Storm Clarence Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Are 'weird' user names keeping many new residents from making friends? Of late, there seems to be a proliferation of OP's asking/seeking friends; stating the difficulty in meeting people. Is there a direct correlation to the weirdness of user names and making friends? I understand the implementation of DisplayNames was suppose to allow resident to pick their own name and change it whenever they felt compelled to have a unique or different moniker, but I still see some of the strangest naming conventions, e.g., 862Manhattan6571NYC Resident now using display name Dr14mannyNYCI use the "display old style" names in my viewer when I am in-world; it does not make any difference. The naming conventions are horrible. How long will it be before LL goes back to using last names other than Resident? Ostensibly, they are running out of 'one name' variables; without the added on numbering conventions. What a strange trip it's been watching some of these name flash across this forum and in-world. It is so hard for me to befriend someone who identifies themselves as 862Manhatt6571NYC4. Your opinions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imnotgoing Sideways Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 If they set a display name, it don't bother me one bit. ()y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hippie Bowman Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Storm Clarence wrote: Are 'weird' user names keeping many new residents from making friends? Of late, there seems to be a proliferation of OP's asking/seeking friends; stating the difficulty in meeting people. Is there a direct correlation to the weirdness of user names and making friends? I understand the implementation of DisplayNames was suppose to allow resident to pick their own name and change it whenever they felt compelled to have a unique or different moniker, but I still see some of the strangest naming conventions, e.g., 862Manhattan6571NYC Resident now using display name Dr14mannyNYC I use the "display old style" names in my viewer when I am in-world; it does not make any difference. The naming conventions are horrible. How long will it be before LL goes back to using last names other than Resident? Ostensibly, they are running out of 'one name' variables; without the added on numbering conventions. What a strange trip it's been watching some of these name flash across this forum and in-world. It is so hard for me to befriend someone who identifies themselves as 862Manhatt6571NYC4. Your opinions? Hey ya Storm! I never did like Display names, although I do have one. "Hippie". When I joined, back in 2006, I wanted the name David Bowman, from the 2001 a Space Odyssey movie, as the surname "Bowman" was available then. (Yes, a space head then, and still am. LOL!) I could not get a match, and would have had to put numbers in the name. So, as me being a biker, and my biker friends called me "Hippie", I went with that name, and without the silly numbers! Far out, and groovy! Peace! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WADE1 Jya Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Oh yeah, I have seen really odd ones. Have you seen anyone named just a string of numbers like 34567 or random letter patterns like xXxXxXxX? It seems to be quite the phenomenon lately where people are picking increasingly bizarre names :matte-motes-grin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dulcinelas Flow Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Last names were fun to have, I wish they would go back to how it used to be... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venus Petrov Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I have never understood those odd names, much less known how to pronounce them. As a DJ, I like to greet patrons on mic when they enter the club. If someone selects a display name that is easier to prounounce, I will use that. Sometimes people create display names full of special characters (e.g. circles around the alpha) and that makes it even tougher to see and pronounce so I sometimes resort to their original name. If there are numbers, I will shorten it. So, in your OP subject example, I might have shortened the name to 'Manhat' on mic. I do apologize when I get a name that I know I may mangle and I wish sometimes I could do a better job with these things. As far as making friends with these names goes, I will leave that up to those with the wierd names to respond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sylvia Tamalyn Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I mostly blame the weird names on LL's decision to do away with last names; it took a lot of the fun and creativity out of picking a username. That seems strange to say when you can still do what you want with your first name, but for me, half the fun was going through the last name list, reading the sometimes amusing choices, and picking a name that felt like "me". Being given a last name seemed to require a "real" first name (as opposed to one filled with numbers and whatnot). Now, maybe this doesn't matter to new users since they never got to experience the old system, but I do still think that the new way sort of encourages the strange names we see now. The last name "Resident" sounds so robot-like! Whether this all affects the ability to make friends...well, I don't know. I think some people are just a little impatient on that score. I also wonder a bit if the addition of younger players to the main grid accounts for some of the odd naming conventions. As for display names...I keep them turned off so I know nothing about them. :smileyvery-happy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Orellana Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Some people pick creepy names. I recall not long ago someone asking about how to meet women, and his display name was something like "Ieatwomen" or something of the sort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ishtara Rothschild Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 A name like that is definitely a dealbreaker for me. No matter if I want to add somebody to my land access list in order to invite them over to my house, or if I have to look them up in my transaction history, I always need their user name. Their display name is useless to me, especially when it reads 初音ミク or مصطفى. It's simply a major annoyance to memorize and type out a name like 862Manhattan6571NYC. Even if I copy and paste this cryptic piece of code, I'll still run into situations where I have to pick their name from a list that also includes 862862Manhattan6571NYCity, 862Manhattan6571NY82 and so on, and this list grows longer by the hour. It was bothersome enough to skim through names like Joanna Murfin, Joana Murfin, Joannah Murfin, Joanna72 Murfin etc. back when the last names weren't updated on a regular basis anymore and seemed to remain in circulation forever. But the current system is utter madness. I imagine that the new naming conventions are equally bothersome for new residents. Every "this name is already taken" message is a disappointment and puts a damper on people's enthusiasm to join SL. How many disappointments does it take before a prospective new resident decides that SL is just not worth bothering with? The most simple and reasonable solution would have been to let residents pick both their first and their last name in a unique combination. Either that or make display names unique, let people pick them exactly one time, and replace user names with display names throughout the entire client. But no, it had to be more complicated. LL couldn't have picked a worse system, imho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Orellana Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I wonder if you got this thread idea from this thread here. Over the last few months there has certainly been many new residents complaining how much they hate the new naming system and wish they were able to have a name like the old system. I have never been a fan of display names and always have thought LL made a huge mistake with this decision, of course the LL fangirls and fanbois will say there is no problem with display names but those very same fangirls are ones who already have a legacy name so it makes no difference to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Orellana Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Ishtara Rothschild wrote: The most simple and reasonable solution would have been to let residents pick both their first and their last name in a unique combination. Either that or make display names unique, let people pick them exactly one time, and replace user names with display names throughout the entire client. But no, it had to be more complicated. LL couldn't have picked a worse system, imho. This^^ In the U.S. alone there are about 6 million unique last names according to the 2000 census, combine the last names with the many different languages around the world and also unique first names and you can have an almost infinite number of available unique names. The problem is that the people in LL's idea making team are inept and do not truly understand their own product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ObviousAltIsObvious Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 It's not the single username. It's the users. There were atrocious names full of digits when Linden Lab forced us to pick from a list of lousy last names, and there are atrocious names full of digits when we get the freedom to have any name imaginable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Clarence Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I laugh the hardest when someone replies to me and states their name is Mustgratrsiop *NOT* Mutsgratrsiop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Clarence Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Immy I found some display names are no better than that of the original non display name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imnotgoing Sideways Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Storm Clarence wrote: Immy I found some display names are no better than that of the original non display name. That's a reasonable opinion, but, is that more the fault of the display name system or the dufus who decides to screw with it. () ... Much I have to say about silly account names, anyway. =^-^= Though, I ran an experiment when people were griping on SLU and attempted to make an account name with no numbers or odd alpha combinations. I was able to find a name and create an account on the first try. () Now... I'm gonna have to figure out what to do with BloodyStumps. () Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pussycat Catnap Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Storm Clarence wrote: Are 'weird' user names keeping many new residents from making friends? Of late, there seems to be a proliferation of OP's asking/seeking friends; stating the difficulty in meeting people. Is there a direct correlation to the weirdness of user names and making friends? Well this -IS- the friends forum. Meeting people has always been slow in SL. This forum seems ideal for new people to kick start some friendships, and for old people who've fallen out of touch or seen too many go away to find new faces. I can't say I like the new names at all. I really feel for the poor people coming into SL now. All the good choices are taken already. SL has run out of first names. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peewee Musytari Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 At the risk of upsetting all the people with weird computer generated names, I tend to look at them and think that the person is either too lazy to think up a decent name or they just don`t care enough to create something even remotely pronounceable & have even been known to call them Blah because I equally can`t be bothered to try and think of something polite to call them or to take the time to spell (haha @ spell) their name correctly....Yeah yeah I am a terrible person lol I can understand that it is unlikely that they can get a single name such as Jane or John or whatever, but seriously how hard is it to get one like JaneDoe or JohnDoe, where they actually choose a first and last name. Especially when they all then come whining in here that they don`t have a last name. Its like they try one name, don`t get it and then just click ok to the first thing that the computer suggests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amana1488303110 Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Torley, Rodvik, Amanda, Lexie, SOMEONE! Why not create a link at the sign on page of some links to name generator sites? here's a few Seventh Sanctum The Elvish Name Generator The Hobbit Name Generator donjon @ //donjon.bin.sh/scfi/name - this is for the SciFi fanatics I just created a really cool scifi name for another online game last night. They should try this. I was chatting with a newbie the other day when I crashed and tried to log in back again the person was gone. It took me a few minutes to remember his first 5 digit alpha-numerical names before I got the correct one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peewee Musytari Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Exactly, they are a nightmare to search from memory & if you have them on your friends list can you imagine trying to answer the security question that asks about 3 of your friends names LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Clarence Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Pussycat Catnap wrote: I can't say I like the new names at all. I really feel for the poor people coming into SL now. All the good choices are taken already. SL has run out of first names. Yes, my point. I think LL has run out of available first names - I think they will have to go back to using more last names. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imnotgoing Sideways Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Pussycat Catnap wrote: Storm Clarence wrote: Are 'weird' user names keeping many new residents from making friends? Of late, there seems to be a proliferation of OP's asking/seeking friends; stating the difficulty in meeting people. Is there a direct correlation to the weirdness of user names and making friends? SL has run out of first names. Nuuuu! I created the account named BloodyStumps just this weekend. I can do another, but, I already have too many alts. People just lack imagination, is all. () Can't fix stupid. ()y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Clarence Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Imnotgoing Sideways wrote: Pussycat Catnap wrote: Storm Clarence wrote: Are 'weird' user names keeping many new residents from making friends? Of late, there seems to be a proliferation of OP's asking/seeking friends; stating the difficulty in meeting people. Is there a direct correlation to the weirdness of user names and making friends? SL has run out of first names. Nuuuu! I created the account named BloodyStumps just this weekend. /me passes you a Bloody Mary made with all fresh, organic ingredients. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amana1488303110 Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Peewee Musytari wrote: Exactly, they are a nightmare to search from memory & if you have them on your friends list can you imagine trying to answer the security question that asks about 3 of your friends names LOL I guess I need to write down all my friends names and keep it somewhere for future retrieval. :matte-motes-big-grin-squint: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Undercroft Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 The passage of time since the new naming scheme was introduced has not changed my view that the change has been the single worst decision made by LL in my 3 1/2 years as a resident. If people change their display names regularly I still call them by the name I've always known. Don't people realise that their name is the only constant by which people will remember them? When I see someone with a gibberish username I tend to ignore them on the assumption they're an idiot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peewee Musytari Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Ian Undercroft wrote: When I see someone with a gibberish username I tend to ignore them on the assumption they're an idiot. LOL yay I am not the only bad person Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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