One of the more rewarding things about SL is how fun it is to give things to other avatars. You can make gifts of clothing, landmarks, buildings, furniture, cars, boats, planes, and more.

The clue is this: walking up to avatars and asking, "Hey! Hi. How can I get a job?" marks you as a real newbie - a clueless newbie to boot, actually. Which is okay, we were all newbies once, and no one is going to hate you for asking.

So you see someone else in SL, and they either look interesting or their profile is interesting, and you want to chat with them. After a simple, "Hi!" or friendly hello, it can sometimes escape you what to ask next. After all, there isn't a lot of weather in SL to talk about! And I consider that a good thing.

In real life, when your phone rings, you have the option to screen -- or check out who’s calling before you actually decide whether to answer the phone.

Well, when you’re standing in SL, chatting with another avatar, you can also do a little “screening” -- to see whether it’s someone you really want to be chatting with.

In real life, when your phone rings, you have the option to screen -- or check out who’s calling before you actually decide whether to answer the phone.

Well, when you’re standing in SL, chatting with another avatar, you can also do a little “screening” -- to see whether it’s someone you really want to be chatting with.

Once you get into SL, trust us, the hours will just roll away. And suddenly, you'll realize that not only are you really hungry, you also really need to use the bathroom.

This happens all the time in SL: you're strolling along, and you encounter another avatar. Being the polite person you are, you open your Chat window and type them a "Hello, there."

. . . And the other avatar doesn't reply. He just stands there like a statue. How rude, right?