For new users I’ve included a couple of pointers on finding people in Second Life efficiently.

The Map is a really effective means of navigation. Once you’ve located an island you are interested in, and the map has come into focus, you can determine how many people are there and where they are.

#1, the yellow dot, represents and avatar stationed at combinedstory’s orientation. #2, the larger white and yellow dot represents your avatar (the triangle is an overhead view of his or her view), and #3 represents another avatar who is close by and within view of avatar #2 (both are in Jurgen Gulick’s new winery).

You can click anywhere on the map and teleport there. This overhead view gives you the power to see in an eye blink how many avatars are there, but keep in mind it doesn’t include “z-axis” location, so you may have to fly up or down to find them.