New World Newsfeed: Facebook Adds Customizable Usernames (Say, Second Life Avatars?)

Facebook Blog: Coming Soon: Facebook Usernames

Last month I reported that Facebook was banning accounts created for and named after Second Life avatars. (At least those flagged by other FB users.) However, the social network just announced a cool new username feature, and it looks like a decent workaround solution for people who want to have their existing Facebook account linked to their SL avatar: Facebook User Names, which are converted into a Facebook URL that takes you to your account. Based on the description and the accompanying illustration (as left) you can choose your own username, and customize it as desired. According to an accompanying FAQ there's no restrictions against pseudonyms (though it looks like usernames associated with existing copyrights and trademarks are out.) So it looks quite possible to name your Facebook username after your Second Life avatar -- if you don't mind associating your SL name with the real name on your Facebook account, that is.

Comments

[Gwyneth Llewelyn]

Good enough for the augmentationists, not enough for the immersionists :)

[Princess Ivory]

For immersionists, the best option is still to create a fan page for your avatar, selecting the option "artist, band or public figure", and make your RL self account the administrator.

[Princess Ivory]

The downside is that you can't customize your url for a fan page unless you have at least 1000 fans, and the page existed prior to May 31, 2009. Sigh. Come on, FB, get with the program. There are lots of legitimate users that one is going to bite.

[Koinup Burt]

I agree with Gwyn. Augmentationalist will find the solution quite confortable, because they will have the chance to add their virtual identities to the real ones....

Immersionists otherwise would be more confortable by joining specific and dedicated websites like Koinup that I represent or others web 2.0 projects as Myrl and Avatars United or even by continuing to manage their virtual life inworld.