Real Life SL Accounts?

I'd like to get community views on something I have been thinking about for the past month...

What if LL enabled the ability for users to opt-in for accounts in their real life names (name on credit card tied to the account)?

1. Why would this be a great idea?
   
2. Why would this be a terrible idea?
   
3. Would this improve the SL experience for established real life ventures?
   
   business
   education
   non-profits
   hobby groups
   etc
   
   
   

---- Added Name Comment ----------

Don't assume that you'd be forced to use the name arrangement we have now...

The Real Life/First Life SL Accounts would allow you to use your real life name, or business DBA, or other name that is tied directly to your payment cc/account information held by LL.

By definition it would have a different opt-in account naming arrangement, different from the one used currently.

Anyone?

I dunno that I personally would want an AV in my own name, I'd rather be able to pick any name I choose. I find it silly that we are stuck with last names that are meaningless to us personally.

-Ghoti

naw. If I did that people would be asking me for my autograph all the time

Do I get to throw knickers at you?

Brilliant suggestion.

The first problem I thought might be that it would undermine ALTs and what not, but so few people would go in this direction unless they were very serious, that it wouldn't be a problem.

I have no issues ppl knowing my RL name, or my alts.

We are all boring.

I would strongly oppose any such move by LL to do this!

(Of Course that might have something to do with the fact my real name and the one on my credit card is Dick Heeder)

This is a cool idea. I'd create an account with my name and play myself. I've had a netidentity email address for ages. Question is would I associate my real virtual self with Khamon and Fate Gardens? Dunno.

It does offer the major advantage of SL being naturally embedded into the web search engines through people's real life web presences - especially for those of us who've been on the web for a number of years doing business, providing content, etc.

I can think of several business and informational uses I would focus on in SL where I would offer lots of content for the minor price of $9.95 - and just think, that fee goes to the House!

And since it's opt-in - those who wish to remain cloaked can do so.

I like the idea, Merwan. Apparently I'm a bit odd in this, but I wouldn't trust anyone in a "business" relationship who is just an avatar with a fictional name. If someone were going to do business in SL openly with their RL identity, I think it'd be better if they could just use their real name. I think it'd just be part of the increasing professionalism inside SL.

My real last name was actually added to the list of choices at one point, but a friend of mine got a trial account with my first name and last name as a joke, so it's unavailable now. If they were going to follow your suggestion, they might want to avoid adding common RL last names to the list. And we'd still have a lot of Jennifer Smiths, so I don't know how you handle that.

I would hope that would definitely be an option. I can understand people that do business on the web may want this feature but lets not forget the emotional dynamics of this game as well.

I am just thinking about the spiteful, vindictiveness that happens within a game when someone feels slighted or ticked off at you. If they have your rl name, is that going to spill to RL? With things like Zabasearch and PeopleSearch, all they need to know is the state you live in and they have access to a world of information about you.

And *insert sarcasm here* don't you know the internet is filled with evil people? * I hear this from my own mother on a daily basis*

I think this idea certainly has it's merits. I'm sure those who have an avatar the opposite gender to rl wouldn't be too happy, at least those who are not open about it.

I can see many many valid reasons why people would decide not to take this option up, both on a practical and personnal level. Despite there being so many valid reasons, it wouldn't stop some questioning the reasons of those who choose to not opt in I bet.

I don't understand why we cannot pick the surname in the same way we can the first name. Is there any good reason it is done that way?

Me too Khamon.

I'd keep my RL avatar completely separate from this one - so no one would connect the two.

I think he said it all with why we aren't allowed to chose our own surnames

It could be an option, but not one I want to take. I'm sorry, I like being separated by the gentle veil that is the internet. In game I am sometimes the idiot that I am not in RL, and would rather it didn't come back to haunt me RL side.

isnt this whole sl thing meaning that its a second life and why would you want it to be just like your rl..sl is to free yourself and be the inner you or even be the person you would like to be or even hell be someone your like totaly NOT!..

Even better... Get your name changed by deed poll to your SL account name. Job done!

I am throwing Kris my panties with my name, address, telephone number pinned to them...

*sighs* You are a superstar in my book of friends!

It depends on your name. Personally, seeing as I am the only person with my RL name - I would not be keen on it. While I love my last name, I tend to keep it private unless I really trust people.
The only problem I could see for the general population would be the John Smith factor...

I threaten to throw Flipper's knickers in the Thames whenever we happen to be in the UK.

He wears Knickers?!!



Make sure you gimme dates and times, I wanna be there for that

HEY NOW! Jennyfur is OFFICIALLY in trouble!

I might get sued for my RL name. It is kind of nice in one way though... it makes me Google-proof. Good luck finding out anything about me when you search for "Tim Allen". All you'll get in some jack ass in a Santa Claus outfit.

hehehehe,

FlipTim

My RL last name was available when I joined, but I didnt select it. I imagine only a handfull of people would take advantage of this if it were available.

D

This has already been done once. Years ago we created a complimentary account for Jaron Lanier that used his real name. Normally I wouldn't be exposing anyone's real life information in the forums, however the "Jaron Lanier" account was made so that he could be himself in world if he wanted. For anonymity he can easily make an alt.

Despite the existence of the Jaron account I don't think LL is planning on providing custom last names for RL names. I forsee a few problems with that, such as name conflicts and conflicts with some names that have already been taken in SL since many of the SL last names are already real last names. First and last names do not unambiguously identify a person.

On the other hand if SL were to become a such a pervasive and useful platform that more people wanted to use it for "serious" purposes only (and by "serious" I mean not related to entertainment, theirs or others) then I would expect more people would want to use their real names. It would seem unfortunate to not provide an SL identity that is unambiguously tied to a real person if that was desired.

I don't know all of the pros and cons of the subject, but it is an interesting discussion.

Oh, as a follow up to "celeb name weirdness" - I worked at CDnow.com a few years back, and on the staff there we had:

Tim Allen (myself)
Jeff Beck
John Taylor
Steve Perry
David Steinberg
and, get this... TWO Howie Mandels, both of whom had the middle name "Mark", one spelled with a "C" and one spelled with a "K".

Something tells me there were one or two more, but I'm drawing a blank. We had a reunion a few weeks back - one of my friends from there handed me his business card. He's now going by ROCCO SLAMMER - escort/exotic dancer! C'mon Lindens... give us the last name SLAMMER!

-Flip

I think it would create divisions between "real" SL players and the rest. It would also create a problem for folks like William Shatner (unless he *is* William Shatner )

I also agree with Ghoti (and a lot of others) about the last names though. I understand why they do it, but that aspect totally shocked me at first.

I almost did not join when I saw that I would be forced to pick from that list, it's something one does not really expect to be faced with.

.