Account Name Changes

My apoligies if this issue has been addressed before, I've tried searching through the forums for an answer to this question but I came up with nothing.

Is it possible to email support to have an account name change at all? As you can see, my attempt at getting an account with something resembling my online name meant me combining my first and last names into something in the middle...it's wierd.

Anyway, is there a method of changing your account login name?

We don't currently support changing names, although it's a feature we've considered adding in the future, along with the ability to create your own SL family last name. If you're interested in something like that, please let us know. If there were a fee to create or change a name would you still be interested?

I'll copy this thread into the Feature Suggestions forum so you can discuss it further with other SL'ers.

I, for one, dumped my Trial account and created this account because I changed my mind on my name. I'd pay a fee if I was an established user, but I think allowing a user to change their name for free within the trial would be nice. As it was, because I created that second account so soon after my trial account (hours later), I was forced to forgo my trial on this account and subscribe immediately. I was upset that I didn't actually get to complete my trial... but fortunately the av creation abilities had already hooked me

Some limited form of name change may not be a bad idea. Say, you can change your name once (twice?) within your first 6 months, custom family names on the other hand sounds interesting, and might be worth pursuing.

-Adam

I think that this isn't a bad idea.

To avoid it becoming another form of alt-griefing, a person's profile should show a window for "formerly known as".

Also, a "Find" search for the old name should turn up the same account with the new name.

Despite the pretty nifty idea of using first and last names to distinguish individuals in Second Life, a lot of newcomers still log in thinking that they need to use a string of abbreviations and numbers in order to happen upon an as-yet unused name, which results in names that are often unpronounceable, except in Aramaic and Swahili, neither of which I'm fluent in. I think that a noticeable percentage of these folks would switch their first names back to something at least pronounceable if not normal. It would also help relieve the Horrible, Awful anxiety of inventing a name for yourself when you first download Second Life. If you could choose a name, but be told that you'd have 60 days to change it if you weren't happy with it, it wouldn't feel like such a pressure to try and come up with an awesomcleverwittyspectacular name to define your entire SL existence. I also think that alot of players (me!) on SL gender-switch their avatars, which can be difficult if they chose a gender-tied name at the very beginning, when they weren't aware of the possibilities for exploration.

If you're taking reservations on new or unique family names, I'd like to put down US$10 on "Major Major". Please.

These are good points, and I'm in favor of some more flexibility involving initial naming of your avatar so that, as Unhygienix very well pointed out:



Definitely. Currently during the signup process, there is a "Check Availability of this Name", which I find helpful. Or situations such as entering numbers in your name when you later find you don't want them, or uncapitalization.

Suffix titles AFTER one's name like "Jr." and "Esq." might be fun too

don't forget "the Defiler".

I'd also be interested in seeing some mode of socialization that ties familial names together. Am I related to the other Gullwings in Second Life, and if so, how should this affect me? Am I brother, sister, son, daughter, Mother or Father or cousin to the other people in Second Life who share my family name? Are we a clan, and if so, why don't we ever get together for family reunions?

I don't know if Mother/Father would apply, but perhaps some sort of family tree, showing who used the name first, second, third.... Even though it would be an artificial social invention, like the geographic consistencey of the SL space, it might be interesting to have some form of familial heirarchy.

I changed my name because after a while I didn't like being "the other Cory". When I picked the name Cory Bauhaus, I didn't understand that having a unique name was not only possible here but had value as well. So to change names I gave up all my rates, lots all my non-transferable inventory, and went through a week of hell moving the rest of my inventory over.

In other words, you bet your bippy I would have paid a small one time charge to change my name!

I also like the idea of custom family names, especially if the clan creator can control who can use that name. I also like Torley's idea of suffix titles, but that might be confusing. I would reserve that for things that actually affect the game, like being a land owner, or a private estate owner, or the founder of a club, or a leader on the leader board.

This is really funny because the creation of artificial families was done in Kurt Vonnegut's novel Slapstick. In the book, narrated by the final president of the United States, there was a campaign called "Lonsome No More!". The government issued new surnames to the citizens; the names were a plant or animal followed by a number. Examples that come to mind are "Daffodil-12" and "Chipmunk-82".

The idea behind "Lonesome No More" was that the decay of society was because too few people had too little family. People who shared your name and number were siblings and people who shared your name were cousins (or something like that). I expect this would work as well in SL as it did in the novel - that is not well.

It does, however, explain why I picked "Petunia" upon signup and tangentially "Malachi" too.

To get back on topic, when I joined SL, there were a number of concepts that seemed designed to increase "responsible" conduct. As we've seen, anonymity tends to breed anti-social behavior - this may well be an axiom of the internet. It even extends to the SL Forum/World disjunction where people who are horribly obnoxious on the forums are quite pleasant in-world. I think there is some part of us that recognizes were are in a social environment when there are other avatars around which does not obtain on the forums.

Back in SL v1.1 days, there seemed to be a persistence of identity that tied your name and reputation together. That is, if Malachi Petunia does something bad to you today, you may well remember tomorrow. This sort of "binding" induces people to act more cooperatively for fear of social sanction. I don't know how long "alternate avatars" have been allowed - when I joined I thought it was specifically prohibited - but that does change the dynamic of interactions and usually not for the better. Name changes would certainly have the same effect, so I advocate if changes are allowed that "formerly: Malachi Petunia, Grimmy Moonflower" in the profile ought be maintained.

I inquired about the possibility of a name change right after my trial period was over. I was disappointed when I was told it was not possible. I imagine it would be something of a logistical nightmare to have land ownership, group memebership, etc. transfered to the new name. I think a small fee to help offset this issue would be acceptable.

In a similiar vein, I think a small monthly fee to maintain multiple names/idenities might also be interesting.

At first, I think I may have affirmed the notion of being able to choose our own first and last name. Now, I feel that sharing a last name with other members gives grounds for starting conversations and friendships.

I find it somewhat ironic that with all the flexibility to alter the appearence of your av the choice of names is limited.

Robin, wouldn't a name change require a massive undertaking going through all the content we've created and changing the user's old UID to their new UID?

Far as I know, the UUID would stay the same. Same account, but they'd use a different "person name"

LiveJournal charges a fee to change the LJ name to something else. They charge $15.

Custom Family names would also be good. I wanted Kitsune as a last name, but it was unavailable.

I tend to think that allowing name changes with well established characters is making it a bit too easy to be antisocial and then anonymous. That said, it does have it's merits. I'd be in favour of a name change before X amount of time, to be set by the Powers that Be.

However, I don't agree that your "former name" should be automatically given to anyone who is inquiring. Perhaps an option that you yourself set? There are some cases where anonimity is justified. Relationships gone sour, wanting to create a new brand, etc. Hard liners may say that nobody deserves a fresh start. I disagree. Should a person be allowed to be antisocial over and over and over with name changes? I dunno. There has to be a breaking point

When you change your name, does it change your "born on" date, too? It could become pretty obvious who the "new person" was otherwise. Perhaps that could be one of the drawbacks to changing your name, along with losing your ratings, etc.

I kind of like the idea of custom surnames too but ... I also like that I have a surname that is now "retired" ... it gives me a bit of a Elder feeling

--Jack Lambert

That would be great! I don´t wish to change my name, but I wish to change the mistake I did when I signed up, I used a small letter "j" at my first name instead of a capital. Ohh well...

I'm all for name change ability... not that I want to change my name or anything. Custom last names seem to be a long-asked-for feature as well. I agree we'd need some means of preventing people from abusing this to 'cover their tracks' when they're being obnoxious.

Hmm... what if I change my name, then someone else comes along and tries to use my previous name? Tha'd be kinda confusing.

Just to be contrary, I, for one, don't like the idea of custom surnames. More specifically, I don't think that you should simply be able to create whatever surname you want when you sign up. I really liked the concept of a limited number of surnames when I first signed up. The concept of surnames itself made me very quickly realize that SL was different from the other online communities I'd been in. I would have to pick a name, not a handle. There wouldn't be many "blondeflorida18f" types in second life, bceause "blondeflorida18f Beckenbauer" looks pretty silly.

I wouldn't have a problem with several people being able to request a surname that was subject to Linden approval (they do this for classes, anyway), but I think part of the charm of SL at the start for me was the limited number of surnames. I just wish it'd been more clear to me that whatever I picked there, I was stuck with. This problem is highlighted when people accidentally fail to capitalize their own name.

Ability to chagne case on names, good idea, ability to change last name within x ammount of time, good idea...

"An't no body messes with the Rigatoni Mafia..."
"Yes BeatMaster Rigatoni..."

.... just custom last names feels like we'll have cartels and mafias spring up. Also the 150 user limit on last names would be lost, and thus names would no longer be as unique.

I'd support a name change system if it were only allowed a maximum of once per year, and only allowing the first name to be changed. The profile windows should show their former name as well.

Along the same topic, when the Partner last-name code is implemented, I'd still want a way to see a person's former last name in their profile somewhere, and they absolutely should revert back to their original last name if they "divorce".

Finally, I think LL should put some language on the sign-up form to communicate to people that SL's first-last name system creates names unique enough that a simple first name is probably readily available and should be at least attempted before suffixing various numbers, compound words and the like onto their preferred first name. Something should also note that the capitalization entered will the the capitalization they will be stuck with.

Edit: I would not support the implementation of custom last name groups except for how they are done now for university classes and the like.

$10-$20: Especially for a custom family name.

If name change for partnering is allowed then ne should be somewhere in the profile.

ie if Fiona SausageRoll marries Fred CarrotCake and decides to take his name then her profile should say Fiona CarrotCake (nee SausageRoll).