Avatar key

how on earth do you go about getting someones (or even my own) avatar key?

ask them

Make a prim box, make a new script inside it, copy and paste the following into the script (replacing the original contents):

default
{
state_entry()
{
llSetText("click me and I say your UUID", <1,1,1>, 1);
}

touch_start(integer total_number)
{
llSay(0, (string)llDetectedKey(0));
}
}

Get them to IM you while you're not in world is one way (there are simpler ways but they involve scripts) - the IM will go to your email address and will be something like [email]45359038901824318947189247892759027789@linden.com[/email] (the big long number is their avatar key).


EDIT: Or you could just use the script posted above

In fact no, the long number is a random hash that is generated when the email is sent. It only lasts for about 3 days then it expires. It is *not* the avatar key, however.

You can also get some HUDs that will report avatar keys for you.

-Atashi

hohum....... blonde calling:
What is an avatar key and why would you want to know it?

It must last longer than 3 days, as a friend of mine has had the same number for nearly a year - and if I email to that number she recieves the email as an IM.

Redheads want to know too.

I believe it's a unique identifier for your avatar, mostly used in scripting. I used the script posted above to get mine and then copied it into my profile notes (that only I can see) for reference. Strangely I can't find anything about it in the support knowledge base to verify exactly what it is...

Unique identifiers are typically used for "housekeeping". Every object needs to be stored in a database somewhere (the asset server in this case), and there needs to be a unique method of finding it. Avatars have unique identifiers, as mentioned already. I would expect that prims do to, and possibly textures, though I haven't learned enough about SL yet to say for sure.

So your avatar's uuid is kinda like your RL social security number.

The script above will tell you your own key, or grab the key of anyone that clicks on it.

If you're unable to have them click on a box to grab their key, you can consult one of the 3rd party databases out there to fetch it. Two well-know Name2Key databases are:

http://w-hat.com/name2key

http://www.moopf.com/name2key.php



Note that 'key' is somewhat of a misnomer, as it doesn't "unlock" anything. Your "Key" (Aka UUID) is your ID number in the Second Life database, and isn't secret. While you're right that its a unique identifier similar to a Social Security number - unlike an SSN, it can't be used for 'Identity Theft'.

Its this key that allows vendors to send you inventory or scripts to send you an instant message, for example.

Scripters have been begging Linden Labs to give us a Name2Key function within LSL for a long time, instead of having to consult 3rd party databases. There's a JIRA proposal out there for this, if you're interested:

http://jira.secondlife.com/browse/SVC-215


Hope this explains a little bit

There was a blog post about it several months ago... they used to use a system for email->im that was fairly permanent but they've switched to one that is a lot shorter-lived because of the potential for abuse I think. I'm too lazy to search the blog but it's in there somewhere.

Here's the sort of number the email / im thing looks like nowadays:
[email]z2mxzp2mqu2f6vnvvfkxtsek7imghm3jeqaw3yeh6wmksu5hw2r6c5pmtyc6qx66@im.agni.lindenlab.com[/email]
This is a case senstive hash that LL generate and it's supposed to be session unique and supposed to expire after a few days. (I've never tried using an old one so I don't know if it expires really.)

Here's what an avatar (or any other UUID) key looks like:
12345678-1234-1234-1234-1234567890AB
Avatar keys / UUIDs are always formatted like that, and are in hexadecimal, using numbers 0-9 and letters a-f.

Many script functions that do things to or for avatars, require the key -- animating an avatar, giving inventory to an avatar, giving money to an avatar, these things all require the key rather than the name. It can be used for good things like hugs, split-revenue vendors or tip boxes, and that kind of thing. And it can be used for naughty things like forms of griefing. Either way though it's frequently required in scripting.

-Atashi

I have the distinct memory of seeing this same question within the last week or two.

Naturally, search doesn't reveal it though

Thanks all for sharing
Kinda makes sense now.

@Love : me thinks textures have these too, because i was getting loads of weirdo letters and numbers showing up at the top of my texture picker window instead of texture names.

And now suddenly that could be making sense too. Wow I've seen the light.

It's a feature of this function that allows you to do absolutely everything except find what you're looking for.

It's a wonder LL don't make us pay extra for the 'added' feature.

On the upside, using search I've found loads of interesting stuff I wasn't looking for and may never have discovered. This does mean I usually forget what I was looking for in the first place, though. But such is (second) life.

Textures do have UUIDs. Everything in SL in fact has a unique UUID -- texts, scripts, notecards, LMs, prims, objects, avatars, clothing, et cetera. Anything that exists or has ever existed in SL, including copies of things, all have their own unique UUID.

-Atashi

This is what I expected, but didn't want to just claim to be true without actually knowing it's true...

http://www.moopf.com/name2key.php

just type their name in then click search

I often wonder why old im's fail if I don't respond or save them.
Now I know the answers.

I have a related (possibly stupid) question - since you Avatar key is a unique descriptor of your Avi, are there any security implications with making it known to someone? What can they do with it?

With someone's avatar key, one could create a script which can give you inventory, give you money, or send you IMs, and one can check to see if you are online or not.

As with all tools, these can be a good thing, or they can be a bad thing.

The avatar key is not a 'secret' and it is fairly trivial to collect keys, there are a few online repositories already where you can look them up. Knowing someone's key doesn't give you access to anything that you couldn't get already from their profile, basically. It just lets you script stuff instead of doing it manually.

-Atashi

Ok, this is weird...I didn't know about the UUID until this thread so used the websites listed to get my key and then was just randomly putting in different of my friends. One person kept coming up "not found" for a key. I know they have to have one to be an AV...lol...any idea why their key does not show?

The databases are just populated by people adding keys that they find, not automatically, and I don't think they are updated a lot these days.