Login screen

Hi.

When I open up SL my username is already filled in on the login screen. I share a computer with others and don't really want them all to be able to track me down in SL. Is this an option I can turn off or is there a way around it?

Thanks

You should know that the SL viewer leaves all kinds of folders on your hard drive with your account name(s). So anyone really wanting to find you could by using Windows Explorer or its equivalent.

Maybe if you create a couple of free alt accounts and make it a little more a face in the crowd? And make their names ambiguous as to gender, etc.

That's a bummer - having to share a computer like that. No privacy. I'm cool with there being no real privacy in SL, but this a real life issue. That's very different.

when you log out, re-log in with an alt account that has not profile or money or investment.... a namesake only. SL remembers the last log in name, so while that would all be a pain, you gotta do whatever keeps the anonymity you desire... so, worth it.

also, you can unclick the "remember password" on the login screen, so they can't log your avatar in without your permission. check that that is unchecked EVERY time you log on, before you log on.

But for this to happen, wouldn't it be necessary that not only the computer, but the computer *account* be shared? (Caveat: mostly Linux-based here, but surely those Microsoft user accounts must mean *something*, and all record of the SL accounts that are used seems to be in user account-specific directories on my XP installation.)

There is a way to change it, yes.

Take a look at settings.xml in your local settings folder -

In Vista is will be here:

C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\SecondLife\user_settings

(note - there is no space in the word "user" in the above string, but the forums seems to put it in!)

In XP:

C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Application Data\SecondLife\user_settings

You will see two lines in this file like:

<FirstName value="Gomez"/>
<LastName value="Bracken"/>

(note - they are not together in the file)

What you can do is change these lines to:

<FirstName value=""/>
<LastName value=""/>

This will then show blank name fields on login.

Obviously, it's a bit messy to have to change the file each time you log back in, but you could edit the file, name a copy of it called settings.bak then after using SL, just copy settings.bak to settings.xml - you could even write a quick batch file to do this from a single click on your desktop.

Gomez

Yes, anyone can see the various SL user accounts you use just by looking in your Second Life data directories.

The only way to prevent that is to have different user accounts on your shared machine. Even the home edition version of windows allows this. You have to have administrator privileges to set up new user accounts. Having a separate user account can have unintended consequences -- for example, if a piece of software was installed for only the main account, your new user account won't have access to it. Similarly, you should test and see if your new account has all required network access/software/devices, lalala.
.

I think it's a good solution. Change it to read only and the client won't be able to modify it, and thus, will no longer remember her name.

She just has to remember to make it writeable again if she ever wants to change any settings... otherwise, they won't be remembered.

Thanks everyone - helpful stuff. Don't know how to do batch files but I can ask around - in the meantime I'll have a go at changing the file.

If you're using windows, right click the file after you've edited it, tick the 'read only' box, and (in theory) the restarted client should never remember your name.

You just have to bear in mind that any changes you make in preferences will revert to their previous values when you restart the client... unless you make that file writeable again.

No only does SL save the name you last logged on with, but it saves a Bitmap of the screenshot where you last logged off. On a Mac that is in the folder where the Second Life Cache is kept.