Can I change my user name?

[qpmomma]

When I signed up for SL I picked my user name not knowing others would be able to see it. My character name is right above it, but I don't want to walk around with my user name so everyone can see it. Is it possible to either change it or make it so others can't see it?

[Willow Danube]

Unfortunately your username cannot be changed nor can you prevent it from other people seeing your username. Only the other users will be able to set if they want to see your username or not using their own viewer setting. 

 

[Bree Giffen]

There are user names and display names. Anyone using the old viewer (or third party versions) will just see your username. People using V3 viewers (or third party versions) can set their preference to see the user name, display name, or both.

 

You can never prevent people from seeing your user name. That was done so no one can pretend they are someone else.

As far as changing your name, the only option is to make a 2nd avatar with a username that you are more comfortable with other people seeing.

[Peewee Musytari]

You could add your vote & comments to this JIRA https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/WEB-4066  asking for a better explaination on registration to stop this from happening to people.

[Void Singer]

Peewee's suggestion is the most useful... no matter what, both your username and displayname are visible to other users if they choose to see them.

the only solution to a username that you don't want others to see is to wipe out the account and start over with a new one.

[qpmomma]

Can I transfer the items in my inventory as well?

[Void Singer]

only the ones with transfer permissions.

[Dresden Ceriano]

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Peewee Musytari wrote:

You could add your vote & comments to this JIRA

https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/WEB-4066

  asking for a better explaination on registration to stop this from happening to people.

---

I've added my support for this (voted and watched, since I don't know which one carries any weight anymore).  I'll probably craft a comment at a later point (once I'm actually awake... lol), because I think it needs to be pointed out that some people may even use their RL name not knowing it will be seen by all.  I wouldn't do it but some don't know any better.

I also added my support for the Jira to bring back last names that was mentioned in one of the comments.  I will refrain from ranting about that idiocy here because I don't want to derail this thread.  But you'd think they'd consider it since so many people have voted and watched it... seems to do little good.  Maybe now, to get anything accomplished anymore everyone would have to start tweeting Rodvik directly.  But again, that's another issue.

...Dres

[Peewee Musytari]

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Dresden Ceriano wrote:

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Peewee Musytari wrote:

You could add your vote & comments to this JIRA

https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/WEB-4066

  asking for a better explaination on registration to stop this from happening to people.

---

I've added my support for this (voted and watched, since I don't know which one carries any weight anymore).  I'll probably craft a comment at a later point (once I'm actually awake... lol), because I think it needs to be pointed out that some people may even use their RL name not knowing it will be seen by all.  I wouldn't do it but some don't know any better.

I also added my support for the Jira to bring back last names that was mentioned in one of the comments.  I will refrain from ranting about that idiocy here because I don't want to derail this thread.  But you'd think they'd consider it since so many people have voted and watched it... seems to do little good.  Maybe now, to get anything accomplished anymore everyone would have to start tweeting Rodvik directly.  But again, that's another issue.

...Dres

---

I agree 100% Dres, the big one is awesome for the number of votes & comments, but LL seem to be clearly ignoring it nonetheless. I started the other one in the hope that they could at least do something that simple to make the current situaltion better for new residents, afterall it wouldn`t kill them to type a few words, its not asking for much.

[Dresden Ceriano]

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Peewee Musytari wrote:

I started the other one in the hope that they could at least do something that simple to make the current situaltion better for new residents, afterall it wouldn`t kill them to type a few words, its not asking for much.

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Yes, but can you even imagine the amount of brain power it'll take to make that decision?  I don't envy them.

...Dres

[Lanas Criss]

Sadly, proper names like they used to be would avoid all this monkeybusiness... alas, no hope on the horizon that I'm aware of...

Did I miss somewhere to vote for first and last names to comeback? (I'll beg in humiliating fashion if it will help)

Lanas

[Dresden Ceriano]

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Lanas Criss wrote:

Sadly, proper names like they used to be would avoid all this monkeybusiness... alas, no hope on the horizon that I'm aware of...

Did I miss somewhere to vote for first and last names to comeback? (I'll beg in humiliating fashion if it will help)

Lanas

---

Here... (link).

I'm right there with you.... though, I've been know to wear humiliating fashion for no reason what-so-ever.

...Dres

[Peewee Musytari]

What I find curious about that main JIRA is that despite the fact that it has over 1300 votes, not a single Linden has ever even commented on it. Its almost like they are under some sort of gag order as far as the naming system is concerned, because its unlikely that all of them just happen to have no opinion on the subject.

[Dresden Ceriano]

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Peewee Musytari wrote:

What I find curious about that main JIRA is that despite the fact that it has over 1300 votes, not a single Linden has ever even commented on it. Its almost like they are under some sort of gag order as far as the naming system is concerned, because its unlikely that all of them just happen to have no opinion on the subject.

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Does that really, honestly surprise you?

...Dres

[Peewee Musytari]

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Dresden Ceriano wrote:

Does that really, honestly surprise you?

...Dres

---

 

Considering you usually get at least one Linden making a comment on each hot topic in there, that one does stand out, because its probably got more votes that just about any other one & not only is it unassigned, its not even been acknowledged by any Lindens, either for or against it.

Definate case of....Lets all pretend we can`t see the elephant in the room.

[Victoria1488304562]

Maybe what's needed is a two-path signup. The signup page could have a little text link in a corner that would be easy to miss.  That way, most people would go the one-name route.

But if they saw the link ("Advanced signup" or something like that) it could first warn people that although they get more options, it could be more confusing. Then they get a page where they can choose a name, and make it easy to test for availablilty. AND a button to jump back to the easy signup.

[Lanas Criss]

Thanks Mr. Ceriano, I VOTED! 

(Not trying to be all formal using your last name and all... but since you actually HAVE a last name I took pride in thanking you while using it)

It's up over 1400 now PeeWee (I was 1453)... Fingers crossed... (although expectations are low )

Funny thing was I tried to boink the vote button a bunch of times just to make my point, but it took my vote back with every other click.  The Lindens aren't playing with voter fraud that's for sure.  (Now if they'd just get serious about putting the names back in good order...)

Thanks again Dres

Lanas

 

[Coby Foden]

The least Linden Lab could do is to add a warning in the account creation page. Something like:

"Please pay attention in trying to select a nice User Name. It will be your real identity forever. You can create Display Name when you have logged in. But many people have opted so that they will see only your User Name and you cannot do anything about it. :matte-motes-agape: We know that we fouled up when we disabled the creation of last names in User Names :matte-motes-confused: All good single word User Names most likely are taken now. But anyway, try to invent a good User Name, even if it takes one hour. Second Life will wait for you, it's not going to run away..."

"Oh, one more thing, if you would like to have last names back, you can go and vote for it here: https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/SVC-7125 Maybe we will look into it someday... :matte-motes-yawn:. We hope that you enjoy your Second Life. Welcome!"

:smileywink: 

[max1cat]

I signed up for my account not knowing my user name would ever displayed. Fortunately It isn't my realname. I find my self in some places where I am called by that name instead of the name I should be going by, ie my display name. I see novalid reason why your user name should ever be displayed other than securtyfor your home. No one has any business knowing that  name. It seems that there is noway around this yet. Is there anyone toprotest to? I just signed up for a premium account and don't want to loose everything just to start with a new user name people will have to know isn't one I am to be addressed by. Any help here?   

[Czari Zenovka]

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Peewee Musytari wrote:

You could add your vote & comments to this JIRA

https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/WEB-4066

  asking for a better explaination on registration to stop this from happening to people.

---

Ditto that!  I brought a friend to SL (which is hard enough to do in and of itself, which is another topic).  The friend is well-versed in many MMORPGs meaning he has signed up on fair number of sites over the years.  Granted some people choose names that look nonsensical to me, but have some meaning to the person, thus when my friend showed up with an alphabet soup type name I asked if there was some meaning behind it.  He said "THAT is SHOWING UP?  That's my PASSWORD!!! (Yes he was shouting.) What kind of a game displays your password?"

After calming him down long enough to figure out what happened he said that during the sign up process it said something to the effect of "Don't worry about your name, you can change it in world" or something like that - obviously a reference to display names.  What I couldn't figure out is how someone so savvy could have mistaken typing a name in the password area.  I haven't created an alt for years so I went through the process to check this out.  I can't recall all the details at the moment, but I will say that with me even looking for areas of confusion at sign up I could clearly see how someone who has never signed up for SL could easily have made his mistake.

My friend was so disgusted that "a game will show everyone your pw," even though I kept telling him he had put the wrong info in the wrong box, he just quit.

[Czari Zenovka]

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Peewee Musytari wrote:

I agree 100% Dres, the big one is awesome for the number of votes & comments, but LL seem to be clearly ignoring it nonetheless. I started the other one in the hope that they could at least do something that simple to make the current situaltion better for new residents, afterall it wouldn`t kill them to type a few words, its not asking for much.

---

I agree as well.  The ironic thing is the supposed reason for discontinuing last names was that this was losing new residents due to it being "too difficult/time consuming" to choose a last name.  Talk about grasping at straws!

[Czari Zenovka]

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max1cat wrote:

I signed up for my account not knowing my user name would ever displayed. Fortunately It isn't my realname. I find my self in some places where I am called by that name instead of the name I should be going by, ie my display name. I see novalid reason why your user name should ever be displayed other than securtyfor your home. No one has any business knowing that  name. It seems that there is noway around this yet. Is there anyone toprotest to? I just signed up for a premium account and don't want to loose everything just to start with a new user name people will have to know isn't one I am to be addressed by. Any help here?   

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Ack!  Didn't check the OP date until I began responding. :matte-motes-bashful-cute: 

Anyway, if you read any of the preceding posts you will see that this new "no last names" system was instituted a couple of years ago.  Prior to that choosing a name was like choosing a character name in an MMORPG (although many SL residents do not view SL as a game, but that's a whole different topic).  The difference was that one chose a first name - just like, for insance, WoW, but then the last name had to be selected from a list of last names provided by LL which was changed regularly.  I used to be able to tell the approximate join date of someone just by looking at their last name.  There were even groups for particular last names - I belonged to the "Zenovka" group for awhile.  When someone with the same last name as another showed up at a social venue, it was not unusal for them to refer to each other as "cousin" even if they had never met.

Although I don't agree with this new system, to address your issue I don't see any difference in selecting your user name for SL as compared to EQ, WoW, SWToR, etc., etc.  The games I've played don't have "display" names.

I'm one who cannot see display names due to a combination of hardware and software issues.  Thus I find display names frustrating.  I was in a small gathering recently when I saw people greeting someone named ABC (just using this for example).  I'm camming around and don't see anyone named ABC but do see a newcomer named XYZ.  I finally discovered that XYZ is the display name of ABC, but I couldn't see it. :matte-motes-sour:

As far as protesting - the main protest was to bring last names back but that was finally vetoed by LL.  I'm pretty sure user names are not going away, even if they are now just a first name.