Creating Second Life Last Names

I would be very much in favor of having more options in choosing a name. I would also be willing to pay a reasonable one-time fee to change my current last name. There could be limitations on changing an existing name... such as only being able to choose this option once, for instance (to discourage the use of this service for griefing).

I do not like this idea.
Why is everything in this game suddenly being bought and sold?
Tradition has always been administration picks the names, we, the players, choose from the list. The names are a great equalizer and give people a sense of community, which is what I thought they were made for in the first place, aside from being unique to Second Life.
If for special reasons administration determines that a certain group all need to have the same last name, like for a school, then that can happen, and does happen already.
Seriously, if LL really needs more money that badly, charge $12 sign up instead of $10.
Leave the names alone, please.

I like the idea of once a surname is chosen by someone, it becomes one anyone can choose.
Option 2 sounds good to me.

Just say 'no' to name barons.

-Ghoti

hey Ghoti.. what would you choose for a new last name? Food? Bowl? Enchips??? hehe.. couldn't help it


but seriously, i both like this idea and don't. for all the reasons already listed.

Bakuzelas had an excellent point. the restriction of using only the available listed last names has, i think, added to the community feel. knowing there are a certain amount of players who can have the same last name and no more.. leading to some calling each other "cousin".

also, i agre with the non-resurrection of old last names. those that are out of commission should stay that way.. they really are slices of time and the history of SL.

Robin, would there be a way to prevent doppleganger names? also, i'm assuming that when ordering the #1 option there would be a review of the First Last combination to prevent something like Walt Disney or Robert Mapplethorpe, et al.. yes?

option #2 would be a lot easier to manage..

but as others have mentioned, we would really need to know the pricing to make a logical conclusion as to the worth of this idea to current residents as well as new users.

of course, it's also worth noting that many people comment how they wish they were able to create their own last name. it could bolster new accounts solely due to the ability to do so.. but the topic of Name Barons is EXTREMELY important. while it may bring revenue in for LL, it would mar the soul of SL. land realty is one thing, the realty of people is another.

but all in all, i would like to see some implementation of this in SL.

Gah! I was being facetious when I posted per chat line charges next?.

Oh, and what Loki, Bazekulas, and Ghoti said.

Instead of having separate and distinct name fields, why not let us have one field for our entire name, broken into as many sub names as we chose, so long as the name as a whole is a unique identifier?

The first proposal, giving ownership rights similar to how domain names work seems to me to allow for the rise of name barons. Suppose someone buys up the rights to the name Johnson. Suppose also that Johnson is your real life last name. Do you really want to have to pay some name baron in Second Life just to use your own Johnson?

The second proposal has, I believe, an error in it's composition; it says "You can create a new Second Life last name list and be the first to use it.", but the word "list" in that sentence should not be there so far as I can see. I think the sentence ought to read "You can create a new Second Life last name and be the first to use it."

There is no particular reason I can see to charge for the creation of a last name, unless it is just an attempt to acquire revenue without any expense at all.

In the context of the first proposal, if each account, as distinct from each person, can purchase a name, a person could buy a large number of accounts and buy up the right to a very large percentage of common last names.

If there is some good reason why a simple "anything within TOS constraints that doesn't match an existing name can be used for your character name" doesn't work please explain.

I'm not against the idea, but some things I like about the current system:

I find having last names limited and in rotation is a good thing.
It helps to put individuals into a semi-random group - your last name - and you meet some people you otherwise wouldn't. When you are new, it's a nice event to bump into someone who shares the same last name.
It also adds to the name ecology in a good way - variety, but not out of control.
I also like that names have certain 'generations' to them as well. It's an interesting aspect to SL.

Maybe free-raffle off 10% of new last names to residents.

Why do the last names need to be limited and retired in order for people to have the same last name?

You can let people pick any last name, and not have any succesion, and people can still pick the same last name. Limiting them and retiring them don't help the sharing of names at all.

Titles, Middle Names, and Suffixes. Why not have them too?

Maybe I could get to be Miss Susanne Clarrisa Beaumont like I ought to be.

Titles wouldn't count so far as determining uniqueness of the name, they wouldn't really be part of the name - just a way to let people know if we are in the mood to be Ms. Mrs. Miss or Mr. or whatever - Lady or Lord, etc.

Well, several thoughts come to mind in this regard (and some have been touched on already).

1st-- As people start "buying up" last names... will there eventually become a limitation as to what last names are available? To paraphrase a Dilbert cartoon, "Ok, all that's left for your last name is Placenta and Phlem. Which do you prefer?"

2nd-- If we allow people to change their user names (which I don't think is really the original proposal, just something someone brought up)... what will happen to calling cards, friends lists... or most important of all... BAN lists. I sure don't want some griefer changing his name just to override the 20 land bans he just generated.

Related, what about recognition factor. Sometimes we get acquainted with people. We don't see them for a while. They offline-- or did they just change their name? Of course they could notify us of a name change... frankly, other things need more attention than reprogramming the whole system to allow name changes.

However, I do agree 100% with one idea presented:

Allow a TITLE to be given to an avatar.

If the avatar is not wearing a group tag, he can choose his own title.

If the avatar is wearing a group tag, he can wear the group standard title (ie OFFICER/MEMBER title) or he can opt for a title the group itself assigned to his av.

This would be great for groups that have title / rank / subgroups. There are at this time "floating text" devices that can be used for this, but they bob all over the screen as the avatar moves. It would be nice to have individually-assignable titles just below the group name. Woot!

Just a wish mind you. Not saying it's necessary. Would be kewl though!

I am assuming ban lists work with the avatar key, not just a name. Yeah if people can just change their names to get around bans it would be a bad thing. Ban lists aught to be triggered by an avatar's 'DNA' not its mugshot.

-Ghoti

First of all, i don't think changing names will be that hard, everything in your inventory is linked to your key(i assume), so changing your name should be possible.

The first option is cool, but should only be used for business purposses.
So last names like: Frans Inc., AnsheChung.com, The Edge.
That kind of last names should be bought. But this would mean that LL would have to do research to check if the person Buying the name is also the Business owner.

The Second option is also cool, but should be completly free.

I agree with the original post, its a neat idea!

Question, how would this be applied to current users? Could a current user change their name on demand then to make up a new last name if willing to pay?

Also I like the ideas of middle names and custom titles not associated with groups.

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Another question, how would this work with current last names and future last names?

Examples: Someone wants to buy into the last name Spade, say using the "create your own last name for x ammount of money" feature, so they want to pay for a last name and use the last name Spade, would they be able to do that? So in short, can already made last names be "bought" into?

Also, what if someone wants to later be part of a family? Say user A creates the last name Jameston. User B comes along and wants to be a Jameston, how would that work? Is it possible? Would you need to pay the user? Contact the User? Or would it be on the name drop down?

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Yet ANOTHER question... Would the fee be in USD or L$ to create a name?

Just my two cents...but scrap both proposals and make a "last name vote" (something like the feature vote) and when it comes time to choose new last names take the top voted name, return votes to the user pool, and add name to the list. I do think there should be an option to change your last name though (for a fee of course to dissuade too many changes). Also I don't like the one line nickname idea...we had that on ActiveWorlds, and I disliked it.

I really don't like the idea of people being able to choose their own last names. The last names system was set up in the first place to make people choose name-sounding names instead of, like, larry286781235. So far, this system seems to work pretty well, as long as you ignore splat1 Edison.

I think it'd be okay if LL gives people an option on the sign-up page to "Suggest Your Own Last Name". And then LL'd look over the names people want and choose a couple, some pre-decided quota, to make into real names for everyone's use. And the person who suggested it would get first dibs.

THAT sounds fine. But having "rights" to last names? That's ridiculous.

And not to even mention the fact that someone could obtain the "rights" to, like, the name HARDANALSEXXX4U. No. I'm sorry.

Also, if I want a name that doesn't totally suck, I don't want to have to PAY someone EXTRA just to get one.

All that aside, it's fun trying to get a cool name with the last names provided! And it's a testament to all the people who were able to get funny, unexpected names. I'm still proud of myself for snagging Polar Kraken. But if people were able to get whatever name they wanted, that wouldn't be nearly as much of an accomplishment. Yeah, it'd be cool to be able to have any name you wanted, but that's the way 99% of the internets are. Here, you have to be clever and witty to snag a neat name. Not just have a wallet full of cash.

allow us to keep our names but the name shown in world allow that to be our nick name and so we can edit it in our profile this way the system can allow for name changing with out people hording name just for selling. then a nick name only mode can be used so that you name dosent show but abuse reports and profile will still show the avatars name.

then for those making ingame gams allow them to hide their name display so that when some one is trying to hide they can hide .

I have read all the post here and I think the name change is a bad idea. If it would happen it would need to have it where no one can make a name like anyone here already and I think many will try to abuse it by making names that will make sl look bad.

I assume unique names, just as now. (there is only one Roseann Flora)
People can already pick (first) names that make SL look bad. I don't see it happening too much (one or two exceptions which are on the border of acceptabilty). So with ability to pick our names we might end up with 'Ass Hat' instead of 'Asshat Rosencrantz' or whatever.

-Ghoti

I dunno, i tried to get the name Sassi Spice, but i got told by the current naming system that Sassi Spice was an invalid name. I also couldn't use Cassi, Cassie, Casi, Sassi, Sassie, Sasi, Tassi, Tassie, Tasi.... If i had my true choice, i would have chosen Sassi or Cassi, even though the name was available at the time, it said it was an invalid format name. So, I'm guessing the names weren't truely available to me because of the word "ass" in the middle, even though that wasn't the reason for me picking the name, but the last name of Pussycat was available as a LAST name, if anything that last name should have been invalid as well... But you can't just pick "any" first name now as it is...

Count me in the group that says scrap both proposals.

I like the ideas that let people propose or add new last names to the pot. But I like the essentially random aspect of what names are available at any time, and that one must pick from the list. This feature help SL members start on a level playing field - no name barons that own your name, etc... It also help create an immediate random web of social connection (ever look to see who else has your same last name...?) I think these things are good for our SL society.

I once proposed this in a thread so yes I am pleased to see this discussed.

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.

Yes I would like the above and would PAY for this, provided:

1. I could change my EXISTING name to this name

2. I had sole control at top level of the name and if extended to a partner or group member they could NOT then transfer or extend the name to others (no copy no transfer)
so that the name can only extend where the PRINCIPAL name owner wishes.

This would suit marriages, alliances and societies who wished to adopt one name but maintain control of it.

For a unique name, only for myself with complete control I myself would probably pay maybe US$15-25 a year at least and so would other established players but I do not think it should be beyond the reach of new players. I think the fee also must be allowed to be paid In game in L$ also if people wish to do so. The fee could be added to the monthly land fee tier, say US$1-2 a month.

I am sure you will probably make it much more expensive than this and people will still pay for it, but I thought I should say what I think is reasonable.

I DO NOT think that people should be allowed to have more than ONE main name and perhaps up to a couple of GROUP names owned by a group officer.

I absolutely do NOT agree with letting 'name barons' buy up many many names and re sell them, this would be like car numbers and would be very bad and full of greed with all the good names bought up by one or two rich players and resold. This must NOT happen!!

When I first signed up I took Extraordinaire because there wasn't really anything else cool available.

If I'd known Phoenix was going to become available, and that I'd be building them, I'd have taken it.

Problem was, Phoenix didn't appear till 2 months after.

Every week I check the list of available last names hoping to get an alt with a good birdly last name. But who knows if one will come up, it's like playing a slot machine. You don't know if you'll win, you just know that you spend your cash and time, and hope.

I'd love to be able to get one of the older now-discontinued names (like, you know, Phoenix!). Or as anothe idear, swap with someone that has the last name that hasn't been on in X months or cancelled account, etc.

FYI: Allowing people to change to the same last name as their partner would probably result in many people pleading with someone with a good last name to become their partner temporarily so they can change over, an then abandoning them.

Well, forgive me for being negative and all but 2 things really come to mind here:

1) We're not allowed to "purchase" or otherwise dominate personal last names in real life. Why here?

2) With so many other things needing much more attention than this, why focus on such a trivial matter?

I mean, consider some of the things REALLY needed in SL (some of which aren't getting attention as is), such as group notification ability, joint land management and ownership, killing the lag monster, fixing teleport glitches, eliminating inventory lag, fixing texture resolution, improving bought item notifications, etc etc etc.

When one considers items of this calibre... taking the programming time to set up exclusive last names, especially since there are likely as many against the proposition as for it, doesn't really seem likely to happen any time soon, if ever.

Then again, this IS Second Life. No tellin'...

This would be great! I've been holding off getting a Premium Account; waiting for my favorite last name pick gets moved into rotation so I could create the name I really want.