I have a dumb question Linden Lab, why did you do away with choosing Last names???

[Lacie Keng]

I have been with SL off and on since 2004. I have seen you guys come up with really stupid things, and then I have seen you guys come up with totally Awesome things.  What is this garbage with not allowing users to choose last names? This is a STUPID thing. If I was a brand new person to SL and had the name Resident, while in world people have different last names then Resident,... I wouldn't pay for a membership if I could not choose a last name or even make up one of my own...  Unless you are now offering users a way to change their names other than the Phoenix Viewer??? I guess I could see where you would be coming from there... But I do know some users who are like, "how come I can't have a different Last name?"  Really Guys, why are you resorting to this? What's your reasoning?  Did you run out of ideas for names? If you did, did you ever thing of having a contest or asking people inworld to come up with some names to maybe help?

You guys have some 3D world competition going on out there... you might want to re-think some of your strategies... unless you don't really care.... but again thats up to you. I do have a suggestion for you, but again, you'd have to show me a suggestion area, this is questions... and complaints.

[Charolotte Caxton]

Hi Lacie, welcome back. Your observations are about a month or so late, that topic has been talked to death, but you share many of the others opinions on the matter. Wait until you start meeting people with just numbers for names, no joke, they are out there. Im not sure about the whole Phoenix name changing thing, but all the rage was the introduction of display names, boy were peeps upset about that! Basically, you can have whatever name you want floating over your head, but you still keep your unchangeable user name, yeah, I know, right?

So yeah, a lots been going on. Like I said, welcome back.

[valerie Inshan]

Most new users are also complaining about this new "Resident" last name feature, but there is absolutely no way to change this. If I was new, my name would be "valerie Resident" or valerieInshan Resident". Stupid or not, that is how it is now.

However, you can choose a Display Name of your choice in both SL viewer and Pheonix. Your account name will remain "xxxx Resident", but people inwolrd will see your Display Name hovering over your avatar. In Phoenix, this can be set just under the "Preferences" tab.

In the forums, only four first name will show ("Resident" is not displayed here").

[Lacie Keng]

Wow... hahahaha. Well Charlotte, I really didn't think anything of it until all of a sudden I kept seeing the name Resident everywhere I went. I was like, what the heck is going on? And thanks for the Welcome Back, I really like SL obviously, but sometimes The Linden Lab just does things... or fixes things they think needs to be fixed when they actually don't... Sorry about bringing up an old subject, but it just baffles me. Why? Why did they resort to this? It's kind of annoying and very uncreative for a world that is suppose to allow creativity, I mean is SL going under? Is there something New that is coming? I need to read up and catch up with things I guess... lol

[Charolotte Caxton]

lol, i wasnt berating you i was just being humorous, its late and the SL world is asleep, yeah, there is suposedly some stuff coming, mesh, web based profle improvements, easier account registrations, oh! thats another sore subject! stick around a few days, you will read all about it, it gets rather repetitive. Hot button words : Basic Mode. oh and i think the one word names, for example, you are now lacie.keng is some sort of preperation for something that doesnt allow spaces, thats the rmors anyways. yay, gossip

[Lacie Keng]

hahahaha Oh I didn't take your comment as a berating... I am just thouroughly confused. And you know SL, full of drama... but thanks so much for the heads up on things and I will be checking back about new stuff coming. Thanks Charlotte And Valerie

[Charolotte Caxton]

thanks oh, im not sure but i dont think valerie can see your comments to me, another 'improvement'

[valerie Inshan]

Hahaha!!! Yes I can see your comments girls!!!

[Charolotte Caxton]

How?

[valerie Inshan]

By clicking "view the reply" when I receive the email notification for a new reply on the topic, I can see all the comments.

BUT I cannot find them if I click on the topic title in the forum.... ???? wtf??? How weird!

[Charolotte Caxton]

yes, that is very true. supposedly it will be fixed.

[Lacie Keng]

well i found that if I click view last reply on my community profile it takes me right to the comments...

[valerie Inshan]

Cool! Thanks for the tip Lacie!

[Rolig Loon]

Yes, that's one of the dumbest things that LL has ever decided to do, but it's part of their campaign to open SL to the wonderful world of (yuck) Facebook.  Display Names are a poor solution to the problem of being known as LacieKeng Resident for many reasons, all of which were brought out during a protracted but completely fruitless debate in forums and blogs last winter.  The bottom line is that we're stuck with the new naming system and LL is not likely to turn back.  Just be glad that you are lucky enough to have a legacy name.

[Peewee Musytari]

Hi Lacie,

There are still some registration portals open with the old 2 name system in place, but we don`t know how long they will be active. If you did want a new account that isn`t a Resident you can try one of these.

http://www.emagine.jp/regapi/secondlife.php
http://islab.org/slreg/
http://sl.nmc.org/create.php?v=2
http://registration.nanolands.com/
http://registration.scilands.org.uk/
http://registration.secondhealth.org.uk/
http://www.thevesuviusgroup.com/reg/vai/slreg/index.php

[Charolotte Caxton]

@ lacie, yep that's the only way I can find them too. That's why I was surprised Val could see mine

[valerie Inshan]

@ Charolotte: Me Big Brother. Me sees it all! LOLOLOL!!!!

[Peewee Musytari]

/me wonders why Charlotte uses them if she thinks no one can see them lol

[Charolotte Caxton]

Cause they were like my little hide away, besides, lacie started it!

[Honeydrop Birdsong]

         Lacie, I feel your pain,

  Answering this really late.

I have new friends that hate the last name ' Resident '.

It is so demeaning.

Then if you choose a non-ASCII code title, you have so many problems

logging on and such.  Then LL says they don't support  non-ASCII code titles.

So stupid, grrrrrrrrrrrr

     Honey