Time to drop "Second Life" as the name for this place?

I've always thought that "Second Life" wasn't the best choice of names for this place/platform, whatever. To me, at first glance, the name immediately implies that if you're here, you don't have much of a first life. The name doesn't give you any idea about what you can do here, how you can use this place as a creative outlet, for education, socializing, experimenting, coding and probably a lot of other things we haven't even dreamed of yet.

I think LL needs to change the name. From a marketing standpoint, it's less than ideal. Reading some of the comments from people in this article, only solidified my opinion. These are people who haven't tried SL, but are making judgements about it based on the name. Granted, that's not really fair, but how many people are turned off by the name when they see it and don't bother to make a free account and check it out because they figure it's a place for people with no first lives?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A11805770

"It just creeps me out when someone talks about "living" in a game. I think that's something they should get a grip on.
I suppose I was a bit harsh, but there you go."

"wouldnt we do better as individuals to face up to our problems engaging with each other than just trying to come up with alternatives? and the people having problems with "real life".."

"it just seems that from my point of view, the idea of attempting to build this online life with your own money seems ultimately futile. and would be better used on our 'real' life."

"in summary then, you're only playing it because you're a failure in real life, be it socially, emotionally or economically..."

"Exactly, so rather than sort out your life, you start a new one in a game. It's a bit of a cop out really - I've screwed up here, so why not just spend all my time in Second Life where the reset button is only a click away.
It's a "life" for people scared of life..."

Yep. It's my FIRST LIFE, precisely for the reasons of failure given in your quotes.

Aetherworld?
2Life?
Imaginarium?

Yip

It's a clever name, I think it's just that virtual worlds are still viewed as too nerdy.

Hey! Get out of my life!

It's funny, the quote from that article reminded me of how I first came here. I learned about this place after someone posted a link to a rather postive article about SL in a forum that I have participated in for several years. The person who posted the link said that they thought anyone who would try to find any kind of satifaction in a place like SL rather than in RL was truly pathetic. A long thread developed with people that I knew and respected on that forum mostly stating that anyone who could be attracted to something like SL must be a real loser. Well, I immediately had to check it out.

I think that your suggestion that a different name would have different associations is a valid point. I can't see Linden Lab changing it now, though.

I believe it should be called Eggy Lippmann.

haha!

Maybe I'm just fooling myself. Maybe I don't have a life.

Honestly what pains me the most, is that my built-in satire module always comes up with:

"Second Life? What's wrong, can't get a first?"

Its unfair, and unrepresentative, but it is the first thought someone who is not receptive will think. I do wish that it would be changed, at times.

But what?

exactly

A Bug's Life

I got an idea!

Oops, it's already been taken.

Hmm....

SecondEmo... SecondGor... SecondFurries... SecondAngst... SecondWhiners... SecondWTFTheLindenIsDevaluing... SecondBushGuy... SecondResModProgramStinks...

IMO, I think most of the posters were much more so responding to the writers experience and the manner in which he expressed himself, than the actual SecondLife platform.

As for the name SecondLIfe, though somewhat bland, from an immersion and role play standpoint, the name SecondLife is very applicable. And is very descriptive of what SecondLife really is.

Keep in mind, there will always be people who have something negative to say about anything they're personally not a part of, or participating in. You will find this behavior is very prevalent, and darn right flourishes over the internet.

I've been here for 2 years and never role played. I know tons of other people who haven't either. I do know alot of people who have stayed because they enjoy making 3d creations or pixel clothes. Still not convinced about the name. At all.

How about Essell?

Okay, I'll bruise some skins, but be assured that I do like SL. really. That is why I'm going to say this.

"Second Life" is the name a programmer or developer would give it. Why? It has obvious parallels, and it fits in some logical way.

People aren't logical, that is why we have research and marketing studies, along with focus groups.

The problem?

"Second" -- you don't get to first by naming yourself in a category, automatically. You may not think it is taken in this context, but on first glance, it really is.

"Life" - another tag that is hard to shake. Life? Well, that is all-encompassing, isn't it? Its sure to shake up people's perception, since that word is so strong. You might as well have called it "First God" or something equally controversial.

You just have to stay away from a categorizing term in ranking, and another term that basically puts it up against reality, which we're a long way off in challenging, in any terms. Except for maybe the drama

That is why I think it should be reconsidered, eventually.

I like the name, but I think they should change the motto.

coco

Almost Eggy, It's Esselle.

That has allways been my favorite choice. For us oldies it will be a name that references to the old name. To everyone else it sounds like the name of a Goddess.

LL wanted to use "There" but it was already taken.

I didn't think anything of the name when I signed up. They could have named it "Eggy" and it wouldn't have mattered to me. I was looking for someone who had done an open, extendable virtual world. I beta'd TSO and There, and they didn't even come close. After a couple of hours in SL, I knew I'd found what I wanted.

And I do have a life, too - a family and a full-time career. I come to SL to unwind, create, and discover new horizons that aren't available in reality. It does the job quite nicely.

I agree in part because I also do not role play. But just because I don't do it, doesn't mean I immediately discount those who do.

But further to the point, who do you believe those people who enjoy making 3d creations and pixel clothes are catering to?

Role players or people who treat this as a second life maybe?

Better Than Life!

.... the name of the highly-addictive virtual reality game in Red Dwarf. An apt description of SL

Nah name's fine.

These sneering comments are a way of boosting their own self esteem by berating others; maybe they themselves suffer mood disorders that they are attributing to us SL citizens! There's also a strange underlying assumption that we are in SL to somehow escape RL instead of here for pleasure and fun and that points towards the individuals own perceived inadequacy.

Armchair psychology is great!

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You can do all this in real life too and be much more productive. Not that I do much of any of them in RL and SL.