Username and Display Name

[ellerc]

So, I went through the process of finding just the right name for my avatar. I've figured out how to remove my username from displaying in the (bubble over my head) and only show my display name. But for some reason, everyone continues to refer to me by my username (ellerc). Is there anyway to change my username or disable it from appearing anywere? I wish I had known when I registered that my user name would haunt me. lol 

 

 

[Hayley Spore]

Sorry hun

You're stuck with your username unless you want to make a brand new account. Unfortunately a large number of people, especially those who have been here a while, disable the Display Name entirely so all they see is your username.

[Penny Patton]

Usernames are basically your avatar's government ID number and Display Names are your avatars names. Unfortunately, a lot of crotchety old SL users come from the before times, when usernames were our only names. Static, unchangeable, limited.

 LL finally improved the name system but a lot of people had a panicked, kneejerk reaction, believing that display names make it too easy to impersonate people, so Linden Lab, in what passes for wisdom with them, decided to make usernames display by default, thus ensuring the issue would remain confusing for eternity.

 Even worse, when the 2.0 viewer launched over a year ago it was terrible, atrociously bad. It's improved greatly since then, so now it's even better than the old viewers 2.0 replaced, but a lot of people are stuck with that initial bad impression and refuse to upgrade. So a lot of people are still clinging to ancient, outdated viewers that don't even show display names.

 

 There's no way to change your username, that's what display names are for, so you're stuck reminding people that they're being silly and stupid and they should stop.

[Ceera Murakami]

You can only control what you see. You can't force others to only see your Display Name.

If I were to meet you while using the old 1.23.5 Linden Lab viewer, I wouldn't see your display name at all. I would see you as "ellerc Resident". This is also true for any other viewer based on 1.23.5, but which has not added extra code to deal with Display Names. It is also true for large amounts of scripted content in-world, from store greeters to slave collars to contest boards, all of which could be blind to your Display Name.

Penny is right about the initial release of Viewer 2.0 being so bad it drove people away. I still dislike it, though I'll admit they have improved many of the problems in the initial release. Still, if I want an efficient Viewer to build with, that doesn't take scores of extra mouse clicks to do common operations, I'll stick with Viewer 1.23.5. Viewers 2.x and 3.0 still have some atrocious UI glitches that are simply the result of bad design choices, and which won't go away short oif scrapping huge amounts of 2.x code and starting over again.

With a Display Name capable viewer, each individual has a choice of seeing the other people's display name, user name or both, and whether or not they also want to see group titles. Most people that I know keep both displayed, both over people's heads and in chat, so they can tell who you really are, no matter how often you change your display name, and so strangers can't use a display name to pretend fraudulently to be someone else.

Some areas always display both, sich as when you bring up someone's profile, or when you look at prims owned or created by them.

[Marianne Little]

LL had to let people see usernames too. This was mainly because it is so many  in SL that was worried that griefers would use the established avatars name as the griefers display name, and pose as them. Let us say you have a shop in SL, and someone took your name, went to your store and started to harass people. They would leave and spread the word that you are a rude, terrible shop owner, never again will they buy anything there. Or sell stolen items in your name, or grief others that would file abuse reports... Against the avatar whose name was used. 

So many viewers has the Usernames on by default, you must actually turn them off if you want to only see Display names. And very few choose this option.

[Ariel Vuissent]

I ended up thankful I chose a name I could live with, and that I signed up when we could still have first and last names. I don't even have a display name, generally. Personally, I prefer to see the user name, since so many of my friends like to change their display names from time to time. It helps me keep track when I can see both. I may at some point turn display names off altogether.

Your best bet for people getting your name right is to choose a display name that's close to your user name, such as Elle. If I were to see you in chat with the display name "Elle" and the username "ellerc," they're close enough that I would call you Elle. As opposed to people who have display names like "Marc's Hunny," whom I always call by their username, because calling someone "Marc's Hunny" just doesn't seem quite right to me.

I've noticed that generally your preferences only affect what you see, not what anyone else sees when they look at you. So disabling usernames on your screen so that you don't see it in the bubble over your head doesn't mean that other people don't see it; they'd have to disable usernames in their preferences. I think.

[Bree Giffen]

I'm currently set to display names only. I think it's the default on the Kirstens Viewer 2. The only problem I have is that people are using special characters and make their names difficult to read.

[Qwalyphi Korpov]

The resident who provided the previous content, if any, has replaced it with this generic statement..

[ellerc]

That makes a lot of sense now, thanks for the clarification. I will continue to remind people that my name is Elle Parkour and not Ellerc.  ::smiles::

[Penny Patton]

---

Qwalyphi Korpov wrote:

There are scripted items around that identify by user name.  If viewers are set to show only display names that leads to confusion.  Display names aren't required to be unique and can change over time. That limits what they can be used for.

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Let's clarify. If the viewer only allowed you to see display names, then yes it would be confusing. However, the viewer, even with usernames not displayed overhead of every avatar, makes usernames easily accessible to the point where putting usernames over everyone's heads is silly and redundant.

LL also added LSL functions that work with display names, combined with the fact that we now have better tools to manage script memory only legacy content and poorly scripted content will be negatively affected.

[Qwalyphi Korpov]

The resident who provided the previous content, if any, has replaced it with this generic statement.

[Penny Patton]

---

Qwalyphi Korpov wrote:

You have clarified that you did not understand my point.

Take this example from your 'clarification'

The viewers in your example displays only display names.

A scripted device announces that some user name has just won some L$.   Everyone except that user name is then thinking 'who is this user name?'   Yes, it's true that everyone can then look around the area and hover their cursor over each AV to discover their user names.   Or the winning AV could shout 'It's me - I'm user name whatever'   Still it's confusing to see only display names and have scripted devices referring to user names.  People can find out the information eventually but unless they do or until they do they'll be confused.

I hope I've clarified that for you.

---

 I understood you perfectly fine, all you've clarified that you're willing to stretch creduility well past the breaking point.

Let's say we're in such a situation, a club with a scripted device that announces someone won some L$.  How many people are actually confused? Probably not many at all.

 First, we all know what usernames and display names are. It's not like some secret new feature LL snuck in last week. They've been a reality for about a year. Longtime SL users are, by now, used to legacy content referring to usernames.

 Second, the winner has their money, they're certainly not confused. They probably let out a jubilant cry of victory, clearly announcing who they are, but even if they're not everyone else has the only key information they need, that they themselves were not the winner and that's probably all most of them actually care about. They're going to offer the same general congratulatory remarks either way.

 

I use scripted items that refer to usernames all the time, some of them for keeping track of people in busy sims. Guess what? It has not been a problem. I'm sure there could be situations where it would be an issue, but I've yet to encounter them and the example given was not very convincing.

[Coby Foden]

---

ellerc wrote:

That makes a lot of sense now, thanks for the clarification. I will continue to remind people that my name is Elle Parkour and not Ellerc.  ::smiles::

---

Many people are interested to see only the real identity of avatar, and that real ID is the User Name. Anybody can have their Display Name as "Elle Parkour" and there can be many avatars having exactly the same Display Name, but there is only one "ellerc", that is unique name.

So, even if you are constantly reminding people that your name is Elle Parkour, still lots of people will call you ellerc. Sad for those who were not able to select nice User Name, but so the thing works. Linden Lab is also to blame for not giving proper instruction in the account creation page. Well, on the other hand as new User Names don't anymore have last name, selecting a nice Use Name is quite impossible. Dismissing the last names was a great mistake. :matte-motes-crying:

[ellerc]

Yes, i wish there would have been better clarification at the time of registration (i.e. - this will be your name for all eternity!) lol But so it is... lol

[Dresden Ceriano]

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ellerc wrote:

Yes, i wish there would have been better clarification at the time of registration (i.e. - this will be your name for all eternity!) lol But so it is... lol

---

You're not the only one... there's even Jira about this (link).  Though it would be nice if more people would take the time to vote and watch it... something really needs to be done and this idea is so simple, it's should be a no brainer.

...Dres

[Victoria1488304562]

I have received gifts meant for people whose display name is Victoria, so I know for a fact that display names can mix people up.

[Kamala Dashuria]

People not paying mind to display names is a mixture of people being visual,slow to learn and assuming that everyone treats display names like an over blown titler--from what I've found. While it does say that a user name is forever, it does rather suck that they are (especially with the new registration system) it doesn't state it clearly enough or have an additional promp warning you that your decision is final. I do remember some time back when they were thinking of making name changes something you paid for ($50.00 was the amount I kind of remember being mentioned), but the project got scrapped and display names is what we got.

The most you can do is be firm in your decision as to your name. Gently correct people the first few times they make the mistake and if after a while they simply don't get it tell them that you won't respond until they address you properly.

In matters large and small people forget manners and respect. A lot due to the people that run around with random gibberish in their display names and/or change it once a week.

Confusion can be avoided by mousing over someone or checking their profile. 

[Penny Patton]

---

Victoria wrote:

I have received gifts meant for people whose display name is Victoria, so I know for a fact that display names can mix people up.

---

I've seen similar mix-ups between people with similar, even only vaguely similar, usernames. People can be careless sometimes. I don't think that means we need to childproof the grid.

 Since usernames default to being visible and many people have been using viewers that don't even support display names, chances are high that the person making this mix-up had usernames displayed on their screen.

[Dresden Ceriano]

---

Penny Patton wrote:

---

Victoria wrote:

I have received gifts meant for people whose display name is Victoria, so I know for a fact that display names can mix people up.

---

I've seen similar mix-ups between people with similar, even only vaguely similar, usernames. People can be careless sometimes. I don't think that means we need to childproof the grid.

 Since usernames default to being visible and many people have been using viewers that don't even support display names, chances are high that the person making this mix-up had usernames displayed on their screen.

---

I haven't used official viewers since the introduction of Firestorm, so I just don't know.  But, what does the official viewer default to?  Just display names?  I refrain from commenting on that until I know for sure what's going on.

...Dres

[harleyraces]

my wife had a display name over her user name and one day the display name disappearedfrom her she did not do anything to remove it from showing. she has used two different viewers and still it doesnt show. does she have to wait the week or is it something do to with an sl glitch

[Pussycat Catnap]

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ellerc wrote:

That makes a lot of sense now, thanks for the clarification. I will continue to remind people that my name is Elle Parkour and not Ellerc.  ::smiles::

---

You're new. How much money have you spent on that account so far?

If not too much - remake your account.

If you think you've been on it too long, I remade my 2006 account in 2009 - and then just strong armed my friends into friending the new one. And I did it for the same reason - I didn't like my name.

When I joined, in 2006, there was a warning that the username I was about to pick would be it, for life - my meat body's life - and there was NO F'ING WAY they'd ever let me change it, and if I made an alt they'd send Vinnie out to kill my mom... and that I had to pick one NOW, or GTFO...

- So I just typed something in and told myself, "I'll just look around and then leave this stupid game." - which is exactly what I did for 2 days.

 

Came back in 2009 and after a month and failing to find that old warning, I kissed the old account goodbye.

I had about $50-75 or so invested into the old account at the time I switched. And a budding list of friends. One friend refused to recognize my change to a new account (OMG, like, whatever...) - whoever the heck she was, I forgot her and moved on with the rest of them.

 

This time, research it just a tad better and pick with extreme care - because like it or not LLs made it very harsh for new folks to join with this whole name fiasco...

Whatever you pick, half of the people you meet will insist on the username, half the display name - so pick carefully.

[Reggae]

---

Penny Patton wrote:

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Qwalyphi Korpov wrote:

There are scripted items around that identify by user name.  If viewers are set to show only display names that leads to confusion.  Display names aren't required to be unique and can change over time. That limits what they can be used for.

---

Let's clarify. If the viewer only allowed you to see display names, then yes it would be confusing. However, the viewer, even with usernames not displayed overhead of every avatar, makes usernames easily accessible to the point where putting usernames over everyone's heads is silly and redundant.

---

Probably see this a lot:

Since people do put very strange and unsable things into display names - kind of have to see both, or disable the display name.

 

I've been to places where half the women, not child AVs, had 'baby' 'girl' or both in their names - stupidity abounds in some locales.

Many use it like a 2nd group tag. "Member of xyz" or "property of so-and-so" or "owner of so-and-so"...

 

[Reggae]

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Victoria wrote:

I have received gifts meant for people whose display name is Victoria, so I know for a fact that display names can mix people up.

---

With the name 'Reggae' I get an IM every now and then asking about some 'event', 'sale' or 'DJ' schedule.

I got in early on this account, since its an alt and I therefore knew what was coming, and got a meaningful name - so people assume the account is something commercial.

I just happen to be Rastafarian and a lover of Reggae. Rasta was taken, Rastagirl / Rastawoman sound cheesy, Rastafari would be heretical, and Reggae was just right.

For a while I was first in search, then I was pulled from search, and now I'm back to first in search...

[Dresden Ceriano]

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Reggae wrote:

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Victoria wrote:

I have received gifts meant for people whose display name is Victoria, so I know for a fact that display names can mix people up.

---

With the name 'Reggae' I get an IM every now and then asking about some 'event', 'sale' or 'DJ' schedule.

I got in early on this account, since its an alt and I therefore knew what was coming, and got a meaningful name - so people assume the account is something commercial.

I just happen to be Rastafarian and a lover of Reggae. Rasta was taken, Rastagirl / Rastawoman sound cheesy, Rastafari would be heretical, and Reggae was just right.

For a while I was first in search, then I was pulled from search, and now I'm back to first in search...

---

I hate it when I go to the grocery after I've just gotten off work, wearing my work clothes, and people ask me where things are because they think I work there.

What's even more sad, is the fact that I've shopped there for so long that I usually do, in fact, know.  But then, there are times I just wanna tell them to bite my ass... afterwards, I imagine them going to the manager to have me fired... lol.

...Dres

[Victoria1488304562]

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Reggae wrote:

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Victoria wrote:

I have received gifts meant for people whose display name is Victoria, so I know for a fact that display names can mix people up.

---

With the name 'Reggae' I get an IM every now and then asking about some 'event', 'sale' or 'DJ' schedule.

I got in early on this account, since its an alt and I therefore knew what was coming, and got a meaningful name - so people assume the account is something commercial.

I just happen to be Rastafarian and a lover of Reggae. Rasta was taken, Rastagirl / Rastawoman sound cheesy, Rastafari would be heretical, and Reggae was just right.

For a while I was first in search, then I was pulled from search, and now I'm back to first in search...

---

Yeah, you've got a good name!

I've had the same experience: I used to be first in search, and now I don't seem to be there at all.  I guess LL hasn't worked out all the kinks of this username/display name business.

Even if you search for "Victoria Resident" I don't appear.