This is the ninth 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 caught up with Balut while I was down at the docks doing favors for sailors down at NCI Beach trawling for new folk to interview. Balut is primarily a designer/builder in Second Life, having come to Second Life with a background in animation and modelling. His pet peeve about building in Second Life is size limits for prims - not that he doesn't understand the necessity for it, but he would like to see the process streamlined somewhat. That said, he's pretty keen on sculpties. He would also like to see better building tools introduced - grid markings and alignment tools.

Second Life Name: Mushroom Balut
Second Life Age: 67 days.

Where did you hear about Second Life?

I think I first remember hearing about SL around 2 years ago, but I didn't think anything of it then. But I remember reading about it again this past spring, and I'm pretty sure I read the article online; I wish I could remember the source.

Why did you decide to try Second Life?

Well, I was surprised by how large it was getting. And some of the other MMO style games didn't really interest me. The article painted SL for what it really seems to be, wide open.

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, missionary-style portal.

What did you like/dislike about about the orientation process?

I sort-of liked the freedom you had, to be able to fly around and explore a little bit, and to follow the process at your own pace.

Do you remember anything about camera controls from the orientation process?

Yeah. Anything to do with the interface, navigation or movement wasn't a problem for me. In that department, I thought they covered the bases pretty well. I'm a bit biased, having come from a CG background. Camera manipulation in a 3d environment isn't a big deal for me.

You had at least one of your expectations about Second Life confirmed; was it at all different to how you expected?

Well, this might seem like a weird analogy, but it was like entering high school for the first time, all over again. Meeting new friends, finding things to do, finding your place, forging your identity ...

What do you like/dislike about the user interface for Second Life?

I wouldn't mind seeing more hotkeys, and maybe some options for either moving menus around, or docking them to other parts of the screen, like the sides or the top. Also, i wouldn't mind if they made the pie menu more robust; why not put all of your options in the pie menu, and free-up some 'screen estate'?

(The boombox you see in the image above is Balut's own work. It is a work in progress)