Lets discuss - SL last names post from Rodvik Linden in the feeds.

[Lucinda Bulloch]

I would prefer to have my company name as a first and last name, I am not very good with people and tend to get absorbed for weeks in a project, so I would just like to be the machinery rather than a person now, business in sl is no longer personal, I don't mean this in a negative way but in a cold logic way, market place has taken away the need for land, the new inventory system will push all creators into being virtual in this virtual world, so no real need to log on, I have a set of OS sims on one of my PC's so can do a lot of building and experimenting there, but at the end of the day sl is the best place to test and build as it has real time problems and gives better results.

 

But for me to be here as a person is pointless, to have a shape of either male or female only brings attention and implies reasons for being here, for you that seek personal contact then its a great place for you, but don't assume people like me do, I am far to busy and to be honest most of you destroy trains of thought that are days old just because you want personal attention, I am providing website were any faults and problems can be feedback directly to me, I will explore and fix any as I should do in my function as the machinery,

 

But come up to me inworld and expect a relationship other than business is a step to far, so I think what would help people like me is more isolation and a more detailed method of transmitting errors and faults that can be dealt with in the way they should be as the lindens do, with direct contact by email with the company and go onto a list of things to do and im them back inworld with a solution or a date that it will be done by, I will refund anyone not happy and give them a free replacement, because they are customers and it is not my place to know them personally.

Would be nice if the lindens had some sandboxes that only creators from market place could use, that would be a great place for all us store holders to build and meet, with business being the main focus of them, and make some water sims, I would spend all my time in them, lol, you sandboxs even in the beta group are a bit wild west, so create a group that are only market place members and give us some sand boxes, it will be you that benefits.

[Deltango Vale]

Could LL provide a technical method for businesses to promote their brands, perhaps by linking a brand or business name to an avatar? Great idea. Could it be possible to enable an avatar to be a business entity (firstname = business name, last name = slogan)? Why not? It should be possible to construct a way for residents to select from a list what names they wish to display.

I really must sit down and write a complete essay on the current state of Second Life, but the entire SL project makes perfect sense if one realizes that SL's 'killer app' is being a virtual world - a virtual country, a political economy, a geographic and social space no different from Brazil or Paris or America. One can have games in SL, businesses, recreation, homes. All these things and much more are possible. Second Life is the envelope into which all these things fit and, just like RL, it matters that the infrastructure works. For the past decade, London has been upgrading its Victorian water and sewage systems. LL needs to rebuild its databases.

As for SLM, while it has reduced the need for commercial land, it has facilitated the development of residential land. The current land problem is not due to SLM, it is due to the fact that SL is a 2006 Nokia phone at 2006 prices.

[Lucinda Bulloch]

Yes they are slow, but it is the creators that make this world, they just give us a platform, I have found that most people here are consumers and want to be entertained, well great we can provide all the things they need, we just need a partnership on our terms, like getting rid of the federal system and allowing the people to create the market, linden labs are a federal system they just need to relax and bend more with the wind, other than that we have great opportunities if we can get out of these shapes and skins.

[Rene Erlanger]

Avatars will end up looking like Breedables....with account name, display name, Group role or name, titler name...and now Community Titles.

[AliceOneders]

SL is a virtual social world, so I've been thinking about the proposed changes through this lens.  First, regarding newly registered usernames, as a user who joined within the last few months I do think allowing for separate first and last names would encourage more of a sense of community.  I also think allowing custom last names would be an improvement over the older system for the user experience, but that's with the caveat that I can only guess at the logistical issues involved with prohibiting certain names, monitoring new ones, etc. on LL's end.  Would that spur a ridiculous increase in AR reports if the "prohibited name list" isn't sufficient enough?  If they did go that route, something like a suggested name example or two - so a clever one that could never be mistaken for someone's real name in RL - would be useful on the sign up page as a 'nudge' if you will to get new registrants thinking about the range of possibilities for a new name and thus indirectly discouraging them from using a real (or more common) name.  Just thinking on the fly, what might be kind of fun about examples like that would be LL reserving those avatar names and employees periodically going among the population decked out in them to see how many residents recognize them.  

So regarding existing residents who joined after the the first/last name fields were discontinued:  just allowing them to add a new last name will likely not address many of the issues involved, especially for those who picked letters and numbers in their username or who picked a series of letters that would not work as a first name.  To address the various issues, LL would have to allow those residents to potentially change their entire names.  On the other hand, for those who did register with first/last names in a single field - like myself - they'd just need their first and last names separated.   The potential problem with this however, especially for those who completely change names, is community disruption.   So if LL were to do this, they'd probably only want to offer it as an opt-in, one-time offer for a limited time period, maybe offering it to only limited numbers of users at a time in waves so it is more manageable for both users and LL.  This may minimize the disruption but it would still likely be significant, especially for the resident who does make a big change to his name.  Since there is an immediate social cost (accompanying a long-term benefit) as well as a cost to LL to offer this change, charging a fee to do it might be understandable.  Maybe the size of the fee could be related to the type of change?  So just separating a name would cost least, adding a last name would cost more, completely changing an entire name would be most expensive.

It seems to me the call for last names is born out of a desire for more cohesive community within SL, which makes me wonder about the "title" idea that Rodvik mentioned.  Since there's not been anything outlined, the primary question for me is will the title option inform more than it will confine?  In e.g., would someone who considers himself a roleplayer/builder/shopkeeper/race car driver only be recognized by the community as a race car driver because they noticed he won a few races recently?  As residents proceed through SL their identities change - will these titles change with those new realities?  And will it promote more cut-throat competition rather than community?   Will it encourage "gaming" of identities?  Now I like games as much as the next person, but the ways in which the rules are fashioned (and followed) can encourage cheating instead of learning and friendly competition / cooperation.   So for me the announcement right now just leads to questions.  I do appreciate that LL is taking the time to look at this, to hopefully address the needs of the community, but wonder where this might lead given the announcement still seems so cryptic.

[Ceka Cianci]

ACK!! i would hope those community titles or whatever they are will be optional to display..

i don't want to be forced to wear something around if i were to get something like that..it's so limiting..

[DQ Darwin]

@Del: I guess Del there would probably be some truth in what everyone has said about the LL database, from basic structure on up. What I had said was very basic in that noticing the login page field change was a flag for me to reflect underlying database changes.

In truth I would believe LL has quite a few databases running all providing various aspects of support to the grid.and also interacting with one another. Having said this then the type and structure of said databases would present a lot of inherent problems unknown to us.

As a caveat what I have said, of course, are assumptions on my part.  But looking at SL's birth date I would assume some old technology exists.

[JustOneMore Loon]

Rodvik,

What a terrible mess is being made out of something so straightforward.

1. Modify website to have a dropdown of surnames

2. let people use it.

We KNOW the backend still exists, because the alternate signup sites offer last names.  What we don't know is why LL refuses to jsut put the box back on their own page.

You want to work on fancy titles and other stuff? Awesome- work on it- but don't cause more and more damage to the community by not turning on surname functionality. As you wait new users are registering more and more rediculous names in order to find something unique.  GET THE SURNAME BACK NOW!  

I could rant on how terrible the idea of users voting on titles are- and the terrible stigma and popularity contest that would be created.  SL gives everyone an even place - we can all be attractive, nice hair, etc. The popularity in our "circles' is based on our personality... Removing surnames segmented the social community that is Second Life.  Adding "supurlatives" would only make it more segmented and cliquish.  Like I said- put the surname dropdown box on the website immediately, then open a discussion with the community about these other changes you want to make. 

JustOneMore Loon

[JustOneMore Loon]

Awesome!  Zynga for SecondLife!  I hope I get to farm soon also.

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1  You rezzed and opened your first box

2  You spent real life money in SL

...

[JustOneMore Loon]

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Nuhai Ling wrote:

Geez... the only thing that can come from this is a very very funny list of resident-approved titles to award others with. That sounds like a really fun thread in fact, I think I will start one!

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I am more worried about the cruelty that voting on titles could bring. The harassment. The downright drama. And we just know the one thing SL lacks is drama..

[Charolotte Caxton]

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JustOneMore Loon wrote:

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Nuhai Ling wrote:

Geez... the only thing that can come from this is a very very funny list of resident-approved titles to award others with. That sounds like a really fun thread in fact, I think I will start one!

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I am more worried about the cruelty that voting on titles could bring. The harassment. The downright drama. And we just know the one thing SL lacks is drama..

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I've got a fever, and the only cure, is more drama!

[JustOneMore Loon]

Here is what Rodvik Linden, the CEO of Second Life, said about titles:

"Thanks all. yeah its a sensitive topic we want to get right. There are many people who really dislike having a last name forced on them from a list on the other hand there are many who love having that last name bond. As for titles, I hear you on the competition thing but there are perhaps other cool ways of getting things as an option fi you want. Length of being a customer etc." 

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This is SL not Facebook- no matter how much you want it to be.  SL shouldn't be a Zynga game any more than I want Zynga to put out "MobWars 3D"

[JustOneMore Loon]

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Ceera Murakami wrote:

Could they fix it? Yes, but it isn't as easy as it seems on the surface.

 

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You are incorrect.  They could turn on last names today. Alternate registration sites still USE last names. There is no complex development needed. They just need to display the dropdown instead of shoving Resident in there for everyone.  Why do the viewers not show "Resident" as a last name on the screen? Cause it's filtered out.  In the database Resident is the last name.

[Charolotte Caxton]

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JustOneMore Loon wrote:

Here is what Rodvik Linden, the CEO of Second Life, said about titles:

"Thanks all. yeah its a sensitive topic we want to get right. There are many people who really dislike having a last name forced on them from a list on the other hand there are many who love having that last name bond. As for titles, I hear you on the competition thing but there are perhaps other cool ways of getting things as an option fi you want. Length of being a customer etc." 

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This is SL not Facebook- no matter how much you want it to be.  SL shouldn't be a Zynga game any more than I want Zynga to put out "MobWars 3D"

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Are you addressing me, or Mr Linden?

[Chronometria]

What those above say is very true - There are still sites out there offering last names, so the system is not only something that can be restarted.....it was never actually turned off.

 

I am premium, i pay my share to help keep second life running and i want a surname to make me like everyone else. I don't need or want a "title" or anything else. I would even accept never having a surname myself, so that new accounts can get one (i`d settle for having resident as an actual name, as opposed to a placeholder).

 

Even the surname "resident" would have some sort of identity and history, but i dont even truly have that. I`d settle for it though as being better than what i have now.

[Demonsthenes]

I can agree with having Resident as a surname, among us, there is a certain honor at having been introduced to this world as a second class citizen. It has caused some of us to learn how to cope with discrimination based solely on the fact that we are not allowed proper names. Being able to have our last names reflect this dark time of Second Life's history would be a kind of badge, I would think.

[JustOneMore Loon]

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Charolotte Caxton wrote:

Are you addressing me, or Mr Linden?

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I was replying to Rod.

[JustOneMore Loon]

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Demonsthenes wrote:

I can agree with having Resident as a surname, among us, there is a certain honor at having been introduced to this world as a second class citizen. It has caused some of us to learn how to cope with discrimination based solely on the fact that we are not allowed proper names. Being able to have our last names reflect this dark time of Second Life's history would be a kind of badge, I would think.

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OK- we need a love button in the focums.... I'll let us be like FaceBook there.... Awesome view.

[Dillon Levenque]

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Demonsthenes wrote:

I can agree with having Resident as a surname, among us, there is a certain honor at having been introduced to this world as a second class citizen. It has caused some of us to learn how to cope with discrimination based solely on the fact that we are not allowed proper names. Being able to have our last names reflect this dark time of Second Life's history would be a kind of badge, I would think.

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I hope you're being facetious with the 'second class citizen' comment. If you've actually felt anything remotely like discrimination from anyone here because you don't have a first and last name I'm sorry to hear it. If you have, I'd have to think it came from people who tend to think everyone but them (and a small circle of friends: usually very small) is a second class citizen. Those same people will be all over titles like a blanket, should that really bad idea take fruit.

[Charolotte Caxton]

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JustOneMore Loon wrote:

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Charolotte Caxton wrote:

Are you addressing me, or Mr Linden?

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I was replying to Rod.

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Ok, thanks.

[Demonsthenes]

I was not being facetious at all. It is a fact that exists in the Second Life community. It was especially prevalent when I was very new, I would like to think my appearance and demeanor has changed others perspective of myself, but it still remains true that many new Residents are treated as idiots because when they joined they were not aware that their user name would be their identity. We were led to believe that we were logging in to a world where everything was customizable. While for the most part this is true, our names are something that we cannot change. Fortunately for myself, I am rather fond of my name, but for those others that felt Phillip414 would do until they came up with a more fitting name for their character, well, they have been the subject of scorn, ridicule, and blatant favoritism from residents who were fortunate enough, such as yourself, to have been afforded the opportunity to have chosen a "real" name.

[Dillon Levenque]

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Demonsthenes wrote:

I was not being facetious at all. It is a fact that exists in the Second Life community. It was especially prevalent when I was very new, I would like to think my appearance and demeanor has changed others perspective of myself, but it still remains true that many new Residents are treated as idiots

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I think what you experienced as a very new resident had less to do with your single name than with the fact you were new. I have heard other avatars say things like, "Let's go have some fun hassling the noobs.". I've even seen people brag and/or laugh about doing that in forum posts. I've always considered people who get a charge out of things like that to have a really severe need to feel superior; I leave you to draw  your own conclusions as to why they might feel that way.

I must admit, though,  you're absolutely right about the business with the numbered and/or odd-charactered first names and I only learned a couple months ago that in fact the startup login screen in no way informed people they'd be stuck with that inworld (I've been told it has since changed) and that the people who chose those horrible names did so assuming they'd only be login names and that their usernames would be of their choice.

Congratulations on having taken the time to come up with a single name that at first glance appears to be a known name but then hints at something else, all while being unique.

 

 

[Charolotte Caxton]

Hello, Levenque.

Nope. The account creation page tells you to remember your user name as that is what you will use to login, it makes no indication that it will be what your character is forever known as, in fact, it would lead me to believe that it was just a login user name, since it says username and username to login.

 

[Demonsthenes]

Thank you for the compliment, although in reality I had to add an extra letter as the name of choice was already taken. I had no idea at the time that a sharp dressed Demon would draw so much attention from certain ladies. Funny fact, many persons immediately shortened my name in chat, most call me Demo and have confessed to being uncomfortable referring to me as Demon; the funny part is, is that when I was trying on skins with a kind lady friend, we joked that it must have been made especially for me as it had DEMO written all over it! 

[Dillon Levenque]

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Demonsthenes wrote:

Thank you for the compliment, although in reality I had to add an extra letter as the name of choice was already taken. I had no idea at the time that a sharp dressed Demon would draw so much attention from certain ladies.

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Every girl crazy 'bout a sharp dressed Demon.