Dissapearing alts.

Same. It was a two column form filled with things to put in, it even asked for phone number, etc. And none of that information was ever viewable anywhere, let alone changable.

Correct info at the time you mean.

The CUSTOMER SERVICE - FRIENDLY Approach would have been to send out a notice to let us all know that they were going to delete alts BEFORE they went about doing it. Linden Lab: we are not your enemy - we are your customers.

So now they have created a glut on their already horrible customer service line. Someone needs to get fired for this great plan-of-action.

I agree they probably should have provided notice, it would have made it a lot easier to provide the information. However I do want to point out that the blog post says the accounts were temporarily put on hold until such info is provided. They didn't however say how long they would hold them before purging them. Too bad comments aren't turned on so we can ask. Maybe this is a step towards getting rid of all the griefing accounts.

Just want to confirm, I just tried it myself, and the system is still not allowing one to declare an alt as an alt and pay the alt fee when you open the new account.

Are any Lindens looking at this? If we are not allowed to register our alts properly, how on earth can we be expected to comply with the TOS???

I definitely would not read Second Citizen at work. People post quite a lot of nude pictures. But the uncensored, in-your-face mood of the place is great for getting truth out in the open.

I don't see anywhere on my account page to put a real name.

I couldn't get to the billing info page.

Oh every day something new...

But this is something i have been wondering about for a while. When i did sign up i think i did not give out my real Info (exept email) and wanted it to change later as i found out how much i like SL. I managed to verify, get premium and all, but that might be also the point why my trading limit is at 0-1 Day. And with Age Verification coming i was really wondering if i have to prove that i am who i said i am at signup (and i have no clue who that would be... sorry LL). But at least i have no Alt, i had once, but i deleted it and did write as reason that it its an alt that i did not declare alt and did not want to cheat LL.

In a perfect World LL would set up a way to correct the mess of strange Names and adresses a lot of us gave them at signup, they might send some verification code per snail mail (along with a gift *g*) so that they can be sure the data is right this time. I would even pay a nominal Linden fee for that...

you could once enter your name with your card details but not anymore. =/

i'm in the process of changing address right now so i presume i must telephone support to get my new details updated on both my accounts.

call to update information? talk about wasting himan resource time

But if the issue they are dealing with is large-scale fraud - what then? [FX: Jon Stewart] "Helooo Mr Fraudiddly-idster, how's your diary for ... TOMORROW???"

I would like to thank everyone for your comments here. Please see Jeska's blog post yesterday, "Missing Your Alt? Provide Accurate Contact Information."
http://blog.secondlife.com/2007/05/15/missing-your-alt-provide-accurate-contact-information/

can you please tell use what the hell is goign on! bug reports are not workign a telling us they can`t be send do to issues with server of llabs? 2 hours of grey avies hell! HELP!

i don't suppose you have a time machine handy Heretic? we could go back to account sign-up dates and fix this ourselves. sorry. i hear what you're saying but support is so difficult to reach at this time that the above blog response doesn't really placate those affected. for example, i was reading of one person ringing several times a day for over a week regarding the alt issue - and still nothing.

if this automated account cancellation works in the same way that it does when we cancel our own accounts manually, then i can understand all the concern because doesn't that mean their assets will all be deleted after 28 days?

it's a pity a special email address couldn't be setup for dealing with this issue, but then i suppose it would be abused for other purposes. ah well.

I have only 1 alt. My main account has been suspended, and my alt too. I am open to pay the $10 for an alt, but they didn't charge it on my credit card (I am still waiting the charge).

What do I have to be able to login again with my two accounts?

@Walker, thanks for the feedback. I'll investigate and see if there is anything I can do.

Please read Heretic Linden's post above.

Oh my! At least one Linden is reading all this! Heretic is my new hero....

Mandy C

Yay Heretic Linden!

If you can get ahold of that time machine i would be very interested and might buy it for a good price No really, good you are looking into it, a process to update your account information would be great for a lot of reasons and a good thing to have when Verification hits. If then my Lindex Limit gets over 0-1 Day i would be totally happy

This will not end well.

Sorry i had to say it. I just hope this problem gets fixed. I value all my accounts, and have special purposes for each of them.

i had this issue AFTER my account reverted back FROM $2500 TO $0 (0-1 DAYS) recently.

wut this means is not how long you've been a member, but how long SINCE you charged $L to your credit card. charge at least $1 and it will magically begin to work it's way to a fair trading level. =)

This worries me a lot.

I make my living in Second Life. I have quite a few alts, some of which were created for free. All of them have payment information on file, but all via paypal. All have valid email addresses, but all separate gmail accounts because it helps me sort. Some of their names I just put in the avatar names rather than my own. Not for any nefarious purposes, just because I'm that kind of off kilter , and I figured LL had everything it needed through payment info, which I have greater confidence in being kept confidential than I do my name.

I would happily associate them all with my main, pay the 10 dollar fee for each, whatever. The part that worries me is that my main is basically no longer in use. I use my alts to work, and if they get shut down, It will at least set me back by about a month. An obvious problem .

I really don't understand the problem with having alts, not that it matters if they explain, as they'll do whatever the hell they please anyway. They're very very useful, and yes they can be used for abuse, but only if they're anonymous, and as I said, I have no particular need to have anonymous alts as far as LL is concerned. I'd be a okay with abuse reports and consequences for my actions being shared across all my avatars. I would be less happy with the links between avatars being public knowledge. It's an open secret right now, but even as such it still serves as a reasonable privacy buffer.

Also, in case it hasn't been posted and people haven't looked, these appear to be the relevant passages from the TOS:


2.4 Account registrations are limited per unique person. Transfers of accounts are generally not permitted.

Linden Lab may require you to submit an indication of unique identity in the account registration process; e.g. credit card or other payment information, or SMS message code or other information requested by Linden Lab. When an account is created, the information given for the account must match the address, phone number, and/or other unique identifier information associated with the identification method. You may register multiple accounts per identification method only at Linden Lab's sole discretion. A single account may be used by a single legal entity at Linden Lab's sole discretion and subject to Linden Lab's requirements. Additional accounts beyond the first account per unique user may be subject to fees upon account creation. You may not transfer your Account to any third party without the prior written consent of Linden Lab; notwithstanding the foregoing, Linden Lab will not unreasonably withhold consent to the transfer of an Account in good standing by operation of valid written will to a single natural person, provided that proper notice and documentation are delivered as requested by Linden Lab.

~

2.6 Linden Lab may suspend or terminate your account at any time, without refund or obligation to you.

Linden Lab has the right at any time for any reason or no reason to suspend or terminate your Account, terminate this Agreement, and/or refuse any and all current or future use of the Service without notice or liability to you. In the event that Linden Lab suspends or terminates your Account or this Agreement, you understand and agree that you shall receive no refund or exchange for any unused time on a subscription, any license or subscription fees, any content or data associated with your Account, or for anything else.


So essentially, the TOS clearly states that accounts are limited per unique person. It does not specify how they're limited.

The second section (2.6) states that LL can cut you off at any time, for any reason, and you have no recourse or rights to reimbursement. Seems to be a bit of a contradiction to the idea that you own all IP within SecondLife. Ah, but you don't really, here's why.


3.2 You retain copyright and other intellectual property rights with respect to Content you create in Second Life, to the extent that you have such rights under applicable law. However, you must make certain representations and warranties, and provide certain license rights, forbearances and indemnification, to Linden Lab and to other users of Second Life.


See, you don't inherently have IP or Copyright just because you created something. To actually own what you create under the law you would have to lay legal claim to it via copyright, trademark, or some other method. Not many people do that in SecondLife, and I'm not sure how they would handle it if you did and they suspended your account. For all intents and purposes, not having access to the account controlling those assets would render ownership meaningless. That section of the TOS is longer and worth reading, but the final important bit is that if you don't know what you're doing regarding your rights, it's your problem.

Ah here's the gotcha. IP/Copyright does not equal ownership!


3.3 Linden Lab retains ownership of the account and related data, regardless of intellectual property rights you may have in content you create or otherwise own.

You agree that even though you may retain certain copyright or other intellectual property rights with respect to Content you create while using the Service, you do not own the account you use to access the Service, nor do you own any data Linden Lab stores on Linden Lab servers (including without limitation any data representing or embodying any or all of your Content). Your intellectual property rights do not confer any rights of access to the Service or any rights to data stored by or on behalf of Linden Lab.


Now to some of you, this was all self evident. To me, I'm just now discovering and realizing some of this 3 years after starting SecondLife. I'm not slow, I just made some assumptions that I had no reason to question until now.