Features

[#1]

Not so long ago, the hottest social network on the Web started deleting user accounts if it suspected they didn't represent a real person. "Fake profiles really defeats the whole point," according to the site's founder. "We're going to get rid of all that stuff." Users were up in arms.

No, it wasn't Facebook. It was Friendster, and the year was 2003. (You can still read about the episode on Salon.) Even back then, before Facebook was founded and before Twitter was more than a gleam in Jack Dorsey's eye, identity and the question of who or what lay behind a profile pic was a hot-button issue on the Web.

Where online worlds and today's other social technologies are concerned, such matters have only become more complex. With this blog post, I want to open a conversation about some of the issues surrounding identity and how it gets handled online. (That's my job, after all, to start some conversations.) We show up in the digital realm under so many different guises now, it has become difficult -- perhaps impossible -- to separate the real from the imagined, and the actual from the virtual. For many, using the word "virtual" in regard to online worlds and other digital contexts has become nearly meaningless. To me, there's nothing virtual at all about my presence in various online contexts. Like many people, I have a handful of email addresses, a Flickr username, an XboxLive gamertag, and more than one Second Life account. Each of these represents an aspect of my identity, one of the various ways I express myself online. And as Web and mobile services continue to work their way into all corners of our lives, these aspects will continue to proliferate -- and as they do, we'll start facing important questions about how we handle these collections of selves. Their answers will do much to determine who we become as the next generation of connected human beings. How we as technology providers handle such questions largely determines what choices we as individuals have open to us. And the choices we make as individuals in these contexts can have a surprising impact on who we are -- in "real life" -- and who we can become.

The thing not to miss here -- and it bears stating despite how obvious it sounds -- is what all these online "identities" have in common. At the center of them all, the hub that ties all these personae together, is the very real, non-virtual, analog and offline "you." Whether the connections are public or not, your Second Life avatar, your World of Warcraft toon, your Facebook profile, your LinkedIn employment history -- all of these and more are just different aspects of a single entity: the person reading these words. They are all already connected to each other, via you.

The question we now face, both as people and as organizations, is how we handle these connections, how we handle these collections of selves. And make no mistake; this issue is fast headed toward a boiling point. Both Google (via Friend Connect) and Facebook (via Facebook Connect) already offer services designed to take the place of your Social Security Number or national ID in the new century, and the competition among them and other players to control who you are is only due to heat up.

One question that's interesting to contemplate is whether your avatars will share that digital identity card. By now we're quite familiar with the positive network effect of being connected to other people in a social network or Web service like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, or the like. The more people you're connected to, and the more people they're connected to, the more useful the network becomes. But do the same rules apply to making connections among the various aspects and avatars that all revolve around the offline you? My personal Twitter updates also update my personal Facebook page (though my Linden Twitter updates do not). People who find my Twitter page can also find my personal blog (though there's not much to read there). I get a lot of benefit, both personal and professional, out of being the same person in many different online contexts.

But you shouldn't necessarily be forced to make the same associations I do. If you ask most people, making those connections should be opt-in. Not everyone sees the same value in such links. But if we as a society put the right kind of identity-management tools in place, you'll be able to extract just the kind of value you seek, without being forced to expose information or connections you're not comfortable with. The interesting conversations here will be about what kind of value we're looking for, and what kind of tools we need. The answers won't be the same for everyone, of course, but they will be important to everyone as the various digital contexts we inhabit continue to converge.

[#2]

I have to dispute the 'usefulness' of the current online social media. If anything, it promotes artificial relationships and a sort of chronic approval seeking and constant validation of everything you do and see which to seems unhealthy. I don't want to know every little thing people I casually met do every day, nor do I want them knowing what I'm doing. I reserve that for people I actually have real, tangible, and meaningful relationships with, and only if they really want to know.

The thing many don't realize is, social media is very much a minority movement. Sure, Facebook may brag about their millions of accounts, but taken in the context of the estimated 6.7 BILLION people on earth, it's a drop in the bucket. And how many of those accounts are like the ones in SL? completely fake or abandoned? A good number I think.  It seems all pervasive because the people who use it are likely to run in circles with people who also use it. But same with those that don't. I don't. None of my friends do. None of my business associates do either.

The biggest issue with the social media phenomenon is, it suffers from the same feature creep that drives the geek culture that spawned it. Sure, today it's just 'tweet'ing something, but what is coming down the road? maybe someone starts a service to reveal personal financial information to their 'connected friends' and the internet at large? Far Fetched?  or already here?

Different people have different views, expectations, and desires on this subject (and many others). But there is one thing I think should always be universal, and that's the philosophy that the power to 'not do' should be as valued, and sacred, as the power to 'do'.

[#3]

/me does not object to this, as long as it's opt-in.

If I was doing RL work in SL on my companys island (which we don't have but if we did...) I would indeed say who I was and probably link it to some sort of authentication system so customers could know they're talking to a real employee.

On my own time, I have no interest in it. I can see the use but definitely as opt-in.

That is, if I get what Wallace is saying..

[#4]

I strongly favor being able to have a SL name that is identical to one's RL name it the technical aspects can be worked out.

This assumes that a) its up to the individual to decide whether to have an av name that is identical to rl name.  And b) those who wish to have RL and SL identities entirely separate as they are now can continue doing so.

[#5]

I really, really, really wish people would stop trying to make an equivalent connection between SL and purely social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. SL is not a social networking site per se. It's an entire multi-dimensional, user-created world. We just use social networking technologies within the world of SL (i.e. chat/IM and voice) the same way that we use them within our first lives. Attempting to relegate SL to the realm of tweets and tags is truly an overly simplistic distortion of its greatness.

Honestly, I feel that if LL keeps going down that road it will be out of business shortly thereafter due to a severe misunderstanding of its core customer base and that which drives us. All avatars in SL already have the option to identify themselves by their real names as well as link to their real life websites, blogs, etc. However, avatars in SL mainly for personal use (a.k.a the core customer *cough* *cough*) enjoy it as a private form of escapism and personal entertainment. The fact that you can be someone other than your real self, create a whole new life, and remain anonymous is the primary draw.

[#6]

I strongly favor being able to have a SL name that is identical to one's RL name it the technical aspects can be worked out.

What you really say is that everyone should be able to chose a name by their own, right? But there are far too many John Smith's around, it just wouldn't work. And it would still only be someone claiming he's John Smith.

And no, its not enough that the name can be tied to a unique account on Facebook or Google. Just because an identity has been registered on Facebook or Google it doesn't necessarily mean it is the name of an actual person, or that the Facebook or Google account is controlled by the person in question.

There are a number of questions we need to ask ourselves before rushing on with this rather huge change for Second Life: What is a real person? What's in an identity? What do we mean when we talk about a real name? What different kind of identities do we need? How can they be validated? And what impact will the proposed changes have on inworld life?

[#7]

I strongly favor being able to have a SL name that is identical to one's RL name it the technical aspects can be worked out. 

/me calls dibs on Al Gore.

[#8]

I often work both in-world professionally, and as a hobby. I had created a separate account initially, but I found that I was often logging in with my main account to get at the inventory. It would be preferable if there was an easier way for people to identify my real-life self without showing the profile. In the mean time, I have tried group titles with my name, as well as hover-text attachments. Something that I can flip a switch on to show that name in a more official manner would be great, as well as a way to verify that that is in fact - me. I wouldn't want to see a bunch of people claiming that they are Elvis Presley in real life or something. Make something available, quick to identify, trusted, easy to use, and hard to abuse.

[#9]

Facebook is useful because none of the social network tools SL has in place works at all.

On Facebook I can send event reminders to as many people as I want, post several Google calendars, post images and videos and easily recruit and expand my network.

8 years later Linden Lab's 404 error message still greets me on the event posting page.

[#10]

I have a simple solution. Some people have sort of touched upon it from differing perspectives.

Add another alt option to each account specifically reserved for your real life identity.

Each person could either use it or not. But it would always be there if someone decided they needed to use it. It would be imperative that it be verifiable as we do not need unverified accounts passing themselves off as Real People. So this could be an option for verified accounts.

I would have no problem linking my real life name to my SL name IF Everyone Else did it too.

However at this point I choose not to because of the anonymity afforded people who have nothing invested in this platform.

However I would have no problem at all linking my real life avatar to my real life facebook account.

( if and when I get one.)

As it would still be unconnected to my primary SL identity. I would get him a nice house or not and use him when I needed to. I can think of a number of professional reasons I would use a verified RL av.

However I cannot stress the importance enough if something like this were pursued that the RL avatar designation be Verified.

There would be no obligation to reveal the connection between the RL av and your primary business or play av.

Any linkages resulting from this would have to come from the RL av themselves.

This would also solve the SL to Facebook connection.

Just to add I am not very impressed with Facebook's apparent ulterior motives. I perceive a disegenuousness with their claims of protecting people's information.

The mention of a replacement for a social security card or national ID system was a chilling thought.

As I see all of this stuff SL, Facebook, MySpace and all the others still being at a very experimental level.

I recently read an interesting article about the dilution of the legal meaning of the words "reasonable expectation of privacy" with everyone posting their lives on the internet.

If everyone in the world were honest decent people then there would be no problems with any of this.

Now put that honest world into one that has the same laws worldwide, (considering the recent chinese google attacks).

The laws governing all this stuff as it pertains to the internet have not been written yet.

The expectation of privacy people assume while they are online while a sane assumption is completely non-existent in a legal sense.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jan/12/privacy-online-sharing

http://www3.lcwlegal.com/newspublications/PDFs/PF_2009_05_8_Privacy_on_MySpace.pdf

https://www.law.northwestern.edu/journals/njtip/v6/n1/4/

I only a list a few links here, google "social networking and privacy" if you want to read more.

[#11]

I’m all for creating a new identity for a companies, being real or not. As a user of thirty years of using the Internet have we lost part of are real identity by creating an online presence, we seem to be defined by this., it's not the real us. I for one don’t feel comfortable doing it. Nowadays, young people seem quite happy to do it.  And doing things they would normally do or get away with in real life just to get some follower, In my eyes it’s so wrong, so where do you draw the line?

[#12]

I think that in general, the internet shouldn't be an anonymous place. Griefers only act as griefers if they can do so anonymously. And if we all treated others with the same respect (which is another word for caution) and kindness (which means diplomacy) that we grant one another in RL, we wouldn't have to worry about griefers, stalkers or psychos in the first place.

But this only applies as long as sexual relationships are not involved. Sexuality was, is and always will be a very special form of human social interaction with a special set of rules and taboos. The number one rule in pretty much all human cultures is simple: Sexuality requires secrecy. Grandma, little Billy and our boss at work are not supposed to know anything about the things that happen in our bedroom (or in some SL dungeon).

Even if those bedroom activities are nothing out of the ordinary. You simply don't tell your grandma, your boss or little Billy that you just had perfectly unkinky vaginal intercourse with your wife, in the missionary position, through a sheet, in an unlit bedroom, with the bible on the nightstand and without the use of contraceptives. You just don't speak about it, other than to trusted peers. As irrational as it might seem, secrecy is an essential part of human sexuality.

In RL, we ensure the necessary secrecy through privacy and confidentiality. In online environments like SL (which is a place where people act out their sexuality, like it or not), the only way to be secretive is to be anonymous. Privacy is a pipe dream in a world where everyone can see and teleport through walls. I personally don't care much, since I don't give a hoot about my nonexistent RL reputation. But I can see that others, my customers for example, have a lot more at stake.

That's why the metaverse needs anonymity. Within reason; Linden Lab should of course have the RL identity of all their customers on file, and better be darn protective and secretive about this data. Outside the Lab, nobody needs to be able to tie RL identities to avatar names. Especially not all the questionable free social networking services with their unclear agendas.

[#13]

I don't think anyone at LL is in favor of forced identity publication. That said, you can easily find most or all of my information from links off this and my last blog post.

Well of course your identity is out in the open: you have defined for yourself a role that demands (or at the very least, rewards) disclosure.  And you're not alone: the realm of tech-punditry is full of folks who just don't see what all the fuss is about: "we've all left this 'privacy' anachronism behind--hasn't everyone?"  For them, social-noise networks are the very stuff of life, and there's no such thing as bad publicity.

This is why tech blogs on this subject are so dangerous.  The most vocal are inherently the ones who "get it" the least.

[#14]

I strongly favor being able to have a SL name that is identical to one's RL name it the technical aspects can be worked out.

Technical aspects like there being very few people in the world with a unique name?  There are seven people in the US with my identical RL name (as of September 2009, anyway), and I have a fairly unusual first and last name.

What bothers me is precisely those "technical aspects."  How would LL distinguish between the seven of us?  Social Security numbers?  Credit card numbers?  Address?  Even more importantly, to my mind, is how will  the average user distinguish between all the James Smiths that will flood the grid?  How will we know the James Smith we are dealing with when buying a t-shirt isn't the same James Smith who has a track record of TOS violations for age-play?  Middle name?  I can't help but wonder how many James Christopher Smiths there are in-world, but I'm willing to bet there's more than one already.  It takes a lot of information to confirm an identity--information way beyond the simple use of a real life name, and a lot of that information is of the type that should be private and protected at a time when identity theft is the fastest growing crime.

Think this through, people--or put your money where your mouth is and post your name, a real life picture, and your social security number (or other national id number) on the first life tab of your profile, so we can be certain which person with that RL name you are.

Until I see that level of openness about RL identity in SL, I'm not taking statements favoring RL identities being linked to SL identities seriously.

Kam

[#15]

At first, these 'tools' might indeed look opt-in. At first, everybody can CHOOSE to identify themselves (in some way) to the public. The problem that arises in a future is that not having made this choice makes you untrustfull for the people that have. When that point in the future comes, for some people, this choice won't feel like a choice anymore. They feel being forced by the community, instead of the opt-in tools.

[#16]

I had to face this issue a couple of years ago. A grad prof got the class into SL originally so we could meet virtually when he was away at a conference. Out of a dozen students, I was the only one who chose an avatar of the opposite sex. It was a completely different identity I chose to play with because SL offered me the ability to do that. This avatar had her own "life" and published her own work (both in-world and out); she has her own Google hits. (The whole thing felt to me like Japanese puppetry.) Well, eventually, I wanted to integrate what I'd learned in this exercise into my interactive consultancy business. I started taking clients into SL to show them the business possibilities and my avatar went to some in-world job fairs and got interviews. But I spent too much time having to explain her back story. So I got one that was more like "me" (complete with the pot belly my kids insisted I add). In this discussion, I'd put the Identity Issues to the side. People will always find a way to give bogus information in order to keep themselves private if they want (that is, private to everyone other than "Chinese hackers"). The question is: what are the benefits of bringing SL toward Facebook, Twitter and the rest. Those other social platforms are such impoverished experiences at the moment -- in fact, no one, including Apple, Google, and James Cameron Himself -- has created an environment as creative, immersive and engaging as we have (and by we I mean LL and everyone in SL, this big computer programming project we all collaborate on). If we can bring some of our creativity to the other places without losing it here, well, I'm for that. For starters, they really need to evolve from 2D to 3D.

[#17]

Sure enough there are problems with implementatioin of the use of real life  names.  One possible solution is to charge a fee for the privilege.  This would radically cut down on the number of requests for "James Smith"  or even variations like, "James C. Smith."  And so on.

[#18]

I think  you have a good grasp of how and why the 3D net is going to emarge.  Already, the Lindens realize their platform is not going to evolve into a mass medium until they figure out a way to become ubitquitous and include folks who want to use the immersive 3D world as a way of connecting with others in RL as a primary part of what it is about, rather than an indirect consequence as it is now.

[#19]

At first, these 'tools' might indeed look opt-in. At first, everybody can CHOOSE to identify themselves (in some way) to the public. The problem that arises in a future is that not having made this choice makes you untrustfull for the people that have. When that point in the future comes, for some people, this choice won't feel like a choice anymore. They feel being forced by the community, instead of the opt-in tools.

That's the attitude already being expressed by Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg (among others) as a fait accompli.  (see also: Qie Niangao's comment above, "...the realm of tech-punditry is full of folks who just don't see what all the fuss is about: "we've all left this 'privacy' anachronism behind--hasn't everyone?"

The obvious answer to that is: resist social pressure.  Why care what strangers think???  In other words: If you don't want to be led to the slaughter, don't be a sheep.

- - - - - -

IMO, the existing tools in the Profile -- Web and "1st Life" tabs -- are all we need if we want to direct people to our activities outside of SL.  They just need more "carrying capacity" -- that is, more and larger available fields to fill out.  (but see this blog by Crap Mariner on how to expand the existing capacity of the Web tab).

As for me (like you care?):  I blog about SL; I keep in touch with other bloggers and such using Twitter; I'm in three social networks and two forums -- all as my SL avatar.  That's one way to manage identities and maximize cross-platform "reputation" (if that's a concern at all!), while avoiding the data-miners as best you can: choose one, use it consistently, and make sure it can't be tied to the one in your wallet.

[#20]

In my opinion there are 2 equally important aspects of your SL Identity, the first is that the original premise of Second Life was a virtual world where you could be anything and anyone you wanted and you could interact with people from all over the world in a reasonably safe environment where if you were careful you didn't have to worry about danger or repercussions to your real life.

Now that we have governments, employers, stalkers, criminals, in addition to friends and acquaintances scanning facebook and myspace and twitter for purposes not always good. I think it is very important to maintain the original premise of Second Life as a place to let your hair down and be free and creative without the worries about 20 years from now being denied work somewhere because they looked up in a google cache somewhere that 20 years ago you played a furry in SL and your potential employer hates the idea of furries.

In addition I regularly see people being stalked or threatened in SL by others, due to things like relationships breaking up or somebody not liking somebody else's Role Play and so on. Right now if you have been careful to not give out too much RL information, you can simply make a new AV and new e-mail address and move to a new home in SL and while it is a pain, it is still all in the virtual world, you mix that with Real Life identities and then you have stalkers calling you on the phone and showing up at your door.

There was a very interesting article written about how the modern endless digital memory of everything done in our lives will wind up choking people's freedom to have fun and enjoy themselves http://press.princeton.edu/titles/8981.html If Real Life Identities were always matched up to your Second Life  Avatar,  you would not be able to do much in Second Life without worrying about your real life.

On the other side, many people including myself would very much love to be able to pay for a Avatar with their real life name to use for things like virtual family gatherings or being with friends or people that you are close with, or for business purposes when you want a SL portal to your RL business.

Most people probably have no problem with Linden Lab having their RL information for account security and billing purposes as long as it is kept strictly confidential. However even then there are good reasons to want an anonymous account, for example if you happen to be discussing freedom of speech in china, you don't really want the Chinese government to be able to send a demand to Linden Lab for your account data and have them  turn over all your details (as Google and Yahoo and Microsoft have done) so you can be sent to a labour camp  next time you visit China. Or you are discussing the side effects of some prescription drug and don't want the company getting all your details so they can sue you to shut you up even if they are in the wrong.

In my opinion I think the best thing to do is to leave the basic structure the way it is to where you default to an account with no RL information easily linked. Then if you wish, you can create an account with your real life name for an extra charge as a second account (or primary account as you wish). I think most people would wind up wanting at least 2 accounts, one with their real name and one that they can be anonymous with. This would also be a good income stream for Linden Labs as it could be required that the account you want to have your real name in needs to be a premium account and you pay an extra setup fee and a higher yearly fee for that account.

The other advantage to this is that Linden Lab could then start work on integration tools that are optional so you could link your Second Life  real name account  with all kinds of other social media tools and blogs and sites, as well as ways to add quick links to your websites to advertise your virtual business presence in Second Life and links from second life to your RL businesses. Also while the Avaline is great, with this idea it could be expanded to have both outgoing calls and incoming calls and be upgraded to a virtual office type service.

[#21]

Linden Labs has two legitimate uses for my real-world identity: to bill me for services, and to ensure that, should I get banned, I do not return.  No other resident has any legitimate reason to have any information on my real-world identity; that's why disclosing anything about it is a violation of section 4 of the community standards.

I personally have no desire to aggregate my various on-line identities.  I have no desire to have my Second Life sprawl into Facebook and Flickr and Twitter and whatever other exhibitionistic trivialities the "social web" conjures up next.  I anonymize, encrypt, and refuse to disclose in my real life.  My life is my life, and it is not open for inspection to anyone who wanders by and wants to go through my drawers.

I will not trust the Lab with information for which it has no legitmate use (e.g. my phone number, government ID number, address, etc.)  I will not trust my fellow residents with information they don't need either.  I love my privacy.  I love my solitude.  And if I have to give up SL to keep it, I'm willing to pay that price.

I think that in general, the internet shouldn't be an anonymous place. Griefers only act as griefers if they can do so anonymously. And if we all treated others with the same respect (which is another word for caution) and kindness (which means diplomacy) that we grant one another in RL, we wouldn't have to worry about griefers, stalkers or psychos in the first place.

This confuses anonymity with accountability.  We should be accountable.  It is not necessary to bring down the wall between RL and SL to do that.  If a DMCA takedown is filed against me, Linden Lab is able to see to it that it is served to the proper legal person in RL.  If I am banned from SL, the Lab should be able to take reasonable steps to keep me from creating a new alt and returning.  (They currently cannot, but merging SL with MyFaceTwitBookSpace won't help that.)  I can destroy, or build, my reputaiton in SL based on my behavior in SL.  I can be accountable while not revealing who I am.

Wallace, this is one of those opportunities to demonstrate that the Lab is listening.  This topic has come up twice in the last few days.  In both cases it was, to my eye, met with an overwhelmingly negative reaction.  Your residents are speaking to you.  Show some sign of hearing what they're saying.

[#22]

The question is: what are the benefits of bringing SL toward Facebook, Twitter and the rest. Those other social platforms are such impoverished experiences at the moment -- in fact, no one, including Apple, Google, and James Cameron Himself -- has created an environment as creative, immersive and engaging as we have (and by we I mean LL and everyone in SL, this big computer programming project we all collaborate on).

EXACTLY! Instead of trying to move SL toward these flat social networking sites, they should be trying to bring them toward us and the 3D feature-rich, limitless (well, only limited by our imaginations and current technology) environment we all have managed to created together.

[#23]

Instead of debating whether SL needs to become more like Facebook or whether Facebook needs to become like SL ..... the future of the internet is not going to be decided by our debate in any case ... we should be looking at how these platforms will converge.  Not all of the characteristic of any current platform will be a part of Web 3.0.  But as we continue to creatively participate as shapers and not just consumers of digital communications technologies, they will take on characteristics that the collective "we" have a part in shaping.

Also, its a bit ironic that these forums, which in other threads contain so many complaints about SL, in this one has attracted so many defenders.  Go figure.

[#24]

Jack, I don't think any of us who are urging the implimentation of a tool that would allow use of RL names in world would support compromising the ability of others to preserve privacy and anonymity on this platform.

[#25]

Wallace, again thanks for engaging with us, as difficult as it is!

One thing I'd like to suggest to LL is to stop mentioning Facebook and Twitter, at least by name.

I don't think that you understand that they are your competitors.

They are, even if they offer different services, because most of us have limited time to spend online, and if we are on Facebook, we aren't in SL.

If LL finds Facebook and Twitter more exciting and interesting than Second Life, it's a problem to solve, not advertise.

I'm sure THEY appreciate the free advertising, but if we all ended up at FB playing Mafia Wars and that stupid farm game, LL would be the loser.

I know this isn't responsive to the question you asked, but you waved the red flags.

[#26]

I've been shaking my head in incredulity for a couple of days now, as this topic has played in a lot of blogs -- and some Twitter and Facebook pages, too!

The realization I've come to is pretty simple:  This is all about "jumping on bandwagons".  And what's the biggest of those right now? Integration -- building APIs and widgets and plug-ins, and trading them around so that everyone can connect to everything from inside a single program.

Is it really so difficult to have more than one application running on your desk/laptop?

Are there really that many people running SL on minimal systems that they can't also have their web browser open to, say, their Twitter page, or their blog, or this forum, or any other combination of out-of-world communications channels?   Have we gotten so lazy about how we work and play -- that is, live -- on the Web that we need gadgets?   The people who build the gadgets think so; or, to be more cynical (and probably closer to the truth), they build them and then try to convince us we do need them.

We don't

Just like the integration of identity Wallace was implying in the OP, integration of how we speak, and to whom, and about what, happens in our minds.  It ought to remain there.

[#27]

Second Life culture grew up with pseudonymity as a norm. Tens of thousands of people established avatar identities with active personal, professional and creative lives that revealed no public connection to their human identities. It's been interesting to see the emergence over the past couple of years of so many avatar identities into mainstream social networks.

I think the opposite wave will eventually come in, with a greater number of people coming into Second Life with a desire to connect their human and avatar identities. It's anyone's guess about the impact such a shift would have on the culture. Will the human-identified avatars create separate cultures and social circles, or will they integrate into the existing networks? Beats me.

[#28]

I think it is a difficult process.

When I first started in SL I was very frustrated with deceptions perpetrated by anonymous alts.

And I had an idea at the time that there should be a place within SL that Only allowed RL verified people to enter. So that there was some increased degree of credibility in terms of who you dealing with. I thought at the time that it would be a good idea for people doing certain types of business deals or other type of relationship situations.

After some time went on and I became more familiar with SL and with using the tools that became available it stopped being a problem.

Now the prospect of having large numbers of people using their RL names brings up other types of possibilities. Over the years people have raised the issues of policy changes bringing up class distinctions within SL. Like verifieds vs unverifieds "no payment on file", then it came up again over the voice implementation.

Those changes really did not change my experience of SL very much in fact they were improvements. However having a large number of people using their RL names, this raises the possibility of a class discrimination more so than any other idea I have heard of.

Like people with RL names refusing to do business with those who choose not to use RL names.

Or it becoming a sport to "out" people who do not use RL names. Or those who may consider themselves superior for using RL names as opposed to those who do not. And then go on to spread distrust for those not using RL names.

From another pespective, in a world where people are mixed using RL names with those who are not using RL names, the person using their real name is at a distinct disadvantage. And if time has proven anything then some of those not using RL names will take advantage of the ones who are using RL names. Which will cause people using actual names to further distance themselves from people who are not using their actual names. And while those will most likely be the minority that have those experiences. The cries will be loud and the FUD will embed itself into the minds of those using their RL names.

It is almost as if the best solution would be to keep them separated. For example create a new continent for people who are using real life names. And do not allow people into it unless they are also using their RL names. That would keep the playing field level.

People using RL names could venture out in the big wide world, but at their own peril.

This scenario may never play out this way but it is a distinct possibility.

Whatever the case turns out to be, I think that LL should try to consider all of these possibilities in advance before making any changes that impact everyone.

[#29]

then it came up again over the voice  implementation.

Those changes really did not change my experience  of SL very much in fact they were improvements.

Oh no, that's not true. At all. Voice fractured communities, it fundamentally changed SL for the worse for immersionists. And there's all kinds of places where NPIOF are unwelcome. So, yes, there's every reason to be concerned about further erosion of the SL community.

[#30]

Ok wow,

I was speaking from my own perspective.

But I was not aware it had that much of an effect.

Well there you go then. I am in agreement.

[#31]

Looking here: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Roles I don't see too many real life names next to the fake Linden names.   Just sayin'.

[#32]

I think it is a difficult process.
When I first started in SL I was very frustrated with deceptions perpetrated by anonymous alts.
And I had an idea at the time that there should be a place within SL that Only allowed RL verified people to enter. So that there was some increased degree of credibility in terms of who you dealing with. I thought at the time that it would be a good idea for people doing certain types of business deals or other type of relationship situations. 
After some time went on and I became more familiar with SL and with using the tools that became available it stopped being a problem.
Now the prospect of having large numbers of people using their RL names brings up other types of possibilities. Over the years people have raised the issues of policy changes bringing up class distinctions within SL. Like verifieds vs unverifieds "no payment on file", then it came up again over the voice implementation.
Those changes really did not change my experience of SL very much in fact they were improvements. However having a large number of people using their RL names, this raises the possibility of a class discrimination more so than any other idea I have heard of.
Like people with RL names refusing to do business with those who choose not to use RL names.
Or it becoming a sport to "out" people who do not use RL names. Or those who may consider themselves superior for using RL names as opposed to those who do not. And then go on to spread distrust for those not using RL names.
From another pespective, in a world where people are mixed using RL names with those who are not using RL names, the person using their real name is at a distinct disadvantage. And if time has proven anything then some of those not using RL names will take advantage of the ones who are using RL names. Which will cause people using actual names to further distance themselves from people who are not using their actual names. And while those will most likely be the minority that have those experiences. The cries will be loud and the FUD will embed itself into the minds of those using their RL names.
It is almost as if the best solution would be to keep them separated. For example create a new continent for people who are using real life names. And do not allow people into it unless they are also using their RL names. That would keep the playing field level.
People using RL names could venture out in the big wide world, but at their own peril.
This scenario may never play out this way but it is a distinct possibility.
Whatever the case turns out to be, I think that LL should try to consider all of these possibilities in advance before making any changes that impact everyone.

Let's not forget the added folks who make up real life names and use them as their real names to gain an advantage giving others false security in relationships and business dealings.  Let's re-vist http://www.fakenamegenerator.com/ for example. Ring a bell?

I think there are quite a few people who use Second Life as a tool to "re-create" their lives.  In real life they may be a felon or a pedofile or worse, who knows.  In Second Life they are a hero, a business owner, a husband, a good friend.

There's nothing wrong with this until those people start using main / alt accounts to screw with other people in and out of Second Life.  They use their fake real life identities to gain other people's trust and create trouble for whichever enemies they have declared.   Then of course they have your real life info because you trusted them enough to share it.

I guess people shouldn't believe everything someone says just because they can type multiple paragraphs and claim to be Mr. John Perfect.  We all know Mr. John Perfect doesn't really exist.  SL can give you a big sense of ahabiggulpboyah huh?

[#33]

I live my SL as i Live my RL. There I don't really hide anything about my RL from SL cause to me it is an extention. Most of my SL buds and family I count as RL buds and Family and even met 20 of them so far. Now this is just me cause SL is what you make it. If one chooses to have these separate then that is their choice...as well as vice versa. Either way it is no one's job or right to keep this from happening but yourself. As long as it is not hurting the next person I say keep the option of separating or combining SL and RL up to the individual avatar/client and not dictated by Linden Gods, CrapBook, or WhySpace!!

[#34]

I hate this weasel word "conversation". It's the kind of conversation that your dad, your teacher, or your boss has with you when they're laying down the law and emphasizing your powerlessness to  challenge them. So why is Linden Lab so hot on the idea of integrating with  Facebook and capitulating to THEIR rules, i.e., disclosure of RL names and information? Why not make Facebook bow to SL and allow avatars to remain anonymous? Are we being greased here by Good Cop Wallace for the day when Facebook, or Google, buys out LL?

In any case, take heed of the overwhelmingly negative reaction to social media integration, Lindens.  If you proceed with this unpopular and disastrous plan, you will see a virtual exodus from your platform of we who don't want to trade "Your World, Your Imagination" for "Our World, Your Data". Don't kill the geese who laid your golden eggs, Linden Lab.

[#35]

Some people get very exercised about the use of alts, but I would just like to point out a couple of mundane use cases where having an alt is desirable or even essential:

• Many business people in SL use an alt to keep their money separate. It's just like having a business and personal bank account.
• As a designer and scripter, I need to use an alt as a dummy customer to test permissions of objects and scripts. Being the creator is a special case, because you have full perms over everything. It is essential to ensure that customers have the permissions you want to give them (e.g. no-copy, no-mod or no-transfer) when they buy something from you.

[#36]

No thanks.

In the real world privacy is easy to achieve.  There is even privacy on the flat web(ie: i don know if there are 30 other people reading this page right now, or if i am alone. i certainly dont know any names. Only the networky people in charge do.)

Now in SL, it is very obvious if I am in Your Sim. And rather easy to figure out what I am doing. Even in a locked down private sim my UUID is still broadcasting, leaving me "trackable".

The ONLY way to afford a small seperation of privacy in SL is to remain anonymous.

And dont get me started about SL's original vision.  This is a place(BECAUSE OF THe PRIVACY) where we can lower our inhibitions and ignore, stereo types, RL disabilities, race, gender roles(etc.etc.) and actually be Equals. I will be greatly disapointed if this vision is squandered. Nothing with this amazing potential has ever been availible to people before, ever!  Dont ruin it Wallace.

Connecting SL to facebookmyspace is counterproductive in the worst way.  Please show some vision, dont go backwards by latching onto the currently hyped fad.

[#37]

"In addition to the increased accountability of RL/SL linking, it offers advantages for professionals. Currently it is very difficult to use your real name in SL - and that deters a lot of people from joining, such as musicians, artists, businesspeople, and others who need to represent and promote themselves consistently across social media. These people can be a tremendous asset to SL, but we need to bring them on board with real info and networking tools they understand."

  I can't speak about business people, but this is clearly not true regarding artists and musicians. There are more of them in SL than you can keep up with, and many of them provide their RL info readily through the First Life tab. Authors come inworld to sims like Virtually Speaking and promote their books. Musicians even announce during their shows who they are, usually because they want us to visit their websites, buy their CDs or download their music from iTunes, or even come to their RL concerts. And that's the way it should be, RL info freely given to those who might have a need for it.

Anything else is coercion.

[#38]

Yes, but artists, musicians and others who come to SL have to use a fake name. They're not given a choice of using their real name. This means that people who try to friend them, or IM them, or search for them, have to remember a made-up avatar name that has no connection with their real name. This is a branding problem for any professional trying to do business in SL.

Just having a "real life tab" is not enough. SL doesn't have to go all the way, like Facebook did, and prohibit fake names. But forcing people to use fake names is just as bad as forcing people to use real names.

-- Maria

[#39]

Plenty of people have suggested making the FL tab searchable. But really, if I was an artist in SL who wanted to take advantage of my name, I'd create a group with my name on it, and make my "public alt" the owner.

[#40]

  Yes, but...you didn't get the point. Take for example a singer-songwriter named Zen Revnik. You can learn on his 1st Life tab as well as announcements he has made during his SL live music shows, that he is really John Randolph from Oklahoma, that he has a CD "Shadows" available from CD Baby, and also downloadable from iTunes, and he has a website that tells you not only who he is, but where and when he will be playing in both RL and SL. You can also buy his CD inworld at a sim that sells CDs recorded by residents. That was all the info I needed to buy his music and play it in RL on my computer, on my iPod, and in my car CD player. What was so hard about that? Plenty of other musicians do it. Anyone for whom it is difficult "to remember a made-up avatar name that has no connection with their real name" probably has problems with memory or info gathering anyway. And it might be a good thing for the artist in question if random friendings, IMs, or other distractions don't find their way to them when they are engaged in performing or getting to their next performance.

   As for artists and musicians having to us "fake" names, I seem to recall that big stars like David Bowie, Brain Eno, and Suzanne Vega were allowed to use their real names when performing in RL. Perhaps LL could provide a special sign-on program for artists and musicians who want to use their RL names in SL as part of their "branding". (But don't forget that many RL artists and musicians are amateurs who have careers only in  and maybe don't want others to know who they are and what they are doing!) This would be a boon to professionals for sure, and also prevent their audience from having to be "outed" to please the control freaks who insist on trampling on our privacy and using any tenuous excuse to do it.

[#41]

FYI, Twitter is for "old" people trying to be modern.

The nice webbie tools are privacy hell. My sl identity has leaked into Twitter and Spaces and some other places but I try not to have my sl identity liked with my rl identity.

I have had my share of rl death threads so I kinda like privacy and anonymity.

Only one tool I use in rl and that's Linkedin. It has some uses. My other webbie things include a whole lot more but I'm not the best in maintaining those. Should update my website, should.

Linking in sl can be done in three ways, the calling card (who uses that?), groups and friends. Friends have different levels of trust. I would like to see more groups and the possibility to sit alone in a group. In groups it would be nice to have more roles available.

The room for notes on an avatar is to small. I would be nice to have some db functions in it. Friends since, known alts, met at, Friends with etc.

The possibilities of something like Linkedin might be handy in-world. The who knows who. However I would not like to let others know how my friendslist looks like. So should be opt-in and seperate from the Friendslist.

There are many possibilities however they all touch privacy in-world and like in rl I value privacy.

[#42]

Alisha,

Thanks for bringing up the issue of real life discrimination. It's a sad but true fact that it still exists.

In SL we can be any race or species or gender or shape or size we want to be. And It's my belief that when you make a personal connection with another avatar on SL, what you are actually seeing is a glimpse of that person's true self, their inner self, the way they see themselves in their own mind's eye.

I'm not trying to get all metaphysical or anything. I'm just saying...in today's world anonymity is a rare gift. The ability to see past our prejudices is an even rarer one. Let's not throw that away.

[#43]

I am sorry, but until there are some tangible benefits from linking my rl to sl, I will not do it.  I afraid the the risks will always outweight the benefits, at least for some people. I don't think there is anything bad if ll were to offer incentives for people to connect their rl to their sl, but I think forcing the issue might prove detrimental.
Lets face it Mr. Wallace, you yourself have revealed your rl, only because it is beneficial to u  It is very likely that is the case for everybody that connects their rl to their sl
p.s.
-Sadly, even if is optional to link your rl to your sl, those that won't do it will be labeled as not-trustworthy(possibly even as griefers), even if they never did anything wrong  A stigma will be associated with those that don't. It is very likely that people will be discriminated As long as there are people that don't connect their sl and rl, those that do will feel insecure.  Is very likely that pressures will be put on those that don't, until possibly even LL will force everybody to do it.
-Even if everybody linked their rl to their sl, that still won't mean that fake accounts can't be made.  Just as in RL, where people can assume false identities, what would stop such persons from doing the same thing in sl?  It will just give people a false sense of security/trust.
-Lets do a poll. Who likes to connect their sl to their rl, and who doesn't.  The thing is, doesn't matter which side wins.  The other side can claim that alts and bots were used

[#44]

With all the goofy apps that Facebook likes to have, you'd think they would have some sort of way for a user to connect their Second Life (or WOW, or other MMO) avatar character to their RL profile.  I know many people don't want to associate their RL persona with their SL one, and those people should just elect not to tie their SL avatar to Facebook.  However, Facebook has the right to set the rules for their site, and if they delete profiles that are obviously not real, then that's their right to do so.  Also a new 'Second Facebook' site is coming soon, but despite all this, some users will STILL be mad that they cannot maintain a Facebook account tied to a fictional character, and they need to grow up.

[#45]

Who cares?  Let all concern, ranting, opinion, wishful thinking, pretentious ranting, oppression, and any other bogus attempt to control the human spirit burn in hell...

[#46]

And that's not a rant?  Let those who live in glass houses not throw stones.

[#47]

If it was a rant Charles, you would lack the ability to comprehend it.  You are part of the problem...

[#48]

As is the case in most worthwhile dialogue, there are no easy answers to the truly interesting questions.

Who's zoomin' who here?

"Identity theft" should be renamed.

It should be 'impersonation with intent to defraud' .

"I" am the extra-corporeal 'Self'', that which possesses, owns, uses, vivifies, and animates my various avatars; distinct from but essential to the continued existance of all of my various 'selves'.

Whether my avatar is composed of pixels or flesh, separating 'Me' from any of the avatars triggers an 'away' status, as evidenced by a snoring sound in the physical world as my body sleeps and dreams, and near total non-existence on the virtual planes.

I guess what I mean is that when push comes to shove, like, for instance..in cases where criminal prosecution is brought and recovery is sought by the aggrieved and the aggrieved party actually has enough resources left to pursue remuneration and recovery of losses, and there's any realistic hope of that recovery...the authorities arrest and fingerprint you on charges of impersonating yourself and primitive biometrics rapidly clear you, the tiny baby footprint that has automatically been recorded on original birth certificate hasn't changed except to grow larger and it'd be the work of a master forger to shrink an adult footprint accurately and convincingly.

I'm me, nobody else can be me, there've been times when I desperately wanted to be someone else, anyone else!  but no, I can't be somebody else, no matter how hard I try, no matter how convincingly I lie, I can't be anyone else.

The 'moral' of that story is that if 'you' are an As**ole in the physical world you'll be an As**ole in the virtual world, there are confidence tricksters, poseurs, liars and cheats in excessive supply in all the worlds of human endeavor and 'Trust me' is frequently synonymous with 'F**k you.

Yes, the connectivity of SL can transcend mere pixels and electrons and we are empowered, not only to be what we want and do what we want, we can do so with very little evidence that the virtual world is of ANY interest to a legal system overwhelmed with cther, more pressing, concerns.

So, some script kiddies (of any age) can do real damage with almost no consequences.

Handing such people a club to beat you with is one of those 'things that make you say 'wtf?'

[#49]

/me sighs "Hopes and dreams shattered once again by the Lindens."

Wallace, I had hope that your hiring was a sign the Lindens were actually ready to start listening to the users.  Now it's obvious that you were hired to be the usual corporate marcomm weasel, to grease the employees, er, "residents" into quietly accepting the changes that are coming.  These changes are, of course, a Good Thing (tm) because the New Management (tm) was hired to overcome all the obvious weaknesses of the former management, and look at what listening to the employees, er, "residents" got them: sacked.

For better or worse, the incompetence of the programming and/or operations staff hired by the new crop of geniuses has already drained most of my interest in Second Life, between fighting the constantly growing lag, the tp failures, and the near-nightly sim restarts.  Wiping the virtual dust off my boots and leaving Second Life will be less painful now than it was before, which is good since I'm certain the New Plan (tm) at Second Life somehow doesn't include me.

I'm equally certain that someone, somewhere, will create a virtual world where sharing and supporting the residents is actually the goal, as opposed to the corporate marketing bullet point it is at Linden Labs.  In the meantime, Wallace, here, have a carrot.

[#50]

Infiniview, you offered this idea:

Add another alt option to each account specifically reserved for your real life identity.
Each person could either use it or not. But it would always be there if someone decided they needed to use it. It would be imperative that it be verifiable as we do not need unverified accounts passing themselves off as Real People. So this could be an option for verified accounts.

This blog formatting does not allow me to write "NO!" in a large enough point size or garish enough color to impress upon you how loudly my mind shouted NO!at that thought. I could probably embed HTML to do it, but I shall spare the eyes of the blog readers. You may consider it sufficiently loud and negative to compare with a double-barreled shotgun being fired one inch from your ear. While pointed at that ear.

What that will create is an absolute and indellible "Red Letter of Shame" cast upon any account that refuses to fill in the Real-world information. "Obviously they are HIDING SOMETHING!" "You can't trust so-and-so, they won't post their REAL NAME!". It's bad enough that anyone who refuses to use Voice Chat is automatically labeled as untrustworthy or gender bending or any number of other unsavory allegations. Your idea would be ten thousand times worse.

Anyone in Second Life that has a legitimate and valid need to know my Real Identity information, such as a client hiring me to build multiple sims for them for thousands of dollars in real money, can get that information directly from me, privately. But 99.9999% of the residents in Second Life, and the unknown Internet-using population of the planet who can search SL's blogs and other web presences from the Internet, have absolutely ZERO valid reason to have that information about my private life.

I want NO PART of FaceBook, Twitter, or the other forms of mania that support freely distributing to every idiot on the Internet all the juicy details of one's private life and identity. If SL ever makes Real Life ID Information even an OPTIONAL part of an avatar's publicly accessible profile, I am canceling every account that I have, that very day. Period.

[#51]

Wallace,

I want NO PART of FaceBook, Twitter, or the other forms of mania that support freely distributing to every idiot on the Internet all the juicy details of one's private life and identity. If SL ever makes Real Life ID Information even an OPTIONAL part of an avatar's publicly accessible profile, I am canceling every account that I have, that very day. Period.

What that "optional linkage" will create is an absolute and indellible "Red Letter of Shame" cast upon any account that refuses to fill in the Real-world information. "Obviously they are HIDING SOMETHING!" "You can't trust so-and-so, they won't post their REAL NAME!". It's bad enough that anyone who refuses to use Voice Chat is automatically labeled as untrustworthy or gender bending or any number of other unsavory allegations. The implication and expectation will be that all "Honest" people will fill in their Real World profile info. We already see this with Voice.

My avatars, over a dozen of them, are NOT me. They are the roles I play as an actress and storyteller in SL. Or as an Actor, when they are male. Or as whatever you should call some creature that is not truly male, female, or even Human, when they perform a role in telling a story. Carrie Fischer is not Princess Leia. The latter is merely a role the actress once played, and in no way a representation of Carrie as a real person.

I need a linkage between most of my Second Life identities and my Real Life self about as much as the actor John Wayne would have wanted some fanatic lunatic hounding him at every movie scene shoot and at every interview for a part, shouting "HEY! His name isn't really JOHN! It's MARION! Yeah, real manly, huh?". How long do you think his career would have lasted, if he had not been able to assume the identity of "John Wayne", and cast aside his birth name, as "Marion"? Not far, I'll bet.

If I do my part well, in playing the role of Ceera Murakami, or of any of my alts, male or female, young or ancient, Human, Kitsune, Dragon or Anthro Sea Otter, then I should be able to believably CREATE that persona, and breathe life into it, and make the persons I am interacting with really feel they are talking to a 700 year old female Kitsune, once worshipped as a Goddess in her own right ; or a handsome male Human sailor, cast adrift in Edo period Japan ; or a female anthro wolf who works as a tavern wench in an era of swords, horse-drawn transport, and sorcery ; or as a male of an alien species that fits no clear taxonomy of Earth, yet who is a proud father of several children and grandchildren, and who dearly loves his mate ; or as one of that alien's children, of either gender or something neither male or female... In Second Life, I can transcend the limits of my birth race, gender, and even species, and the roles I can play are limited only by my imagination and creativity. DO NOT DESTROY THAT! I do NOT need constant reminders forced into everyone's view that these roles are all being played, sometimes in four logins concurrently, by a single person, whose gender and species are at odds with the persona I am portraying.

If you want to create a virtual world that is a clone of Reality, where all Avatars are traceable back to a real-life individual, and everyone is linked into Twitter, Facebook, Google, and the Chinese Secret Service Database of Subversives, be my guest. BUT DO IT AS A COMPELETLY SEPERATE GRID! Create "First Life", a virtual world where everyone only has one avatar, with the name and address disclosure, full racial profile, gender, religion, political affiliation, and whatever they are stupid enough to put in the public domain on view for all to see. And I'll NEVER log on to it. My employer would probably fire me for security breeches if I did. And I refuse to open myself that widely to identity theft and spammers.

An interesting observation. I had a party at my home the other night. In attendance was a married couple with a single child, another married couple with several kids, a single dad, and a single male with no children. Ages ranged from 20's to 50's. One married couple are both on Facebook, and they use it primarily to play a lot of the game apps on Facebook. The single male was commenting that Facebook had recently been devouring almost all of his free time, mostly to play stupid games. The single father commented that while he had a Facebook account because he had friends and family who had it, he hated it, hated the apps, and hardly ever uses it. My mate and I were the remaining couple, and we refuse to use Twitter, Facebook or any other "social networking" that exposes personal information for all on the Internet to freely access. These are all mature adults, with at least some college, and most of them college grads. All are technically competent, and active computer users. Many work now in high tech, or have done so in the past. And though four of them are either active in Second Life or have been in the past, not one of them has a Facebook account for their Avatar, nor would any of them desire one.

Crow about Facebook and Twitter all you want. I won't hear a word you say there, ever.To me, it just highlights the FAILURE of Second Life as a tool for social networking, and for meeting and dealing with large numbers of people. You can't do INSIDE Second life what is child's play on Facebook and Twitter. You can't communicate in-world to such large groups at once. You can't manage large and diverse collections of friends, business associates and other classifications of people. Yet you keep trying to present SL as a platform that can do these things. In spite of your own failure to do them. The Lab seems bound and determined to take a wonderful, creative application for creating virtual worlds, and force it into being used as something that it was NEVER meant to be. WHY? What is wrong with looking at what it IS; an incredibly versatile and imaginative tool for creating virtual realities; for entertainment, primarily; accepting that, and playing to the strengths that the platform has to offer? Why ignore the bird in the hand, while chasing after the birds you think you hear in the bushes?

You want to communicate? Talk to your CURRENT CUSTOMERS. Do it IN WORLD, within the environment. Or in the original forums.secondlife.com forums, which desperately need to be upgraded, maintained, and moderated, and should NOT be cast aside in favor of this less-functional Blog. Don't take it to the back alleys and exotic dimensions of Twitter, Facebook and other applications that are alien to what Second Life is. The answer is not to be found outside. The answer is to be found with those of us who use Second Life daily, and who breathe life into your virtual world. Forget about "Millions of unheard potential users that haven't yet used SL", and concentrate on the customers that you already HAVE. We can be a cantankerous, contrary and obstinate bunch of souls. But we are also passionately interested in YOUR PRODUCT, as it exists RIGHT NOW. And you can NOT say that about the "untold millions who we haven't reached yet".