Feature Proposal on revised registrration limits

I would like Linden response on a feature proposal that I have entered in Feature Suggestions, HERE. Please check that thread for residents to make comments and for the full discussion. I'll put it up for a features vote if I get enough positive feedback.

PROPOSAL:

1: Eliminate the restriction on how many accounts can be registered to a single credit card (currently 2) or household (currently 5), or at least increase it to a larger number, such as 10 or 20 accounts. Allow one free Basic account per 90 day period to be created, with additional Basic accounts costing $9.95 USD. Enforce strict penalties for MISUSE of multiple accounts, including ensuring that suspensions or bans that affect one account also affect the others in the same household.

It is possible to create unlimited numbers of accounts merely by withholding payment information. At this time, Linden Labs does not check for number of accounts at account signup, even if payment info is provided at that time. They are failing to collect the $9.95 USD fee for creation of additional Basic accounts, unless, perhaps, the extra accounts are noticed later. The arbitrary restriction on how many verified accounts one may have only harms those who are willing to provide valid payment information and who may have valid reasons for possessing more than 5 accounts in one household, such as roleplayers who want to use different accounts for each character that they RP as. (Male mercenary, female slave girl, new account for a 'Married name', etc.) .

Implementation:

Revamp the registration system, so the process for creating an account requires downloading a small account setup application, which does the same machine ID check that the SL client now does. Use that information to track what systems are setting up new accounts. If that machine ID hasn't created a new account in the last 90 days, or some similar period of time, they can create a new account for free, and don't have to provide billing info. If it's been less than 90 days, then billing info is REQUIRED, and a $9.95 USD payment will be processed and must complete successfully before account creation is finalized. At the time of the request, the identifying information, if provided, would be cross-checked against existing billing information. Machine ID should also be checked at registration against known banned ID's, preventing banned griefers from creating new accounts.

Discussion:

I believe that if the implementation method I am proposing is used, we could eliminate the floods of griefer alts, while at the same time still allowing new users to experience SL without having to provide credit card information. You only need ONE free trial account to experience SL. Allowing one new Basic account free per 90 day period allows roleplayers to accumulate verified alts without spending lots of money, while a serious roleplayer who really wants several alts right now, or someone looking to lock in a particular surname while it is still available, can pay for that privilege.

Hey Ceera--also got your email!

Thank yo ufor sharing.

As mentioned, I believe our web devs have got a straightforward solution to address the root of this problem, specifically better cross-checking for alts.

So let's see what happens with that and we can reevaluate from there.