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Dangers in sl?


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Hey I'm making an alt currently and so I made the username my real name, not knowing it would be displayed across the grid to anyone and everyone (thanks for the warning btw sl) so I'm wondering if thats safe?  I plan to use this avatar for business stuff strictly, not planning on doing anything perverted or any roleplay / relationships.  Should I make a new avatar with a different username or do you think this is safe?

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Well, even if you never do anything social or intimate with that account, it still puts you at a disadvantage, because you're giving out your real name, and 99% of those around you are not doing that. If your business thrives and people know that's your real name on display, that's one less barrier to someone who might try to steal funds from your account.

If this was a business-only grid where everyone logged in with their real name, it wouldn't matter. I wouldn't do it in an environment where most others remain anonymous.

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 I personally have a much older Avatar that has my real name but that account is strictly for RL works. It was a required process by the company we were affiliated with. I never used it for anything else than entering the company's sim and no way related to my other avatars.

If you do not have anything to hide and would like to make a name in the SL business, I suppose it won't hurt. I've seen some RL names here and with their RL business, job title and company's address. I'd say follow your instinct. When in doubt, don't do it.

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Is it closed business meetings?  But even if that, I don't consider that particularly "safe".

This is only my opinion.  We had a hacker break into our Paypal account once already in our lifetime, and I hope that never happens again.  How these hackers do these things, I have no idea?  This could have been someone who once worked for Paypal when it happened to my rl bf and I, who knows? 

Why exactly do you think you need your real name shown since you are asking the question? 

ETA:  The authorities may know who did this hacking into Paypal, but they never told us who it was.  They charged a bunch of things on goodwill.com including beds and other items, and we (my rl bf and I) never heard of nor ever visited goodwill.com.

The authorities never even told us what happened.  It all just happens on the credit card end.  But it was scary.  Be wary. 

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if this is an alt account then i don't know what LL could have said that you didn't see from your other user name..they were always shown in public in some way.

i think it is as safe as a secrete..

it's just another name unless you let people know it's your real name..

i never look at anyone and say..i wonder if that is their real name..

so i think it's as safe as you present it to the grid..

 

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I agree with Ceka.  I this is an alt, surely you knew that your 'name' would be the one that you use as your avatar.  You can make yet another alt account and use it for your business and cancel the one with your RL name if you like.

Safe is up to you to decide.

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First of all I didn't know my username would be displayed, that's why I made it my real name.  And sl gives you no heads up for this.  I certianly don't have anything to hide, I just don't particularly want (perverted) stalkers especially because I'm young and probably a target.  And this wouldn't be for meetings or anything,  I plan on using the account for script creation to sell in world.  I am a college student and when I graduate (CS Degree) I plan to obviously do more with code so using my real life name could be more professional as coding is my future in and out of world.  Not really sure what to do.

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I think the reason why I've never realised username = display name is because I've used an old viewer which perhaps doesn't support username & display names being viewed.  I've never seen anyone without an old school first and last name.  I also just rejoined after a year break last month... Dunno when this change took place though.

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Kervin Karu wrote:

I think the reason why I've never realised username = display name is because I've used an old viewer which perhaps doesn't support username & display names being viewed.  I've never seen anyone without an old school first and last name.  I also just rejoined after a year break last month... Dunno when this change took place though.

is this a display name you made? or the user name?

if it's a display name you can change it in like 5 days to something else..if it is a user name..that is what you would see in the older viewers if it was a V1 viewer and not the V2..

 

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You build your inworld business reputation with whatever name you start with.

If you're bringing in a physical world business, perhaps real world name is necessary.  Those seem to be rare. Can't think of one of the top of my head, except for corporation style.

If you do business with real world name in SL - you are attaching all SL promotion to that real world name, and it can be extremely limiting for your real world business.

Particularly limiting if you go on to other things....which one does.  Frequently.

 

 

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I guess it may not be obvious to others as I am clearly biased on this question.  But I don't want it to be looked up on facebook should I be successful or hacked or anything like that...  Some people just have nothing better to do than find a target.

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If you have any kind of success at all, or if you deal with many people...you will come across someone who will be a problem.  Maybe several.  It can get quite awkward and downright scary.

I'm not sure what name you are using now.  If it is your real name ....zip your lips forever.  Don't say a word.

As it is already picked up in google search, just from this thread.

Whatever name you choose for virtual world...it will appear in google, just as it is right now. 

If you use same name for facebook or google+ it will direct them toward your efforts there.

Once you choose that name, you are trackable across the Internet.  Whether you have a successful business or not.

Years ago, that was not necessarily an issue in this particular virtual world, as the google search did not pick up your forum postings or your profiles.

Even not using forum is no longer the answer to laying low...as your profile is now web based.

 

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Kervin Karu wrote:

Hey I'm making an alt currently and so I made the username my real name, not knowing it would be displayed across the grid to anyone and everyone (thanks for the warning btw sl) so I'm wondering if thats safe?  I plan to use this avatar for business stuff strictly, not planning on doing anything perverted or any roleplay / relationships.  Should I make a new avatar with a different username or do you think this is safe?

some wierdo traces your name and hides in your wardrobe till you are asleep?

go for it.

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Not safe at all.

With the trend toward SL wanting to be Facebook Junior, there seems to be a rash of this kind of thing.  Especially among new users - Using RL pics as their profile pic, real names and locations in their profiles. Or profiles linked to FB accounts that tell everyone who and where they are.

Stalkers are a reality. It's very easy to take a pic from a profile and find it anywhere else it has been posted. Been there - don't plan to go there again. And don't think that it only happens in cases of intimate SL relationships. The people that stalk others don't think like their victims do. And all too often, the victims learn the hard way.

Ditch the alt, make a new one, and stay safe.

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  • 1 year later...

Hello, but when you trust in a person and they when friendship end  and with no ethic  say all your RL info and even they do an  avatar with your real name,last name and  address  and even more the person goes to  groups and  give the names of  alts and even in facebook  with no any permission ,WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT?  I already did a abuse  RL and SL info but no answer  until today =( even this person  told me with the  avatar this person did  to be careful  he will be  watching me...  I am in Mexico city  and this person too.. Any advice?

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