How to Find Interesting Places

Thinking of exploring Second Life? Here’s some tips I’ve learned over the years that help me find interesting places.

Use SL search “places” tab. Type in what interests you, and don’t be afraid to experiment. Many people put in items they want to buy or place names, but you can often find cooler stuff if you think outside the box. Is there a word you like? One that describes you personally? Try putting it into search and see if someone included it as a keyword. Example: I recently typed in “whimsical” and found several places to visit.

Use SL search “classifieds” tab. You may find things here you wouldn’t find searching the “places” tab and vice versa. Many people buy classifieds for extra promotion of their land, but some use it to be visible if they rent on someone else’s land.

Read the “picks” section of profiles. If you encounter an intriguing person there’s a chance they might have a cool place in their profile picks. Unfortunately many people use the “picks” section for things other than listing locations, but it’s still worth checking.

If you see something you like, check who the creator is. Have you run across something awesome? Right click that object and find out who made it. Bring up the creator’s profile, and go to their picks and classifieds tab. You might find a great place to visit that way.

Try the Second Life Destination Guide. It’s full of pictures and places!

Word of mouth. Ask people to give you landmarks of places they like. Actually, this may be one of the best ways to find something because people usually only landmark if they like a place.

Read SL travel blogs. I don’t usually read these, but can see how they would be helpful. If anyone would like to recommend a good SL travel blog, feel free!

Pay attention to traffic rank when you search.  When you search for something, the locations with the most visitors appear at the top of the list, the lowest at the bottom. Knowing how much traffic a place gets can help you. 

1. The positive of a high traffic rank: A place may be busy for a reason. People seem to be flocking to it, so that could mean it’s worth visiting.

2. The negative: More traffic = more lag, and if you’re looking for a peaceful spot it may be better to seek a less populated area.

When I search, I often visit places with the least visitors first. I like the idea of giving more traffic to someone who needs it, and it’s nice to avoid lag and escape the crowds.

So… how do you find places in Second Life?