Updating Bloodlines For User Names and Display Names
December 20th, 2010 by Lyle MaeterlinckA few months ago, Second Life changed the way new avatar names are selected. Avatars select a ‘user name’ when signing up, then can select a different ‘display name’ that’s shown in world. Everyone who signed up before this new system was implemented has a ‘legacy name’, or a name with a traditional first and last name, and a user name of firstname.lastname. The ‘legacy name’ of new residents is their user name as the first name, and the last name ‘Resident’. Bloodlines currently uses legacy names for everyone, so all new players have the last name ‘Resident’ on the website. We realize the need to update the system in order to adapt to this new change, and we wanted to present some possible options for how we could address the problem and solicit feedback from everyone. Please post comments on this post with your feedback and concerns.
First, we wanted to say that while it’s possible for us to update the HUDs to collect current display names and display them on your profiles, because display names are subject to change, we won’t be using display names in any official sense. That is, you couldn’t set someone as your liege by using their display name, or transfer a soul by referring to that soul’s current display name. We need to stick to a naming system that doesn’t change.
The first possibility that we see in addressing this is just to filter out the last name ‘Resident’, and your name in Bloodlines will just become your Second Life user name. Names that show up on profiles and in the stats, including in bite lists, minion lists, and soul lists would all just be the avatar’s single user name.
The second possibility is to allow all new residents with the last name ‘Resident’ to choose a last name to use just for Bloodlines, so their first name would be their second life user name, and their last name would be their chosen Bloodlines last name. We could either set this up so that there is a limited number of possible Bloodlines last names, or just let people choose whatever last name they want. I think if we chose this option, we would have to have a way to indicate whether a name is a Second Life legacy name, like “Lyle Maeterlinck”, or whether a name is a Bloodlines name, like if someone named “Lyle Resident” made the Bloodlines name “Lyle Vampiros”. Also, if we did this option, we would have to find a way to ensure that no ‘Bloodlines name’ was the same as any existing Second Life legacy name, so that “Lyle Resident” would not be able to choose “Lyle Maeterlinck” as their Bloodlines name. This might be an argument for restricting possible Bloodlines last names to a list of names that don’t overlap with any Second Life legacy names, to prevent any possible confusion.
If you have any comments or questions, please leave a comment!
December 20th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
I would vote for the second idea with all legacey names fozen and the new residents can choose a last name on first come first serve with monotoring of last names so ppl couldnt take a last name that resembles a legacy name a linden or a liasion. But once change it can never be changed again.
December 20th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
WOULD HAVE TO AGREE. I THINK THE NOOBS SHOULD HAVE THERE USER NAMES DISPLAYED AS THERE NAME IN BLOODLINES… I WOULD NOT GIVE THEM THE OPTION TO CHOOSE A LAST NAME… THINKS THE WHOLE DISPLAY NAME THING COULD HAVE WAITED IN LL UNTIL OTHER ISSUES WERE FIXED BUT THAT IS NOT FOR THIS FORUM I SUPPOSE.
I FEEL USER NAMES SHOULD BE WHAT WE ALL USE. TO MAKE IT CONFUSING AND HAVE THERE NAME IN SL BE DIFFERENT THAN IN BLOODLINES WOULD CAUSE ALOT OF CONFUSION…. AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO HIDE UNDER FALSE NAMES… THUS IF SOMEONE CAUSES ISSUES IN YOUR FAMILY OR IN SOMEONE ELSES OR ANYWHERE FOR THAT MATTER, WE WILL NOT KNOW WHAT THE USER NAME IS TO KEEP THEM OFF OUR SIM OR AWAY FROM OUR FAMILIES… A BIG EXAMPLE WOULD BE WOULD BE SCAMMERS, GRIEFERS, AND RL TEENS. WE HAVE GROUPS IN SL WITH LISTS OF THESE PEOPLE AND IF ALL WE KNOW IS THE BL NAME FOR A PERSON OR VICE VERSA WE WOULD NEVER GET A STRAIGHT LIST OF WHO TO KEEP AWAY… I JUST THINK EVERYONE SHOULD BE WHO THEY ARE UPFRONT AND OPEN AND I THINK ANY OTHER WAY BESIDES ACTUAL USER NAMES WILL MAKE A LOOPHOLE FOR ABUSE.
YOURS IN DARKNESS,
KING MERLIN SWORDTHAIN
December 20th, 2010 at 1:20 pm
Hi Merlin- well, we would only let them choose a last name to use for Bloodlines. Their first name would still have to be their Second Life user name. So, if someone is currently named ‘Soandso Resident’, they would be able to choose a new last name, so their name becomes ‘Soandso Newlastname’, and it would be indicated that this is a ‘Bloodlines name’, so you would know that their SL user name is just ‘Soandso’, and can identify them that way.
December 20th, 2010 at 1:39 pm
TY LYLE,
I UNDERSTAND THAT BUT LIKE I SAID THEN WE WOULD HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE REAL USER NAME IS FOR THAT PERSON SO THE SOINSO IS THE FIRST NAME AND THE LAST IS NOT THE ACTUAL USER NAME … SECURITY ORBS AND LAND BANNS WILL NOT RECOGNIZE THE PERSON SO WE WILL NOT KNOW THAT SOINSO NEWLASTNAME IS ACTUALLY JUST SOINSO RESIDENT. THE USER NAME AND THE BLOODLINES NAME YOU ALLOW THEM TO HAVE WILL LOOK LIKE A LEGACY NAME BECAUSE THE RESIDENT WILL NOT APPEAR ANYMORE.
WE ALL SHOULD BE WHO WE ARE IN SL. THE VIEWERS HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEE THE ACTUAL USER NAME WHEN YOU ARE FACE TO FACE BUT THIS WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE ON THE WEB SITE FOR BLOODLINES.
AND IF SOMEONE IS A PROBLEM I WANT TO BANN THEM B4 THEY END UP ON MY FAMILIES SIM NOT AFTER…
December 20th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Merlin – Thanks for your feedback. You would know what the real username is for the person, it would be their first name, and we would clearly indicate on the website what their user name is, so you could correlate that with any user name in second life. PS, watch the caps, if you don’t mind 🙂
December 20th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
King Merlin Everyone who signed up before this new system was implemented has a ‘legacy name’, or a name with a traditional first and last name, AND a user name of firstname.lastname Please read what Mr. Lyle wrote their user name will still be displayed this way.
December 21st, 2010 at 12:19 pm
Interesting ideas. But I suspect Bloodline names will cause more drama.
I would suggest using Display names as an option (chosen by HUD or website), to be displayed on the website with user name always located in a specific field on the page. For scanning, and user transactions, display names are shown following with user names inside parentheses. This allows for the RP, and accountability. Allowing those with established names who do not wish to have all the extra text shown, would be nice as well.
December 21st, 2010 at 3:30 pm
I am interested in keeping members in the family, and Resident always sounds like junkmail to me.
I understand that transactions have to be under the account name and that makes perfect sense. Besides database updates are a huge amount of work. So my first choice is what Liquid Design can easily and reliably put in place.
My second choice is personal preference. If you can filter out “Resident” in like displayed stats, perhaps you can replace it with their clan name? Make the option part of the hud settings.
Then when Diabolus Resident first puts on his hud and selects “Clan as Family”, his displayed name would be Diabolus Curse.
Sure there will be confusion, no matter what way we go. So lets pick one that helps promote their clan or horde.
December 21st, 2010 at 4:02 pm
@ Metropolis – That’s a very interesting idea, Metropolis. Unfortunately, if we were to allow people to ‘add’ a last name, it has to be permanent in order to be useful to our database. And although some people stay in a specific clan forever, I think most would probably get upset when they realized that their name is going to forever be linked to their original clan, regardless of what clan they belong in now.
December 21st, 2010 at 5:24 pm
I am sorry if I did not explain it very well.
You said peoples original names have to be kept for their accounts and transactions, and really, their uuid should be the preferred key. However you identify their account should not change.
What I meant was their clan or horde, would become their displayed last name. But that would be an attribute, exactly like their clan allegiance. And of course it should change.
Also, you should not do this just for residents. It should be available to anyone who wishes to be named for their Bloodlines family.
Again, if that is not workable, so be it.
December 23rd, 2010 at 12:10 pm
▶ another issue that may arise, is the use of display names will introduce special characters that your website may not display correctly to an international audience. look at this example of a display name a friend of mine has: ڪɔαя ℓøÐεиωαℓÐ
December 27th, 2010 at 1:20 am
I say we go to LL and kick them in the balls for ever making dispaly names i like that idea the best 🙂