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I despise my username. Is there anything I can do to hide it from others at all?


Xynardo
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So... Long story short.

I made this account, because I had no intention on actually getting into Second Life. Fast forward a year later, and I'm a daily user. It's a big part of what I do every day, but every so often, someone will call me by my username, or they'll question it. I chose the username, because it was just something simple I thought I could remember; If I knew I'd still be using SL today, I'd have made it something different.

I can change my display name, but people will always be able to see my username above my head, underneath my display name. Some people even call me by it and it frustrates me a little.


So... That's where I ask you guys. I really want to cover this name.  If I could, I'd even transfer all my content from one account to another, but since a good number of my inventory is non-transferable I don't believe that's possible...

I know it's a niche issue, and it's entirely my fault, but does anybody have any suggestions?

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Nope. Other than creating a new account, you can't do anything about it. Whether others will see your display name or your username will depend on their viewer's preferences... and if they see both, it'll probably be up to them to choose which one to call you with; I often choose the display name, assuming that's how they want to be called at the moment, but not everyone does, even if they see display names. But there's no way to actually hide it from your end, either on communication panels or, for that matter, visually (most tricks I've seen about this quite simply don't work).

The most you can do, I guess, is to choose a display name that will make it clear what actual name you want to go by... for example, if your username is “Xynardo” but you'd really like to be called “Bernardo”, then use something like “Bernardo Xyn” as your display name: most people will correctly gues how you want to be called. After all, we're all aware that usernames are difficult to choose from, because you can't pick an already existing one, and many end up using something half randomly -still thinking “oh, I'm only going to take a quick look at this weird Second Life thing, so why bother thinking too much about what name to use”-, then regret not having thought it more carefully, then use display name to choose what we actually wanted to be called.

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Sierra Oskar wrote:

You can always introduce yourself by using the name you really like or correct people when they call you you the wrong way. I am sure they will get used to it.

Due to LL's bad decision making there is no right or wrong way. Oh well, there kinda is. In my eyes, and the eyes of many older resis, the original account name always has priority over silly display names. I guess we can even set our viewers so they won't display display names so many people won't even know what he calls himself on any day. According to the lab everything is cooI.

I don't understand OP's motives at all. A year ago, when he made his account, he didn't think he'd use it ... and so he actually spent unnecessary brainwork into creating a name he doesn't like? Uh, I mean WTF????

 

 

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I only call people by their displayname if its not written in fancy fonts (even less if it includes a letter that is a normal one in my native language, I tend to find that disrespectful) or if its not even a 'real' name, for example I would not call someone "Sexy Babe" just because they put that as their displayname.

I also tend to ignore display names from people who I know that they constantly change it.

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People with a good understanding of social responses and who are grown up enough to respect the name people choose for themselves will typically honour Display Names. You can always discard people callling you by your Username as dumb, backward or socially inept.

They're not a new feature and their purpose is obvious - anyone ignoring them is doing so to make themselves feel smug.

As others have already said, you can't hide your Username. You can however use it as a litmus test for friend selection.

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Freya Mokusei wrote:

People with a good understanding of social responses and who are grown up enough to respect the name people choose for themselves will typically honour Display Names. You can always discard people callling you by your Username as dumb, backward or socially inept.

They're not a new feature and their purpose is obvious - anyone ignoring them is doing so to make themselves feel smug.

As others have already said, you can't hide your Username. You can however use it as a litmus test for friend selection.

I don't use display names because Lucky Chairs and the like don't use them. And that is a big part of my clothing resource. Nothing more to it than that. Smug, no, its just because of the way SL works. Display names are great for RP, but other than that they just get in the way.

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Teagan Tobias wrote:

I don't use display names because Lucky Chairs and the like don't use them. And that is a big part of my clothing resource. Nothing more to it than that. Smug, no, its just because of the way SL works. Display names are great for RP, but other than that they just get in the way.


I don't understand this reasoning at all, sorry. Your Username begins with a T, and your Display Name matches. Old scripts don't limit your experience here.

The usefulness of Display Names is not limited to RP.

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Xynardo wrote:

So... Long story short.

I made this account, because I had no intention on actually getting into Second Life. Fast forward a year later, and I'm a daily user. It's a big part of what I do every day, but every so often, someone will call me by my username, or they'll question it. I chose the username, because it was just something simple I thought I could remember; If I knew I'd still be using SL today, I'd have made it something different.

I can change my display name, but people will always be able to see my username above my head, underneath my display name. Some people even call me by it and it frustrates me a little.

 

So... That's where I ask you guys. I really want to cover this name.  If I could, I'd even transfer all my content from one account to another, but since a good number of my inventory is non-transferable I don't believe that's possible...

I know it's a niche issue, and it's entirely my fault, but does anybody have any suggestions?

I don't understand why you despise your username. Its unique, and it doesn't seem to have any bad connections with, say, gangsters, in real life.  Learn to love it yourself, as I feel the majority of folks in Second Life who "question" it are only doing so because they're trying to take an interest in you, and wanting to make conversation other than basic "hi" "how are you" phrases. You are not obliged to even respond to them or explain the reason behind your name or anything else.

Why don't you modify your profile, and state there something like "I like to be called (Pete/Dave/ Groucho/Whatever).  Those who take the time to read profiles are usually the most likely to be interesting and interested.

Your current Display Name is what I'd like to drink right now! :matte-motes-big-grin:

Love yourself, and your chosen name, Xynardo.

Or if you really cannot stand it, start all over again, and right off the non-transferable inventory items (I equate my expenditure in Second Life to what I would have spent in real life on disposable fun, like beer and chocolate, then it doesn't hurt to have to lose or re-buy HUDs/tools/clothes etc., in Second Life).

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Freya Mokusei wrote:


Teagan Tobias wrote:

I don't use display names because Lucky Chairs and the like don't use them. And that is a big part of my clothing resource. Nothing more to it than that. Smug, no, its just because of the way SL works. Display names are great for RP, but other than that they just get in the way.


I don't understand this reasoning at all, sorry. Your Username begins with a T, and your Display Name matches. Old scripts don't limit your experience here.

The usefulness of Display Names is not limited to RP.

I guess you don't use the lucky chairs, you need to know the first letter of the User Name, not the display name, of the people around you to know how fast your going to need to be to get an item. If no one else there has a user name starting with T then I can take my time. Like I said, display names just get in the way. Linden Lab has made it this way and I just use what works best for me.

To test this I made an alt several year ago, she uses only her display name, always has and always will, its a real pain in the tush not seeing the user name around you. And to display both is out of the question due to the amount of clutter on the screen, so I stick with just user names.

And about being smug, the smug people are the ones that think you need to be like them, I don't care if you use your user name or display name, does not matter to me.

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Familiar with Lucky Chairs, I just don't 'compete' for them. But thanks for the explanation, I hadn't thought of needing to check other peoples' Usernames against your own. There would be more efficient ways to do this using a script, avoiding comparison by eye altogether. The Nearby tab of the Contacts List might be beneficial for this to some extent, as some viewers allow sorting by Username. Both of these options would allow you to continue to participate at Lucky Chairs (and possibly improve your timing) while also allowing you to use the standard name convention of today: Display Names.

Again though, this is due to old scripts. It's unfortunate if these old scripts require the swap to Usernames. I can only hope that you have the good sense to use Display Names when acting socially, rather than when shopping in this way.

This isn't about being like anyone, and it's not about functionality or use-cases for outdated scripts. This thread seems to be about the social implications of Display Names, not how un-updated scripts react. Your particular case is interesting but outside the scope of my statements in this thread: There is no excuse for not using someones' chosen name to address them in a social setting.

Apologies if this wasn't clear.

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This thread is not about social implications of Display Names, the OP made it very clear in the title of the thread, “I despise my username.”

You can read social into it if you like but the OP is very clear in what the thread is about, hiding a user name they hate.

And as far as display names being a standard, no, there is nothing standard about the ugly unreadable junk that I see when my alt is out to play.

But, I guess I would start using display names if lucky chairs would use them, see something you like, change your name. I like it!

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Teagan Tobias wrote:

You can read social into it if you like but the OP is very clear in what the thread is about, hiding a user name they hate.

Ya. Hiding it from people during social encounters. Therefore social. This seems like a basic point - one can either discuss the platform-induced limitations of Usernames/Display Names (LSL, scripts and old stuff) or the socially-induced limitations of Usernames/Display Names (making friends, talking, cultural stuff that's changed in the multiple years since release of Display Names). Discussion so far in this thread has related to the latter.

Display Names have been standard for a long time now. Your choice not to see or use them doesn't alter reality, but it does mean you're slipping behind the cultural curve. ;)

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When "Display Names" were first announced there was a lot of discussion and feedback from people about the visibility of both User and Display names.  Merchants had a very big concern with knowing exactly whom they were dealing with and many people had a concern about Griefers hiding behind them. 

The weight of this concern was great enough that the direction LL went was to give us the ability to decide which we wanted to see.  After all, if you are talking with someone you do want to know whom you are really talking with.  If all you could see was the Display Name you'd have no way of knowing if this was actually the same person you bumped pixels with the night before or not.

In one sense it is a no win situation for everyone.

From my point of view the whole thing is a real pain in the butt.

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Fully aware of (by now) ancient SL history. :) Thanks though, some useful timelining up there for others. It has now been at least 2.5 years (I don't have the changeover date on-hand) since Display Names were released.

Verification hasn't ever turned into the problem Merchants imagined. Impersonation happens but it's just as common via Username as Display Name, and seems to occur at the same rate (compensating for a decline in reward) it did prior to Display Names.

I'd say concern on this issue has the same irrelevance as those who complain about Unicode names. Copypaste exists, and nicknames are common too. Not hard to stay respectful.

I'd say that this, too, is an entirely separate issue from the names people use to refer to each other. While we have the decision to choose which name we see, it's very clear that there are so many Resident-surnames now that Display Names are the typical place to set a 'friendly' name. Culturally, Second Life has become comfortable with Display Names being used to reflect relationship status, company titles and honorifics.

Most people have no problem understanding that a Display Name is now the name of choice, a Username is the name of necessity, the hold-outs are typically dinosaurs. :P

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Xynardo wrote:

So... Long story short.

I made this account, because I had no intention on actually getting into Second Life. Fast forward a year later, and I'm a daily user. It's a big part of what I do every day, but every so often, someone will call me by my username, or they'll question it. I chose the username, because it was just something simple I thought I could remember; If I knew I'd still be using SL today, I'd have made it something different.

I can change my display name, but people will always be able to see my username above my head, underneath my display name. Some people even call me by it and it frustrates me a little.

Your only real full solution is to delete the account and make a new one.

I did that 3 years into SL.

I only had one friend that refused to refriend my new avatar. And frankly - that baffled me and I forgot who that person was within a month...

If you look through your inventory... how much of it are you really using regularly? What would it cost to switch to a new account - its usually less than most people think. Its not cheap of course if you've bought a lot of stuff... but are you really using all of that stuff all of the time?

 

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Teagan Tobias wrote:


Freya Mokusei wrote:

People with a good understanding of social responses and who are grown up enough to respect the name people choose for themselves will typically honour Display Names. You can always discard people callling you by your Username as dumb, backward or socially inept.

I don't use display names because Lucky Chairs and the like don't use them. And that is a big part of my clothing resource. Nothing more to it than that. Smug, no, its just because of the way SL works. Display names are great for RP, but other than that they just get in the way.

There is no standard social norm over the rules of display names versus usernames or even what should be typed into a display name.

I've seen plenty of display names that are unreadable 'art' characters... some identically repeat the username. Some are opposite sex of the username. Some are titles and rankings in some community. Some are names I can easily read and make sense of. Some people with them refer to themselves by their username, others by their display name.

No norm has evolved.

 

It seems like everyone who uses a Display Name has their own individual rules for how I am supposed to deal with it... and I'm offending some of them if I get it wrong, but they don't tell me what those rules are.

 

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Freya Mokusei wrote:

Fully aware of (by now) ancient SL history.
:)
Thanks though, some useful timelining up there for others. It has now been at least 2.5 years (I don't have the changeover date on-hand) since Display Names were released.

Verification hasn't ever turned into the problem Merchants imagined. Impersonation happens but it's just as common via Username as Display Name, and seems to occur at the same rate (compensating for a decline in reward) it did prior to Display Names.

I'd say concern on this issue has the same irrelevance as those who complain about Unicode names. Copypaste exists, and nicknames are common too. Not hard to stay respectful.

I'd say that this, too, is an entirely separate issue from the names people use to refer to each other. While we have the decision to choose which name we see, it's very clear that there are so many Resident-surnames now that Display Names are the typical place to set a 'friendly' name. Culturally, Second Life has become comfortable with Display Names being used to reflect relationship status, company titles and honorifics.

Most people have no problem understanding that a Display Name is now the name of
choice
, a Username is the name of
necessity
, the hold-outs are typically dinosaurs.
:P

I did tag your reply partly out of convenience. 

Whether or not there would have been more or less trouble if we had been given only the ability to see the display name is hard to say because it did not happen.  At worst it might have only added the additional inconvenience of verification of whom you were really talking with.

As to copy/paste of Unicode while we can do that there is also a mental need of being able to pronounce a name.  Sometimes it is a exercise in mental gymnastics trying to decipher a pronunciation.  k1nd 0f l1k3 l34rn1n6 h0w 70 r34d l337 5p34k.

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I would recommend getting a new avatar. The sooner the better. Just re-buy things if you still need them. It boils down to being happy about your name and not having things, or being unhappy with your name and having some things. What price are you wiling to pay for happiness?

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Lucky chairs use the User name since that is the name that your account is in and all your stuff is listed with. It can't be changed because that unique name is associated with your unique UUID.

Display names came about when LL, in ther "infinite wisdom", decided to do away with unique surnames and replace it with Resident for all. Their logic was that it would be less restrictive on first names....bad decision. Now we have Wendy, Wendi, Windy, Windie, Wendie, etc  with numbers added now because there can be only on Wendy Resident. LL thought that the display name could be used for you to set what you want to be called and also allow partnered residents to add their preferred last names...didn't quite work out the way they thought. And yes, I'd love to see the list of surnames to choose from be returned. You got some very witty names, like Peppermint Twist, Variably Silent, Sinfuldelight Fiul as examples.

Best you can do is change the display name, maybe create a group that you can then have the title of "My Name Is"

Otherwise, a new avi is your best bet.

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"There is no excuse for not using someones' chosen name to address them in a social setting."

 

I'm sorry, but i refuse to say "hello Master's c*m sl*t" when i meet someone, no matter where we are.

I guess ll never imagined how popular that display name, and ones like it, would be when they thought up the whole thing.

 

Another thing, when i meet someone i try to use use their first name, unles their first name is Master, and then it "hey you"

 

:)

 

 

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