Linden Lab on Display Name Confusion: It's "Easy" To Confirm an SLer's Real Username

Last week I mentioned a case of Second Life avatar identity confusion caused by users with matching display names (which can be changed). I asked the Lindens about this -- specifically, how does Linden recommend SLers protect the identity and brand associated with their avatar name, when display names can easily spoof both? And company spokesman Peter Gray told me this:

"As the Display Names FAQ notes, Display Names are not intended to be unique identifiers and your Display Name could be the same as another user's. By default, a Username is displayed if it differs from a Display Name (as it would if a newer user selected a Display Name that matched an older user's Username), and it's easy to toggle them at any point to see the Username of the person you're interacting with inworld to confirm that it's the SL user you've known by that Display Name."

On Monday, I asked Pete his advice to SL vendors who discover people are creating a similar display name to game SL's search engine? (Which apparently does happen.) I haven't received a reply as yet, and will update this post if I do.

Comments

[Ajax Manatiso]

This has caused colossal confusion in clubs when a hostess spots the "true" name and announces welcome .... and everyone goes -- who? Where? Also requesting songs DJs become confused with display names and true names and when I DJ and get a dedication, I have to ask -- is this your true name dedicating to her true name or your display name to her true name or your display name to her display name?
Its all confusion brought to you for your enjoyment!!!!!!

[Tommy Rampal]

I am custom to the change, probably because I came back around the time it was implemented (and probably why I prefer viewer 2 aswell). I can easily tell if someone is using a display name by identifying their username under it - which is fine.

My gripe is that this is not an easy task when it comes to your friends list, as finding out one's true identity requires visiting their profile.

[Sasy Scarborough]

Back when this was all still in the 'growing' stages, this exact issue was put towards them, and they specifically said that they would protect against this type of obvious fraud.

Now it seems that that is not the case, because more than one person could have the same silly name, it doesn't protect those that have worked so hard to establish themselves as credible residents.

They also specifically made it a week between changes, originally you were going to be able to change whenever, and it was so that this kind of activity could be actually caught that they were convinced to lengthen the time.

Sasy

[ZZBottom]

And that feature is as well on v1 viewers like phoenix;)
Still mau use real hard typos to see, and as i only use display names only, that is a mess:)

[Kim]

Your illustration prove how easy it is to confirm a user's real username.

[e (16)]

Tommy "My gripe is that this is not an easy task when it comes to your friends list, as finding out one's true identity requires visiting their profile."

^--- Ya that! Should be a option to show usernames as well in the sidebar lists.

[Ziki Questi]

As I said before, the official response concerning merchants and the possibility of fraud with respect to display names in the past was: If someone starts to use your display name, change yours to something else. I haven't seen anything new on this since then.

[Ziki Questi]

Oh, did I tell you that one of my alts has the display name Hamlet Au? ;-)

[Hitomi Tiponi]

Please ask them why they temporarily banned a resident for using a display name with Linden on the end of it (but not impersonating a Linden) and yet do nothing for exact copies of residents' names.

[Penny Patton]

If Linden Lab is so confident in how easy it is to avoid confusion and protect brand identity does this mean they'll allow regular SL users to use the name "Linden" in their names?

I mean, they kinda have to or otherwise they'd be showing some obscene hypocrisy on the issue.

Personally, I've never been concerned about mistaken identity. I even turn usernames off and only show display names. It makes no sense to have two names above everyone's head and they shove usernames at you so often in other ways that if you're even somewhat observant you'll know who you're dealing with at all times.

Not everyone is that observant, however, and we really shouldn't need to rely on "identity checking" via usernames. LL could have curbed this issue by preventing people from using display names identical to existing user or display names. They could also be slightly more restrictive about how often you change your display name. Given that you get one free reversion to your previous name whenever you change your display name, they really could limit display name changes to once a month, rather than once a week.

These two changes to the current display name programme would have quieted most concerns and made LL look less so insultingly hypocritical towards their customers.

[Arcadia Codesmith]

Bad Linden, no cookie.

Go sit in the community relations corner, think about what you've said, and make a better choice.

[Uccello]

So, The Lab is telling us stuff they told us before? The temerity!

Sometimes I think I'm the only one who read the details about Display Names at the time they were implemented. Not only was the information given by the Lindens, but it was re-blogged by many (including me) and sent out by many groups in their notices.

Reading is fundamental.