Will They Bring Back Second Life Last Names?

[Suspiria Finucane]

 

The first part is key  :smileytongue:

[NatashaSteele]

i dont understand why it cant be coded.... and why we need display names. it would be cool if you can just change your name period. In IMVU they make you buy a namechange token for that. LL could make money off people choosing a diffrent first and/or last name.

 

I would love to be able to change it and when I partner someone in here assume his last name for example. The display name doesnt cut it because the moment I walk into a club, the host shouts at me the real name not the display name.

 

 

[Zevara]

If last names were coded before, they can be coded again.  I don't really understand the big deal.  Forcing people to have the last name, 'Resident', is boring.  It would be nice to have something unique like they did before, especially for those of us who started playing after they got rid of the ability to choose last names.  I really, really wish they'd give us the option.

[kiramanell]

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Teagan Tobias wrote:

For a coder to say they can't do last names is lazy

or stupid

on there part, its a computer, just code it. And yes I have done and worked with coders. Now that said, there may be a lot of people stuck with the last name of Resident, but that has nothing to do with bringing back last names. Now bringing back last names and changing everyone from Resident to some other last name, now that is a horse of a different color. But again, bringing back last names can be done. But we will not see it because LL does not care to put forth the effort. IMHO

---

I feel you're splitting hairs a bit. Often when a coder says it can't be done, what he/she really means, is that it can't be done reasonably. A responsible coder will also consider the collateral damage of a change (like, in this case, scripts breaking, for instance; and/or security orb notecards, etc).

Also, seems some folks seem to think LL took away their last names just for spite. Way I recall it, though, is that the 'Resident' part was added, so as to make it easier (for scripts/security reasons) etc,. to determine who's s real human, and who's just a survey bot or something.

[Theresa Tennyson]

---

kiramanell wrote:

---

Teagan Tobias wrote:

For a coder to say they can't do last names is lazy

or stupid

on there part, its a computer, just code it. And yes I have done and worked with coders. Now that said, there may be a lot of people stuck with the last name of Resident, but that has nothing to do with bringing back last names. Now bringing back last names and changing everyone from Resident to some other last name, now that is a horse of a different color. But again, bringing back last names can be done. But we will not see it because LL does not care to put forth the effort. IMHO

---

I feel you're splitting hairs a bit. Often when a coder says it can't be done, what he/she really means, is that it can't be done

reasonably

. A responsible coder will also consider the collateral damage of a change (like, in this case, scripts breaking, for instance; and/or security orb notecards, etc).

Also, seems some folks seem to think LL took away their last names just for spite. Way I recall it, though, is that the 'Resident' part was added, so as to make it easier (for scripts/security reasons) etc,. to determine who's s real human, and who's just a survey bot or something.

---

WHAT I KNOW:

Avatars never had a true "last name" in the form of a word that was stored in their data. They had a "first  name" which is up to 31 letters and then "last name" field which is actually a number which is looked up in a database. When you picked a last name you really just chose one of a range of numbers. My name is actually Theresa 10910. The datafield for a number is far smaller than a name - using the typical method of coding letters two letters take up the same space as over 64,000 numbers. This is why custom last names were very difficult to get - they had to be added to the central database. This also is why people who become Lindens can have their last name changed - the number is changed from whatever it was to "1" which becomes displayed as "Linden" and probably also grants them Linden powers.

WHAT I SUSPECT:

I first joined just weeks before "last names" were discontinued - note that my last name corresponds to 10,910. Databases in SL tend to become slow and unreliable when they have much more than 10,000 entries. I also assume a copy of the database needs to be loaded to the viewer. Over 10,000 people create new accounts in SL every day - the vast majority of them don't stay, of course, but they all need unique names. If they all got old-style database last names the database would keep growing until it started causing performance problems.

I've created several alt accounts since the change and haven't had major problems with names. If you choose a first and last name for yourself that aren't that of a famous person or are extremely common and you make your username "FirstnameLastname" you've got a very good chance of getting that name.

[irihapeti]

am pretty sure that the largest number of people with the same last name by choice was Gossipgirl

named after the TV show. Was 1000s and 1000s of new residents running round with that name at the time

+

is quite interesting what effect TV has

like was this doco on SL shown on TV where I live a while ago now. Was about some mad RL couple who was cheating on each other in SL while sitting next to each in the same room RL lol. Lies drama jealousy and my cheateree is way better than your cheateree. Altho am not sure how the lying went given they could see each others screens RL. but plenty of drama (:

anyways. In the days after it showed the WAs were inundated with new residents from my country going where all the hunky guys and beautiful ladies at. Imma wan get me some dat. Moose Beach WA in particular seemed to be the WA they was getting routed into. Was worse than Auckland Airport (:

all chattering about the TV show and where I go to get it. I said kia ora more times to others in those few weeks than all other time in SL put together

   

[Perrie Juran]

---

Theresa Tennyson wrote:

---

kiramanell wrote:

---

Teagan Tobias wrote:

For a coder to say they can't do last names is lazy

or stupid

on there part, its a computer, just code it. And yes I have done and worked with coders. Now that said, there may be a lot of people stuck with the last name of Resident, but that has nothing to do with bringing back last names. Now bringing back last names and changing everyone from Resident to some other last name, now that is a horse of a different color. But again, bringing back last names can be done. But we will not see it because LL does not care to put forth the effort. IMHO

---

I feel you're splitting hairs a bit. Often when a coder says it can't be done, what he/she really means, is that it can't be done

reasonably

. A responsible coder will also consider the collateral damage of a change (like, in this case, scripts breaking, for instance; and/or security orb notecards, etc).

Also, seems some folks seem to think LL took away their last names just for spite. Way I recall it, though, is that the 'Resident' part was added, so as to make it easier (for scripts/security reasons) etc,. to determine who's s real human, and who's just a survey bot or something.

---

WHAT I KNOW:

Avatars never had a true "last name" in the form of a word that was stored in their data. They had a "first  name" which is up to 31 letters and then "last name" field which is actually a number which is looked up in a database. When you picked a last name you really just chose one of a range of numbers. My name is actually Theresa 10910. The datafield for a number is far smaller than a name - using the typical method of coding letters two letters take up the same space as over 64,000 numbers. This is why custom last names were very difficult to get - they had to be added to the central database. This also is why people who become Lindens can have their last name changed - the number is changed from whatever it was to "1" which becomes displayed as "Linden" and probably also grants them Linden powers.

WHAT I SUSPECT:

I first joined just weeks before "last names" were discontinued - note that my last name corresponds to 10,910. Databases in SL tend to become slow and unreliable when they have much more than 10,000 entries. I also assume a copy of the database needs to be loaded to the viewer. Over 10,000 people create new accounts in SL every day - the vast majority of them don't stay, of course, but they all need unique names. If they all got old-style database last names the database would keep growing until it started causing performance problems.

I've created several alt accounts since the change and haven't had major problems with names. If you choose a first and last name for yourself that aren't that of a famous person or are extremely common and you make your username "FirstnameLastname" you've got a very good chance of getting that name.

---

Very interesting and your theory is fascinating.  When Rodvik came on he said he'd look into reinstating Last Names but then came back and said that "after a round table discussion" it wouldn't happen.  Perhaps it really was and is a data base problem.  After The Recent Unpleasantness   LL did admit there were many single points of failure in the data base.

 

I'll add on here for reference the top ten names.  Source

 

GossipGirl	151096	856	176.5	**Only uploaded images may be used in postings**://slnamewatch.com/images/google.ico" border="0" alt="GOOGLE" />	heritage
Allen	99265	>= 179	<= 554.6	**Only uploaded images may be used in postings**://slnamewatch.com/images/google.ico" border="0" alt="GOOGLE" />	heritage
Magic	93466	277	337.4	**Only uploaded images may be used in postings**://slnamewatch.com/images/google.ico" border="0" alt="GOOGLE" />	heritage
Aeon	77776	175	444.4	**Only uploaded images may be used in postings**://slnamewatch.com/images/google.ico" border="0" alt="GOOGLE" />	heritage
Oh	75171	>= 179	<= 419.9	**Only uploaded images may be used in postings**://slnamewatch.com/images/google.ico" border="0" alt="GOOGLE" />	heritage
Beck	70552	>= 179	<= 394.1	**Only uploaded images may be used in postings**://slnamewatch.com/images/google.ico" border="0" alt="GOOGLE" />	heritage
Andel	68629	276	248.7	**Only uploaded images may be used in postings**://slnamewatch.com/images/google.ico" border="0" alt="GOOGLE" />	heritage
Writer	53609	>= 179	<= 299.5	**Only uploaded images may be used in postings**://slnamewatch.com/images/google.ico" border="0" alt="GOOGLE" />	heritage
Barbosa	51991	>= 179	<= 290.5	**Only uploaded images may be used in postings**://slnamewatch.com/images/google.ico" border="0" alt="GOOGLE" />	heritage
Voom	51345	>= 179	<= 286.8	**Only uploaded images may be used in postings**://slnamewatch.com/images/google.ico" border="0" alt="GOOGLE" />	heritage

 

Lastly, your comment about getting a current name.  It continues to get harder and harder to create a name that doesn't require a number with it unless you want something surreal.  I went through this recently with a friend creating an account.  We knew the gist of what she wanted but it took us 30 minutes playing around with variations to come up with one that did not require a number.

[Phil Deakins]

How on earth do always manage to remember stuff from way back to link to? What sort of brains do Martians have? And how many?

[Perrie Juran]

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Phil Deakins wrote:

How on earth do always manage to remember stuff from way back to link to? What sort of brains do Martians have? And how many?

---

We have one track minds..........

[Phil Deakins]

Not much different from we earthmen then, but we can't remember where to find stuff from way back. Maybe your brains run n different tracks.

[CheriColette]

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Suspiria Finucane wrote:

.....

 

The first part is key  :smileytongue:

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re peter bjorn and john,  young folks video (was unavailable in my country>>>but I found it elsewhere)

cute song

anyway, about user names...mine is set now, so Im not worrying about changing. 

But if they removed last name option, why do they then  need to add  'resident' sometimes? 

[Egon Rothschild]

On 2/28/2013 at 8:32 PM, Dillon Levenque said:

 

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Egon Rothschild wrote:

 

 

 

i really have! been on private sims with the same old crowd. only recently have i ventured to the outside world LOL.

 

 

---

 

You definitely need to get out more. Two plus years? My goodness. But on the subject of first and last names, you did an excellent job choosing yours. I'm of a generation that will always have kind thoughts for an Egon, and the last name is rich in real history. Shame you couldn't add a 'von' in there.

I had to choose "Rothschild" since "von Fürstenberg" wasn't available LOL

Edited June 17, 2021 by Egon Rothschild

[Coffee Pancake]

 

[Rowan Amore]

Lemme just dust these off

[LittleMe Jewell]

 

Impressive - I wonder how they even managed to dig this one up.

 

[Rowan Amore]

16 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

 

Impressive - I wonder how they even managed to dig this one up.

 

And why

 

[Coffee Pancake]

Can help feel I'd totally get warning points if I went back 6 years

[Tommy Linden]

This is a really old thread, lets allow it to go back to resting peacefully.