A request for solutions to the resident names problem

[Deltango Vale]

I think it fair to say that the Display Names project was something of a failure.

As Ishtar pointed out, the new intake of residents suffer from a dearth of coherent names because they are limited to one name instead of two (forename and surname) and because existing residents gobbled up most of the coherent names to protect their identity and brand. New residents are left with little choice but to scramble for the crumbs of Wendy723 or, in frustration, to whack at any combination of letters and numbers that might still work. The result - predictably - is names like jetghievui Resident or Samgfgfgfg12.

Why this wasn't considered before implementation is a mystery, but the problem is here now and wants to be fixed. The question is how best to fix it. Since I am not an engineer, I will offer a conceptual approach.

The core of the problem is having only one name (one text ID). That means new residents must cram into one single name space. Imagine if the internet were to eliminate all suffixes except dot com. Everyone would have to cram into the dot com space, which is already filled. That's why new suffixes are being added all the time.

Linden Lab's databases can handle two text IDs at the moment (which makes going to one even stranger), so why not three or four? I do not know enough about the technology side, but can't Linden Lab, for example, add an extra 'field' to the name ID?

The old system was actually quite clever by providing a dropdown list of surnames. It seems odd to now give all new residents the surname ‘Resident’. Why not create a middle name field instead with a selection of dropdown choices? Alternatively, let residents choose all three names?

In any event, I think this thread could be a good place to help Linden Lab solve the naming problem. Any suggestions?

[Caitlin Tobias]

 

---

Deltango Vale wrote:

I think it fair to say that the Display Names project was something of a failure.

In any event, I think this thread could be a good place to help Linden Lab solve the naming problem. Any suggestions?

---

 

My suggestion would be: roll back and stick to the first and lastnames as we had.

Why invent a solution, while it was already there (and working, as far as I know...).

 

ETA: I mean only the names when you create an account, the display-names..oh well, that can work anyway, if people like it, why not.

[Josephina Bonetto]

 

My suggestion would be: roll back and stick to the first and lastnames as we had.

Why invent a solution, while it was already there (and working, as far as I know...).

 

ETA: I mean only the names when you create an account, the display-names..oh well, that can work anyway, if people like it, why not.

---

I thought the way legacy names was before this was a selling point, loved it.  I don't mind if display names are kept but firstname and lastname was perfect the way it was to me.

 

[Shiori Carter]

There is only one suggestion i can think of, go back to the first and last name, which is not going to happen.

I guess they could make you pick a sign in id, then pick a unique first and last name, and never display the sign in id. Display name can stay the same since a long tag is nice to have as roles are to short.

So, basically go back to what it was, but tack on the signid that is only used to log in.

Also, for people with minimum synaptic activity, you can still make a first and last name with no space, like, CindySingledigit :smileyvery-happy: (Names can be up to 31 character, and that name is still free so dont delay, go get it now)

[Peewee Musytari]

I don`t think it matters much if people get a weird login name, so long as the option for a proper Display name is there once they get into SL.

There were plenty of complaints with the old system too, from people that thought they had chosen a funny or clever name, only to regret it later when they realised they were stuck with it and it made them look stupid, to people that got "married" and wanted to have the same name as their partner.

It wouldn`t make any difference what system LL had in place, someone is always going to find fault with it.

Personally I preferred the old system too, but then I was never one of those that wanted to change my name.

[WeeWillian Wylie]

---

Peewee Musytari wrote:

I don`t think it matters much if people get a weird login name, so long as the option for a proper Display name is there once they get into SL.

There were plenty of complaints with the old system too, from people that thought they had chosen a funny or clever name, only to regret it later when they realised they were stuck with it and it made them look stupid, to people that got "married" and wanted to have the same name as their partner.

It wouldn`t make any difference what system LL had in place, someone is always going to find fault with it.

Personally I preferred the old system too, but then I was never one of those that wanted to change my name.

---

Here! Here! Being one of those people that chose poorly.I was excited for dispaly names, but since both names are displayed it was kinda a failure..Also it was rather difficult to go through the whole name list game because often times the last name you chose led to rejection of choice or just crappy selections. I remember making an alt for study purposes and went through 10 minutes trying to select a name. That can't be an easy enterance for someone and I'm sure lead to people quitting the account creation process.

 

                        

[Peewee Musytari]

 

---

WeeWillie Wylie wrote:

---

Peewee Musytari wrote:

I don`t think it matters much if people get a weird login name, so long as the option for a proper Display name is there once they get into SL.

There were plenty of complaints with the old system too, from people that thought they had chosen a funny or clever name, only to regret it later when they realised they were stuck with it and it made them look stupid, to people that got "married" and wanted to have the same name as their partner.

It wouldn`t make any difference what system LL had in place, someone is always going to find fault with it.

Personally I preferred the old system too, but then I was never one of those that wanted to change my name.

---

Here! Here! Being one of those people that chose poorly.I was excited for dispaly names, but since both names are displayed it was kinda a failure..Also it was rather difficult to go through the whole name list game because often times the last name you chose led to rejection of choice or just crappy selections. I remember making an alt for study purposes and went through 10 minutes trying to select a name. That can't be an easy enterance for someone and I'm sure lead to people quitting the account creation process.

 

                        

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dim+Sum+Garden/128/128/0/'

rel="nofollow">

---

You are correct Willie, I read somewhere that it was the places with too many options in the registration that made people bail out of the process. Aside from choosing names the other one was choosing a gateway to start from & that led to the gateways being closed so that new residents didn`t have to make mind boggling decisions.

 

[Deltango Vale]

Peewee/Willie,

I agree that selecting a name from a dropdown list slows the registration process. It took me an hour to choose my name (because I had a hunch I would be stuck with it forever).

I also agree that one should be able to change one's name.

At the moment, one can choose any name, but there is only one name space. At the very least, why not have two or three name spaces? For example, forename, surname or forename, middlename, surname.

[Asta Serrta]

Get the original last name system back and add the display name feature to it, that way you have best of both!

[Adromaw Lupindo]

Most internet users are used to the display name feature from the majority of other communities over the years; it's not a new system by any means. There were two options, choosing the internet legacy method that supported and fit with the current method or re-work things to support other openid's.

They went for the K.I.S.S, what exactly was a failure of it?

I see, today, account names and display names. It functionally works how it was designed. Residents’ gobbling up names is a problem caused by other residents. Guess who's responsible for that? Us!

Is there really a naming problem, are we sure?

If there is, should the Lab choose the names for us or should we have the choice?
Work on the drawing board from that question and take small steps I think as a suggestion.

If there was some visible way (for us) to know that users aborted registration, then I would have thought it a failure. If they made it past registration without too much hassle then it's hard to call that a failure at that point. Of course, anything could always be improved a little more - I just cringe at the label of failure.

[Unti Kamala]

Yes, most Internet users are used to having a separate 'login' name and a 'full' name. That's actually one of the issues here. The old system of a personal and a family name was something most residents were used to having in the physical world. On the other hand, a single-name login plus a separate display name makes SL feel more like a social networking site, like a web forum or Twitter, than a (secondary) world.

I have no idea of what went on inside LL when they planned this, what their reasons were and what kind of scenarios they saw as a result. However, I have a nagging feeling that they did not realise all the implications of the change. And that's a problem too: they changed a system that wasn't really broken into one that doesn't work any better, and didn't really explain why (or even give the impression that they had a reason beyond someone high enough wanting it badly enough).

[Persephone Emerald]

For those who prefer the old system of first & last names, it is still possible to create an avatar with both names by going through one of a few sites that still use this process. Here are a few.

 http://registration.scilands.org.uk/

 http://islab.org/slreg/

 http://registration.secondhealth.org.uk/

Do a Google search on "Second Life Registration" for more.

  

[Adromaw Lupindo]

 

---

Unti Kamala wrote:

"a single-name login plus a separate display name makes SL feel more like a social networking site, like a web forum or Twitter, than a (secondary) world."

---

 

But it is a social networking site, in 3D. Interactive virtual chat worlds don't stop being social networking sites and become some other mythical awe inspiring event that legends are told about just because it's a little different skin deep.

We have avatars that make friends and explore and create and sell together - it's all about the social networking unless you're more of an introvert like myself.

It's its own brand of social networking but that doesn't make it unlike all the others.

[Unti Kamala]

 

---

Adromaw Lupindo wrote:

 But it is a social networking site, in 3D.

---

In one sense it is, of course. However, looking at it from another angle, it is very different from other kinds of social networking. LL used to promote it as a virtual world – as the name Second Life suggests – but the current display name setup directs people towards viewing it less as a world and more as a service on the net. I'm not saying this is entirely a bad thing, just that it is one of the consequences of the change. And I'd still love to hear some explanation of what went on within LL when they made their decisions about whether and how to implement display names.

 

[Deltango Vale]

SL is a social network x 10,000. It is a an S-class Mercedes compared to a Facebook Ford Fiesta. It is a Chanel evening dress compared to a Facebook facecloth. It is Windows 7 compared to DOS 3.1. Perhaps Linden Lab should quit washing the car with a Hermes scarf.

[Quinn Morani]

It seems that a big part of the problem is that new users aren't initially aware of Display Names at all. If LL is set on keeping this new naming system, new users should at least be required to create a Display Name (in addition to username) at signup.

[Irene Muni]

A related JIRA: https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/SVC-6235

[Persephone Emerald]

LL said it wasn't going to allow voting on JIRAs, but I just voted on this one. Register your own concern while you can.

 

   VOTE!

[Unti Kamala]

I thought they just said they wouldn't care about votes. That is, it's still possible to vote but they use their own criteria to make their decisions about which issues to tackle in which order, and the number of votes is no longer a concern at all.

[Lilith Darwin]

I think New Users of SL are getting a bum deal because they aren't given the option of a Surname. I LIKE my Sur Name. Lilith Darwin? Pardon my French but **bleep** YEAH.

 

Darwin wasn't my originally Idenity but I worked hard and I've grown into it. Looking at people with names like "DemonlordTimmy" hurts my eyes. I understand the display names gives us a little more customization, just work it in with teh old system of Surnames it can't hurt can it?

[HotRodJohnny Gears]

I have never seen an internet group or whatever that makes me log in with one name and displays another name on my posts or participation.  What are you talking about?

I think LL has misunderstood some registration problems.  Haw many of us backed out of registration when we didn't like the last name choices but continued until we like our username?  Did LL see those "backing out" moves as "quits", and therefore thought new users were giving up before finishing the registration process?

[Canoro Philipp]

this is my solution, allow spaces, with a limit on characters, not allowing all-spaces names, and converting multiple spaces into one

if spaces would be allowed the new residents could have as many middle names as they wish, they could have something like "rose mary leonor smith" or "the bandit of the desert" as a name

[Perrie Juran]

The change in the resident name choice (user name) at sign up is going to keep getting more problematic exponentially  as it continues.

It ignores the fact among other things that we do form relationships here and if I have seven different Mary's in my friend's list keeping track of them by number becomes an exercise in mental gymnastics. 

Even now I with minimal use of display names among the friends I have, I am having to look at the user name to double check whom I am speaking with.  It is already a headache.  The one relief is that the use has been mainly limited to friends who are partnered so while they have adopted their partners surname, fortunately they are not changing it every week.

[Houseofyork]

Well i quite frankly am pretty pissed your account log in showing up as your avatar name ... do you know how much of a breech of security that is ?? any hacker already has half of what they need to bust into your account ... where was the intelligence there?

 

Not to mention had I been told YOUR LOG IN IS YOUR NAME ... i'd have never used the log in I did .. when asked if i could change it to somethign that made more sense to my avatar name i was told it was absolutely not possible which again is stupid.    I was asked to name my avatar after logging in ... THIS is what i thought people would see not my log in. 

 

I want to be known as my avatar name not as my login name ... you really should address this .. its just absolutely STUPID to say the least.

[Ossian1488303077]

---

Houseofyork wrote:

Well i quite frankly am pretty pissed your account log in showing up as your avatar name ... do you know how much of a breech of security that is ?? any hacker already has half of what they need to bust into your account ... where was the intelligence there?

Not to mention had I been told YOUR LOG IN IS YOUR NAME ... i'd have never used the log in I did .. when asked if i could change it to somethign that made more sense to my avatar name i was told it was absolutely not possible which again is stupid.    I was asked to name my avatar after logging in ... THIS is what i thought people would see not my log in. 

I want to be known as my avatar name not as my login name ... you really should address this .. its just absolutely STUPID to say the least.

---

You're right: it's maddening and it doesn't make sense.

Many times we've asked LL to let us change our names, but they've always said it was too difficult.

They believe that this new system -- with all its complications and inconsistencies -- solves the problem.

And they've invested a lot into this way of doing it, so it's unlikely to change.

The only thing you can do is make a new account. It's always been the only remedy.