Filed under: Newbies, Interviews, Resident Snapshot

This is the fifth in a series of interviews that are conducted with new residents, in order to gauge the effectiveness of the orientation process, and to gauge disparities between the preconceptions and the realities of Second Life. The questions may be tailored slightly for each interview; responses may be edited for purposes of clarity.

I ran into Jermiah at my favorite haunt for picking up strange avatars - the Isabel Infohub. He told me this about his avatar's current look: "Call me old fashioned - but I wanted to look like the gay angel in Barbarella!" He was an engaging and enthusiastic interviewee.

Second Life Name? Jermiah Hax
Second Life Age? 18 days

Where did you hear about Second Life?
I saw news item on the TV and then read about it in a magazine article - then I sent off for the book from Amazon.

Why did you decide to try Second Life?
Really it was to see what all the fuss was about in the media.

Which portal did you come through, if you did not come through the standard process? (for example, "The L Word", NBC, Azure Islands, Mainland Brazil, Big Pond, NMC Campus, Anshe Chung Dreamlands (chinese), Second House of Sweden, etc)
Standard entry.

Which aspect of orientation do you remember best?
Learning to fly - it was really tricky. Still, that's why I got the wings - now I feel like I should fly!!! LOL

What did you like/dislike about about the orientation process?
It's a bit hit and miss - I got more help once I'd experimented and looked around SL for a bit then I went back [to Help Island Public], I had more questions then.

Do you remember anything about camera controls from the orientation process?
No - I didn't pick any up then - I've since discovered by accident - and I still make mistakes - but it doesn't matter - it's all fun!

If Second Life different to how you expected it to be, in what way is it different?
It's great fun - I was interested because I'm a psychologist and I wanted to know how people reacted to each other here. People are amazingly civil - not a suprise I suppose- and very liberated too.

What do you like/dislike about the user interface for Second Life?
I like the way the place looks - I like the ease of using the mouse and keyboard, but its all still very jerky.