Here’s a rundown of the best support channels for someone just starting out in Second Life, from official Linden Lab resources to community-run help groups.
I wrote this because I was trying to help a new resident on Discord. I am not allowed to post this much text there. So, I put it here and gave them a link. I hope people can use this when they help others. (Save a link)
I did find several help channels I didn’t know existed. Check them out.
Official Linden Lab Help resources
- Quick Start Guide and New User Tutorials on the Second Life community page walk through the basics of navigating the virtual world with videos and step-by-step articles. [secondlife]
- Second Life Answers (part of the community forums) lets you ask questions and get answers directly from experienced residents and staff. [secondlife]
- The Knowledge Base at support.secondlife.com has articles on nearly every technical topic — avatars, viewers, Linden Dollars, land, and more. [support.secondlife]
- Submit a support ticket through the Support Portal if you can’t find an answer in the Knowledge Base or forums. Basic accounts can file tickets for the most common issue types. [community.secondlife]
- Live Chat is available to Premium, Premium Plus, and Concierge members (8am–midnight PST weekdays, 8am–8pm PST weekends), accessed by logging into your dashboard, clicking Help, then Contact Support (Live Chat Access thread, access instructions). Basic accounts don’t get live chat but can still submit tickets. [community.secondlife][wiki.secondlife]
- Billing/phone support is open to all account types 24/7 for real-money account issues. [wiki.secondlife]
In-world help (often the fastest route)
- Use Search > Places and set the Category filter to “Newcomer Friendly” to find welcome areas and help islands built specifically for new residents. [wiki.secondlife]
- Volunteer mentor/help groups roam these areas and answer questions via IM in real time. Some well-established ones include New Citizens Inc. (NCI), White Tiger Mentors, Mental Mentors, and the Phoenix Wave Team — all part of the Resident Help Network, a Linden Lab-recognized network of vetted volunteer groups (Resident Help Network Portal, Volunteer Groups list). Note these are resident-run, not official Linden Lab staff. [wiki.secondlife][wiki.secondlife]
- Newer community projects like Dreamer’s Landing pair new residents with volunteer mentors and offer free starter housing, though its status has fluctuated (it was reportedly undergoing an overhaul as of early 2025) — worth checking current status before relying on it. [modemworld]
- If you have a disability and want tailored support, Virtual Ability and SecondAbility Mentors specialize in helping residents navigate SL with accessibility needs in mind. [wiki.secondlife]
Community and social help channels
- The official Second Life forums (community.secondlife.com/forums) are active for troubleshooting, general discussion, and connecting with veteran users. [community.secondlife]
- There’s no official Linden Lab Discord, but several large unofficial servers are popular for peer help — e.g., “Second Life Academy” is frequently recommended as friendly to newcomers, alongside others focused on fashion, aviation, sports, and content creation. Be cautious of any Discord claiming to be “official” — Linden Lab doesn’t run one. [reddit]
- r/secondlife on Reddit is another good spot for candid troubleshooting advice and finding out what’s currently working (e.g., live chat responsiveness). [reddit]
Practical starting point for help
For a brand-new resident, the fastest path is usually: complete the in-viewer tutorial, then head to a “Newcomer Friendly” destination via Search, and message one of the Resident Help Network groups (like NCI) for live, real-time help — that combination covers both the mechanical basics and immediate personal guidance. For account or billing problems, the Support Portal ticket system is the right channel since Live Chat is Premium-only.
Hints on Help
There are a large number of people that want to help. You’ll see blogs and YouTube videos being made by people. So, Google for Second Life Tutorials and/or Help (do the same inside YouTube). There are thousands. Sort them by date. The older ones are often out of date with new features making their info obsolete. But, the older videos often have technical info missing from the newer ones. The newer ones have better IU step-by-step how to, viewers change.
Second Life is a complex virtual world, meaning there is a lot of tech. The tech is way deeper than most experienced computer users are familiar with. There is jargon and verbal shortcuts in use that can be confusing. People in SL are not made equal… some know what they are talking about. Others just talk to sound smart. Others have agendas. Use the RL skepticism you’ve learned, in SL.
Closing
If you know of additional sources for Help for Second Life residents, let me know in the comments.
Also, there specialized sections of help in the forum. In-world there are classes, groups like Builder’s Brewery provide many.
There are Discord channels too.