Creating Second Life Last Names

We're looking for your feedback on two new features which we're considering as ways to allow SL residents to create their own names. You can give us feedback here, or collect a notecard from a Liaison or one of the distribution boxes at the Welcome Areas and at the Linden Office and drop your comments into one of the collection boxes at the same locations.

Creating your own Second Life last names

Please take a moment to read the following two idea descriptions. What do you think? Would you take advantage of the ability to create your own Second Life last name? Do these approaches make sense, or do you have another idea for increasing the flexibility of the naming system in SL? What seems like a reasonable fee for these services? Do you agree with the payment options (recurring or single fees)? Anything else you want to tell us?

Own a Second Life Last Name
Purchase a SL last name that doesn't currently exist in the name choices. You own the rights to the name and can transfer it to other residents through an invitation to use it. The name right is analogous to an Internet domain name -- it can be transferred to another person. The fee for ownership would be a recurring annual fee.

Start a New Second Life Last Name
You can create a new Second Life last name list and be the first to use it. The fee for create the name would be a one time set up charge.

Yes, I am in favor of this. People will tend to make names like car plates, and try and get some in-appropriate one through. That is my only concern.

I especially like the idea of this option! I wouldn't mind paying a couple extra dollars to initiate the new multi-user last name option. What price range are you thinking for the exclusive last name option?

Great ideas!

How about also offering us the option to rename our current avatars?

Yes, some confusion may result when suddenly calling cards or friendships disappear, but people that wish to change their last names could be responsible for informing others whom they wish to know of the change. I'm assuming some sort of fee would be required as well.

I want this option because I would like to change my last name but do not want to face the impossible task of transfering all of my inventory, land ownership, etc to a new avatar.

-Ghoti

I like the second option.

The forst option seems to strict, especially if someone picks a common name. For example, Smith. Then nobody else could have Smith? Terrible idea. Then you have people coming up with all those ridiculous ways to spell it just to get what is a more common name.

Smithe Smitth Shmith Smithh Sm1th SmiTh Smif .... bleh

...it will be interesting to see how many users simply name their avatars with their real names. Neal, here we come.

With either of the two options, if we own the rights to the last name, and its to be treated like a domain name, can we charge a nominal registration fee (one-time, recurring, whatever) to let others use the last name? I'm just thinking out loud here.

I like the second option best. ^^ Then if someone else has already created the name, I don't have to make it up myself or pay to use it, but if my option doesn't exist, I can still make it.

And the option of a rename would be really nice, as I'd want to change my name to reflect the new last name properly.

Will it lead to people buying up names and selling them in world? Name barons around the corner? Thats fine I guess, I like my name and dont plan on changing it.

My main concern is the currently retired names remaining retired. Pico is retired and rare now, thus unique. Retired names are sort of like time slices. I like that they get retired, I hope that old names arent resurrected.

One point of clarification...

these aren't either/or options. We could do both or neither, or some variation.

Ugh. What a horrible thought.

Robin,

Great ideas! I think having both options would serve the greatest number of people. My only question is, if I register a last name (option #1), and I invite a user to use it, do they lose their current last name? Or is it only for new users?

Either way, I think adding this flexibility would be most welcomed!

Good points - all the more reason to shy away from option one, IMO.

RE: Robert's point: In either case, I guess LL would need to add red, blinking warning text to dissuade users from typing in their own last names.

What about name spoofing? Like people deciding they want to be Loki Piko, Kris Rittor, Myst Panthor, Roberto DeSilva, or whatever. Just to have names similar to another for exploitation or profiteering, or who knows why.

I am not opposed to the name change plan. I just would like to see all the angles explored to prevent any sort of abuse or misuse.

Yeah, I agree with Paolo (and most others on the thread so far), that option one has problems.

I can't see anyway to do it that could possibly be fair.

Suppose my last name is "Jones" but someone with a lot of cash buys up the rights to it. Kind of goes around the whole point of being flexible with last names. Even if my RL name is not "jones," but I just want to be a "Jones" for some humourous or artistic reason, why should I lose out just because someone bought the rights?

This seems to be one of those things where a capitalist or "market' kind of model is being applied to something that it just does not suit.

I like the second one best, but if you are going to do that, why not just let people pick whatever first and last names they want?

I see a problem in that it is also not fair at all to do this without letting current players "change" their names. I believe that will cause a lot of problems initially, but will likely smooth out over the long haul as Ghoti said earlier.

Needless to say, to build into the game the ability to change ones name at will, even for a fee, can also cause some "interesting" situations. In the end, it will of course mean that people can pick any first and last they want as the new last name choices pile up.

This is good, but wouldn't it be simpler just to do that? to let people pick firsts and lasts?

In other words, except for the first option (of registering names and keeping control over them), any plan that allows for last name choosing, will eventually arrive at that same spot given time. Sso why not start now?

my 2 cents.

Dianne

Loki makes some very good points about the pitfalls of a "create your own name" system. Is there a huge demand for custom last-name creation? I personally don't mind the way names are chosen now. And like Loki, I don't have any plans to change my name.

how about the Lindens open up their 'pot' for voting and suggested additions?

From what I understand, the Lindens all put suggestions into a jar and every time they need a new one, they pick from the jar. So rather than let people make their own, which I think is a recipe for unprecedented new levels of dramah personally, perhaps put to the vote say 50 potentials, and the ability for residents to suggest their own ideas for names to add to the pot.

BOTH!!

One time charge, larger if you own the rights.

ALSO,

Like Everquest, allow name-change for a fee (to any existing name or upgrade to one of the new options). Allow first name-change also under that fee.

Old names that have been abandoned could be retired, or re-released after 6 months (like AOL screen names) with a 'caveat emptor'.

While we're at it, let's consider a "character (avatar) transfer service" like Everquest too.

This is the most sensible suggestion so far I think.

Not really. What does this do but create a new way for LL to decide what names to make available for new avatars? Cool, we get a vote on what names are released... I still don't want to make a whole new avatar to switch names.

I want to pick a new last name and have my current AV switched to that name. I don't care if there is a fee involved (I'd be surprised if there were not).

-Ghoti

Sounds great!

Sounds kinda funny but you could litterally end up with name barons here. Also what about copyrights. I bet you $10 someone uses a name of a copyrighted person character in the first day. Also would pre-existing characters be able to take benifit of this upgrade? If they did would thier items under the prevous name still belong to them?


EDIT: Also how much of a charge are we talking? I mean premium members paying anually are alreadying paying $72. I don't think many would like having to go pay $108 annually just to reserve a last name so someone else doesn't. What if you try to reserve a name that someone already picked but did not reserve?

Dibbs on Harry Potter

My concern is the recurring fee. Even if it is annual, what if someone decides they don't want to pay it? They lose their last name? And then what last name will they have? Just a thought
EDIT: Oh an another thing what do we do when we run out of last names? Have strange ones like Scott: Scotttt, Scot,Scottttttt, etc? I personally wouldn't want to have to live under the control of someone else having the last name I wanted because I didn't take it in enough time.
One more thing lol What about preexisitng names, like Scott, if someone wants to buy that name what about people that already have it?

Well I was seperating the question of how to pick names from the concept of whether or not we should be able to change them in that case. At least I thought Kris was just talking about a way to pick the names.

I would like to see the ability to transfer objects between avatars made easier and also be able to transfer ones entire inventory to a new avatar in "one go", (which amounts to the same thing as renaming I suppose.)

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