This is the eighth in a series of interviews that are being 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 met Simon through the main NCI members group IM channel. For a newcomer, he is quite with-it as regards his appearance, general movement and interaction with Second Life; his concerns focus more on the social and ethical concerns of age verification and the technological considerations of the sex industry in Second Life.
This is the seventh in a series of interviews that are being 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.
Rigrunner is another lad who volunteered to answer questions for me, having heard about the interviews over the NCI channel. His favorite place in Second Life is Devilfish Mall, in the Dahlia Sim. Rigrunner's favorite things to do in Second Life revolve around music and interactive builds.
There was great anticipation in the air as we awaited the arrival of our instructor. At last last, we too would be possessors of knowledge of the recent art of 'nano' and 'tortured' prims, our hands as eagerly at the ready over CTRL-3 as a mistress' over her whip and chains.
RoseLinUK London, the instructor, arrived at the top of the hour, and class commenced directly, with introductions and the distribution of class materials.
New Citizens Incorporated's classroom in Disturbing World was host to the Starting a Business in Second Life class yesterday, taught by Nancy Villota.
If you have a desire to go into business in Second Life, especially if you are not familiar with the process of setting up a real life business, then you'll greatly benefit from attending this class.
Way back when, I kicked off classroom teaching at NCI, with a Basic Building class that ran every week for over a year. These days I'm out of the education loop at the NCI, but I really wanted to see how the classes are being handled, and I have an especial affinity for the Basic Building class.
With that in mind, I looked up a class that was on at a convenient time, and quietly slipped in to see how Kerhop Seattle handled his Basic Building class at NCI South yesterday.
It's a pretty old concept for most of us, harking back to the days of early childhood, when we would bring our favorite toy/parent/mishandled frog to the front of the class and make some pertinent remarks regarding them.
New Citizens Incorporated (NCI) has been running Show and Tell for new folk for ... well, just about as long as it's been around. Now, however, it's time for all those of us 91 days and older to polish up our skills and have a bash at "Oldbie Show and Tell"!
The launch party for NCI Beach is scheduled for 2pm-7pm SLT, on Saturday 17 March, and will be DJ'ed by NCI's own Zi Ree. Show your support for this charitable organization and join the party, maybe offer a small donation to help keep it all growing and running.
And if you see Brace Coral, for heaven's sake, don't let her get near any cheese!
New Citizens Incorporated (NCI) was founded in April 2005 by the outspoken Brace Coral and has had a solid history of teaching and assisting new residents in SL. The organization has established a strong reputation for the quality of it's facilities, the quality of it's event hosts and instructors, and the establishment of a 'safe space' for new residents to learn with minimal disruption.
NCI has always funded it's operations out of the donations of land, tier and money by it's operators and largely anonymous donations by generous residents. Particularly in 2006 under the stewardship of Carl Metropolitan, this has seen NCI grow from a minor player in the Second Life experience, to a large and noteworthy one.
Now, times are changing - NCI is expanding its funding model. I sat down with Carl Metropolitan, NCI's managing director, to find out more.
With the overall influx of new residents to Second Life, new resident support organizations such as the NCI had become increasingly overloaded, crowded and laggy. At the last general meeting of the NCI management team (headed by the personable and able Carl Metropolitan) it was decided to establish an NCI outpost in the Hamnida sim, adjacent to the new Welcome Area there.
The new extension is affectionately named NCI South, and owes it's existence to the generous donation of NCI Member, helper and contributor Shawk Pertwee. Although the facilities are quite recently built, NCI South is starting to establish itself during usual peak times, and before long will likely be busy around the clock, just as the New Citizens Plaza in Kuula.
There are a lot of factors that make new Second Life residents hang about long enough to 'get it' (whatever their personal and individual version of 'it' is, in Second Life).
Chief among these are a peer group, and the right assistance, information and answers at the right time. The Shelter in Swinside, and its slightly younger sister organization, New Citizens Inc. in Kuula (usually just lovingly referred to as The NCI) are the primary providers of those functions.
Only the most hardy of asocial souls manage without a peer group. Just having people to talk to with some commonality of experience, makes you stronger and more resilient. Both of these establishments provide opportunities for that in spades.
The focus of the two groups is divergent and complementary. The Shelter (led by Travis Lambert) is more focused on social interaction, game-shows, dancing and the like. The NCI (led by Carl Metropolitan) focuses more on information resources, tutorials and classes.
Both organizations maintain safe spaces in-world. Each has a set of rules for behavior and people who break those rules or are rude or cause distress to others will be ejected. The new resident in Second Life is well-advised to visit both and see which suits them more.
This is the eighth in a series of interviews that are being 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.
This is the seventh in 
New Citizens Incorporated's 
Way back when, I kicked off classroom teaching at NCI, with a Basic Building class that ran every week for over a year. These days I'm out of the education loop at the NCI, but I really wanted to see how the classes are being handled, and I have an especial affinity for the Basic Building class. 
New Citizens Incorporated (NCI) was founded in April 2005 by the outspoken Brace Coral and has had a solid history of teaching and assisting new residents in SL. The organization has established a strong reputation for the quality of it's facilities, the quality of it's event hosts and instructors, and the establishment of a 'safe space' for new residents to learn with minimal disruption.
