why do people put some number behind their first name?, this isn't WOW or CSS

I went to watherhead to meet new people, and to talk, okay, so i see 2 or 3 avvies with frekin 4 digit numbers like hans1997 or somthing, whats the point?, i mean i even see like "6900" behind it, whats the point?

It is because the name they want has already been taken.

I'm guessing it's habit for a lot of people...they're so used to other formats that they just automatically named themselves in the way they normally would for those.

Also, though, there was a long period of time when the last name list wasn't being updated, so they may have had to add some numbers to the first name in order to find something which hadn't been used yet.

...does not look like the smartest number to pick... ...looks like underaged

Linden Labs is coming out with new last names fast enough.

It's the last 4 digits of their social security number cuz they're getting a head start on age verification. *runs and hides*

There are so many options and chances at creativity in SL and I hate to see what breaks down to be aol screen names as an avatar name. From what I have seen in the welcome areas, alot of these people are only interested in griefing or asking for sex and really could care less about learning what SL has to offer anyways. Not all, but most I have ran across. Why anyone would want an avatar name like John63538282 is beyond me. Even if the name someone wants is taken, there's the whole damn internet to search through for unique names. The options are limitless really.

Maybe they couldn't wait the time it takes to find an available name because they were in a rush to get to that free sex place they heard so much about...

That's what I did. On most websites my login name is Bradley310 (My name plus my area code). When I logged into SL I really didn't have an understanding that it was going to be a vastly different situation. Even if I did understand I don't think it really would have mattered to me because I was just logging in out of curiosity and had no intention of staying.

After a couple of weeks I couldn't stand having the number on my name, though, so I changed to the current one I'm using.

Before they added new last names it could be incredibly difficult to find a name that would actually go through. It took me 30+ tries to name Capella. Email addresses have taught most folks that after 5 or 6 failed tries- it's usually acceptable to just add numbers to speed the process up.

yea, i was at help island, just to welcome new people, i saw one idiot askign for money, now i have just cashed otu the other day so i am broke right now, he said "YOU HAVE PAYMENT INFO, GIVE ME CASH, YOUR A PREMIUM MEMBER, GIVE ME CASH!" payment info means you have credit card info on file, not that you have a premium account, if you had a premium accoutn it would say "premium membership" GOD, i hate people >

No it doesn't...it says 'Payment Info Used,' just like Basic accounts who have purchased funds through the Lindex. I'm not advocating begging (or demanding, in this case), but I see where his confusion arose from.

I really dislike seeing names with numbers after them. I realize I am sounding snobby and elitist but having a number after your name sounds like:

1) You have no imagination OR
2) You don't care about your SL avatar and it's image OR
3) You think numbers are LEET and cool

I think 3) disturbs me the most...

Even in other MMORPGs I think having a number after the name looks stupid. I play "City of Heroes" sometimes and I sure wouldn't want to be "Supergal216".

1) My World, My Imagination!
2) SL avatar image " Impish Stoic " try Lithium.
3) disturb this.....

" I appreciate people who are polite, thoughtful and funny "
Finora Kuncoro
Perhaps qualities you don't have?

Hmm I went throught a geat deal of name trying to just get my first name, I tried Pat in every single last name in the list and they were all taken, Patrick was also, and I wanted to get my first name for that account as it is my RL focused alt. I had to take a number. I suppose the stats show 10million names are unavailable for possibly eternity, pity only 1% of them are active and 20% of those are just bots.

One of my friends just registered, and she couldnt do it unless she added a number, the names she chose were not taken before, but it said they were. So, unless you add a number to your name, you simply can't get an account.
Maybe a way to know who's new in the grid.

We all have to remember that the names are changing less often, they are allowing more people per name, and people sign up at a much faster rate than when most of us did.

Its simply much harder to get any given name now. Unless somehow LL changes the last name fast enough to keep pace you will get a lot of Internet (numbers and stuff) names.

Simple solution-

Let people pick a first AND a last name. LL should get out of the last name making biz entirely.

You suddenly exponentially increase the amount of names availible.

I kind of like the fact that last names are Linden created, just by looking at a name I can know how long someone has been part of SL.

yes - but unless LL assigns someone to churn out names at regular intervals - the system is not scalable.

Leading to the issue described by the OP. Which only gets progressively worse if SL increases in popularity.

Considering the Hippy Dippy Tao of Linden no one will be assigned to it.

Thus the only sustainable plan is to let people pick first and last names.

Because the name they wanted was taken now they'll add numbers to it?

That's so stupid. The same can be said about those ridiculous stupid names with added sentences. For the most part they're trying to be cute and they come off as being really dumb.

Several people have stated this in other forums also. I don't understand it. I think some of them are very creative and very funny. Some of course aren't. I wouldn't lump them all into one barrel.

So long as you don't add numbers to your name. If you do that, people will clog up the new user support forum whining and moaning about it.

Personally I would be happier if we all you could just change your displayed name over your head to whatever you liked. Your objects and any AR's would be linked to your real account name or number, if you wanted to display that as your name so you acheive status then it works fine too.
This would mean one account would only be necessary instead of having diffent alts for different genre RP. you could play a masked superhero and have people trying to work out who you really were.

I recall reading through a newbie guide LL had put out some time before I joined... There was a section that commented on this. Nothing big, mind you, just a small paragraph trying to explain how people were encouraged not to give their avatars AOL-ish names.

Heh, they also talked about the prim tax. That made me very reluctant to rez anything for the first couple of days before I realized it had long since been abolished.