New last names?

[Orwar]

13 hours ago, Sassy Kenin said:

Lets offer a list of 20 names for water sports to help promote that! ..Names like WaveRider..Shores..Mer..Siren..Boatmaster

   Oh. When I first read that I thought you meant-- Something else. Ahem. Carry on.

[Sassy Kenin]

23 hours ago, Orwar said:

   Oh. When I first read that I thought you meant-- Something else. Ahem. Carry on.

 

[TheKhajiit]

I thought everyone gets the last name Resident now.  Is there actually a way to pick a last name?

[LittleMe Jewell]

5 minutes ago, TheKhajiit said:

I thought everyone gets the last name Resident now.  Is there actually a way to pick a last name?

New accounts do get Resident by default.  On your Dashboard, there will be a 'Change Name' option under "Account".  Click that and it will show you the options.  If you are not Premium, you will have to become Premium -- minimum one month purchase -- and then pay $39.99 for the name change.  You can change just your First Name or just your Last Name or Both names.  Last names comes from a list and the 'First name & Last name COMBINATION' you pick must be unique.

Edited December 11, 2020 by LittleMe Jewell

[TheKhajiit]

That's really *****ed up that they removed last names, then offered them for $40.

[Qie Niangao]

7 minutes ago, TheKhajiit said:

That's really *****ed up that they removed last names, then offered them for $40.

Not exactly. Before, you were required to have both a first and last name that once chosen could never be changed. What's now available for $40 is the ability to change your name, which incidentally may be one with both first and last names.

Also, if you want to change again, it's just another $40, no problem, with the guarantee that nobody but you will ever be able to re-use any of the name(s) used for your account.

[TheKhajiit]

You are still required to have the last name Resident.  I have to see it every time a scripted object talks to me.  I'd have rather had the choice of a real name than be forced to have the name Resident and then be charged for something that used to be free.

[Wulfie Reanimator]

20 minutes ago, TheKhajiit said:

You are still required to have the last name Resident.  I have to see it every time a scripted object talks to me.  I'd have rather had the choice of a real name than be forced to have the name Resident and then be charged for something that used to be free.

Trust me, nobody was happy when last names went away. Everybody wanted them back.

It's been 10 years since.

And rather than just flip the switch to bring it all back, LL did a massive system rework to enable everybody before and after to change their names. The attached cost is there to make their money back over time.

[MoiraKathleen]

11 minutes ago, Wulfie Reanimator said:

And rather than just flip the switch to bring it all back, LL did a massive system rework to enable everybody before and after to change their names. The attached cost is there to make their money back over time.

And I would hazard, to discourage people from changing names all the time, particularly as each first name/last name combination is unique and cannot be re-used by anyone else, ever.         

[Lyssa Greymoon]

6 minutes ago, MoiraKathleen said:

And I would hazard, to discourage people from changing names all the time, particularly as each first name/last name combination is unique and cannot be re-used by anyone else, ever.         

Two avatars can't have the same username at the same time, but it is possible to reuse a name. 

[Wulfie Reanimator]

6 minutes ago, Lyssa Greymoon said:

Two avatars can't have the same username at the same time, but it is possible to reuse a name. 

...only by the account that originally claimed that name.

16 minutes ago, MoiraKathleen said:

And I would hazard, to discourage people from changing names all the time, particularly as each first name/last name combination is unique and cannot be re-used by anyone else, ever.         

Absolutely, although I don't think it's realistic to say that there's any danger of "running out of names" considering there were no problems with everybody having only one name. There are also other platforms with much greater userbases without a two-part usernames and still without issue.

Edited December 11, 2020 by Wulfie Reanimator

[MoiraKathleen]

1 minute ago, Lyssa Greymoon said:

Two avatars can't have the same username at the same time, but it is possible to reuse a name. 

How does that work, if I'm understanding you correctly that after I have stopped using a name combination (such as Moira Timmerman) someone else could later use that same combination?  I was under the impression that I am the only one who could ever later use Moira Timmerman as a username.      

[MoiraKathleen]

9 minutes ago, Wulfie Reanimator said:

Absolutely, although I don't think it's realistic to say that there's any danger of "running out of names" considering there were no problems with everybody having only one name. There are also other platforms with much greater userbases without a two-part usernames and still without issue.

True, there's not likely to be an issue of "running out of names". 

I was, in my mind, contrasting it to display name changes which are not unique, can be re-used by anyone as far as I know, and have a once every 7-day limit for being changed (which is still to long for some).   

[Lyssa Greymoon]

14 minutes ago, MoiraKathleen said:

How does that work, if I'm understanding you correctly that after I have stopped using a name combination (such as Moira Timmerman) someone else could later use that same combination?  I was under the impression that I am the only one who could ever later use Moira Timmerman as a username.      

It won't work with a retired name since that aren't available, it has to be a Resident account. If the name on the account was changed, the original name becomes available again. This may have changed since the current name change system came into being, but at least with Resident accounts whose name was changed before the current name change system came along (yes, LL has been able to change usernames for years) that name can be used again by a new account. There is probably a very small number of accounts this is applicable to. It could be one for all I know, but I do know it is at least one.

Edited December 11, 2020 by Lyssa Greymoon

[Wulfie Reanimator]

28 minutes ago, MoiraKathleen said:

How does that work, if I'm understanding you correctly that after I have stopped using a name combination (such as Moira Timmerman) someone else could later use that same combination?  I was under the impression that I am the only one who could ever later use Moira Timmerman as a username.      

Here's a Q&A from Linden Lab's Helpdesk:

https://lindenlab.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/31000155068-changing-your-username-faq/#Section_1_10

Quote

If I change my name, can someone take my old name and use it?

No. No one can use your original name. Your original name will always be yours, and you can revert back to it by changing your name again whenever you wish. Your original last name will also be available to you for future name changes. 

 

[Orwar]

   Or here's a wild idea. How about we could pick the lastname the same way we pick our firstnames - i.e. just type them in?

   I know that this isn't happening and that changing the way names work is a lot of work - but I don't see how it would have been a lot more work to just, make lastnames function the same as firstnames - or just allowing the use of a space when you compose your name.

   Either way, this current system is what LL has gone with and I doubt they'll change it anytime soon again. On the bright side, it does give us something to laugh at whenever they release new lists of available names.

[Sassy Kenin]

2 hours ago, TheKhajiit said:

 I have to see it every time a scripted object talks to me. 

What kind of topics do you both like to talk about? 

[Lydia Amethyst]

Any idea when a new batch of names will be released? I'm dying to get away from resident.

[Gabriele Graves]

When the money starts to dry up from the current set, I expect.

[Lydia Amethyst]

2 minutes ago, Gabriele Graves said:

When the money starts to dry up from the current set, I expect.

Wow. that's kind of uh... rude... 

[Gabriele Graves]

Just now, AlyceAdrift said:

Wow. that's kind of uh... rude... 

I'm sorry, in what way is it rude?  It isn't likely that popular names will be replaced whilst people are willing to buy them.

[Lydia Amethyst]

Just now, Gabriele Graves said:

I'm sorry, in what way is it rude?  It isn't likely that popular names will be replaced whilst people are willing to buy them.

The fact you instantly brought money into it. I mean. I was just wondering about it because they said it'd be every so often, but it's been over six months since the last set was released, so I was hoping there might be another set coming soon. I'm hoping to get away from resident soon.

[Wulfie Reanimator]

Just now, Gabriele Graves said:

I'm sorry, in what way is it rude?  It isn't likely that popular names will be replaced whilst people are willing to buy them.

That's kind of the opposite of how it works.

Once a certain amount of people have registered a specific last name, it is retired.

But your first statement is kind of correct, in a cynical way. Once LL has "made enough money," new names will be released.

[Gabriele Graves]

5 minutes ago, Wulfie Reanimator said:

That's kind of the opposite of how it works.

No offence but you don't know that for sure.  Even if LL says that, it doesn't necessarily make it true.

Quote

But your first statement is kind of correct, in a cynical way. Once LL has "made enough money," new names will be released.

You find that cynical?  I see it as being business savvy enough to not change a product that is producing money.

5 minutes ago, AlyceAdrift said:

The fact you instantly brought money into it.

How could I not bring money into it?  You pay for new names, it is money oriented.

Here is a better answer for you perhaps.  Nobody knows when and there will likely not be any warning when it changes.  Unless an LL employee comes along an gives that information in the meantime.

Edited January 17, 2021 by Gabriele Graves

[Lydia Amethyst]

5 minutes ago, Wulfie Reanimator said:

That's kind of the opposite of how it works.

Once a certain amount of people have registered a specific last name, it is retired.

But your first statement is kind of correct, in a cynical way. Once LL has "made enough money," new names will be released.

I guess I'm just picky then, because I don't like the batch that's out now, some of them even sound silly tbh. 
And I guess everything is money based... I mean I'm willing to pay for the name change too, when there's one available that I would really want to use.