtyTips.com. 

So until next time, remember, friends don’t let friends spam gestures.