I've always wondered about people who have numbers in their names. I mean, if their name is like John6 Smith or something, maybe that means they had a hard time getting the name they really wanted.
But what about, like, AOL IM chat names? SexxyGirl69 Somelastname. How many of those have I seen? Or you know, DarkWolf3789 Somelastname or something insane.
It's a name. PICK A NAME. Just choose a NAME. It doesn't have to have numbers in it. Make it a fun name! A cool name, a sexy name, SOME KIND OF NAME. But please, please do not use your IM or chatroom profile name with your date of birth or your zipcode or the last four digits of your phone number or whatever. Just pick a name.
I don't know, maybe it's just me. But when I'm in-world, I am suspending a little bit of reality. So as soon as someone shows up with a name filled with numbers, unless it's REALLY an excellent play on something-or-other, I suddenly start to feel like I'm sitting in a Yahoo chat room somewhere and halfway start to expect webcam requests.
What made me think of this?
I was at SL5B the other day hanging out at a DJ set of a friend of mine, and it ended up being an excellent place to peoplewatch. So beyond the folks with boob sliders at 100 and body fat at zero, the gal with the face/body light that BURNED WITH THE LIGHT OF A THOUSAND SUNS, and a blingtard or two, I also saw some names with numbers. One in particular sticks out, and I will change the name to protect the innocent, but I have friends who were with me who can back me up on how absurd this name truly was.
It was along the lines of:
SuperAwesomeJohnathan1991
That's right. It was that long. And it had numbers in it. A YEAR, to be precise. And multiple words. *facepalm*
I tried to imagine what it would be like to emote to SuperAwesomeJohnathan1991. Or if he just asks people to call him John. Or Awesome. Or Super.
"Hey, baby. You can just call me 1991. All my friends do."
23 comments:
Well, these unfortunate souls are stuck with their bad names thanks to LL's stupid "we want to do as little work as possible" mission statement.
So you might want to ask them to put your pleading on the registration page where it can do some good for those who clearly were not born with an imagination. ;)
It bugs me to see numbers in a name, I've debated putting in a feature request jira for the ability to drop inventory in IM windows to deliver to people (how lazy am I??) and also tab completion like on IRC clients (double lazy). I don't think they are possible but since LSL radars can obtain users within up to 96 meters I'm sure that tab completion for nearby avatars (30 meters and below since I think that or 25 is chat range) would be easier.. LOL sorry that's related to the 'having to emote to the user named LongAssNameWithNumbers12345"
I will say my first name is my AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, Domain name, and everything else name (even Xband email address back in the 90s) so some of us start out loathing numbers :)
PS: GLAD TO SEE YOU HERE!
Oh dear. The numbered people. This also bugs me, because somehow, I seem to take people with numbers in their names less seriously. Not on purpose, mind you, but it just happens. I have never used a user name with a number in it, EVER. It also bugs me when I have students at university who insist on their silly private email addresses and put them on their papers. No, I don't want sexxiejennie86@blah.com or stickinsect666@stupid.com on an official document, and neither should they...
Random fun fact: My archaeology lecturer's last name was Barthelmess, too. Although she wasn't called Rosie!
...and before I forget it (and because I can't edit my comment)-
not so random late 60s weird TV quote:
"I'm not a number, I'm a free avatar!" ;-)
Just be glad we don't often see dual names like "Emily_and_Josh"!
@thelma: I've been seeing some polls from LL lately upon login about whether or not I'd be willing to pay to change my name to anything I want. Maybe they won't be forever doomed for long, as long as it's worth it to them to buy a new name. :P
Kesseret: Great to see you too, and thank you! I think your inventory-to-tabs thing sounds like a cool development, and it would certainly save us having to type all that crap in when we're trying to search for someone not on our friendslist, or whatever. Good lord, I just imagined trying to search for someone with a LongAssNameWithNumbers12345. I reckon I'd have to gouge my eyes out.
Hi Alyx! Yeah, you know, now that you can get a gmail address with anything you like in it, firstname.lastname@gmail.com is definitely a way better way to handle that. I don't know, I still cringe in general at seeing name@aol.com, but I'm sort of a geek and have never come within ten feet of AOL anyway (except AIM).
@coco: Holy crap, yeah... you'd never know which one you were gonna get ...
So many don't realise coming in that this isnt just like yahoo or msn, irc etc.
What I tend to do at work as we get them at the start for their free hair etc is ask them , 'are you attached to your inventory yet ?" as in have they actually bought anything , if they say no I suggest to them to get out start again with a sensible name and come back and pass LM's over and info they may have already that will help them retrace their steps.
Explaining that it isn't chat and sex and that one day they may decide to create or start a business and don't want to be known as DonkeyPee Knightly in the future.
I have to admit though that numbers in names are whatever at the end, but its funny as hell when they start with numbers and the first thing I think of is 'Ooo no lucky chairs for youuuuuuuu"
I do so wish that the main sign up section explained better to people what Phils Place really is.
xox Sasy xox
I was just ranting about this the other day to someone! I have never used a number in any email or user name, I've gone to long lengths to avoid it. I know that Beatrix Noel was not my first choice of a name, I'm pretty sure my first choice was taken and a name with a number at the end was suggested (and in that case I'd lay part of the blame on LL, but it's been so long I don't remember).
Oh gawd I -hate- using numbers too... even in my emails. I found out later that spammers tend to target folks with numbers in their email addresses more than those who don't.
It's also a problem if, say, you eventually do something in SL like designing. Even if you DO make the most kickass jewelry on the planet, no one is going to take 'JohnnyBlow69' seriously.
Some of the other ones I can't stand are the ones like (and yes this is a real Avatar name) CanYouHearMe Snoring. There's creative names... and then there's shoving a bunch of words together and making everyone crosseyed.
You know what's a great name without numbers? Feces Dumpling.
I absolutely heart me some Feces Dumpling.
I would not mind if someone, as a tribute to Hugo Gernsback, picked "Ralph124C41+", but aside from that, I agree wholeheartedly.
Personally, I think it would've been great if you couldn't even use numbers at all. Still, I couldn't fathom using numbers in a name even for chat. I wouldn't be caught dead even in IRC with a number in my username.
I only have one username with numbers in it, and it's a specific email address for a specific purpose. Otherwise, I've looked for various words. If the word I picked was taken, I'd find another.
Fortunately, I didn't pick one of my previous usernames that has an accidental drug connotation, otherwise I'd be having the pot heads hanging around me trying to discuss hemp and discussing various types of weed.
OMG this is also one of those things that makes me go o.O
I met a robot (a real person with a robot avatar, not a bot) a long time ago with a name that was something like "01101001110 Hax". I thought it was very clever, and it suited the avatar quite well.
I actually don't mind people with numbered names. When I encounter a "babygurl69" or "xxxemokid1992xxx", I know exactly what I should expect of that person, and act accordingly.
I honestly could not figure out why Windy Crawford sounded so right when I made the name for my av. It wasn't until 2 days later when someone asked if I was Cindy's sister that I realized my folly... but by then I'd already spent $50 on my av so I wasn't about to abandon her.
Everyone zeroes in on the avs with zero-body-fat and big boobs as being lost to conformity in their attempts to be sexy but how many of the people who voice those opinions are in avs that look 10 or more years younger than they are?
I made my av when I was 19. I'm 21 now... 22 in a couple of days, so it never dawned on me to think about the age of my av since it looked appropriate to my selfish eyes... but I stopped being surprised when people told me they were in their 40's or 50's after the first dozen times or so.
Oh, I know its hard to find nice skins and stuff for a more mature looking avatar... but you never hear anyone even mention it, let alone complain.
Lmao - you are preaching to the choir here, sweet! Holy shit - that is one of my biggest pet peeves and always has been.
I've had this beef - the "un-name name" as I call it - since I began cavorting around in virtual worlds back in 2001 with Everquest. The numbered name, or the ones such as "iamgreat" drove me to the brink of insanity. Or, my personal favorite, the "x-name" such as xDinahx.
To me, your name identifies you; it's your calling card. How or why in the world would you want it to be something so generic? It's NOT a "user name" or a "profile name" or even a "screen name"! In virtual worlds, IT IS YOUR NAME - period!!
Of course, I may be prejudiced as I *love* names; I practically collect baby name books and will sweat for hours (no lie) over the *perfect* name for game characters.
I can't thank you enough for posting this (or for the laughs that ensued while reading it); rest assured you are NOT alone in this pet peeve!!
It just so happens some of us didn't find the name we wanted... because they were already used up! With every single possible last name associated!
So the 18 in my name is for an age where things were lighter, more fun, and life's big and little cruelties had yet to be known....
@ Laura18....I can understand that you were not able to find the name Laura available when you joined as it is such a common name. But, you missed the opportunity to expand your horizon's a bit and think of yourself in a new an exciting way. Maybe the name Laurel, or Laural or Laurra would have been equal substitutes.
I am extremely warry of people with numbers in their names. It is almost as though they are confirming that they are not worthy of serious consideration. That even in an digital environment they are sub-virtual.
Man, wish I'd seen this earlier. You wandered right into one of my pet peeves. I mean, everyone has a right to name their avvie as they see fit, but the Inmate Number/License Plate names just plain suck, IMHO. I'm a DJ, and I always try on air (or stream, in SL) to greet folks and acknowledge folks who've made a request. Just for fun some time, try announcing "And Mynmhznvwlzz345, this song is going out to you courtesy of MyGodIGottaLongAssNameDon'tIAndDon'tItMakeMeKewl", because you're his special girl, err, guy, err, whatever each of you may possibly be b/c I'm lagged to a standstill by everyone's friggin' particles and can't get my camera around to see what manner of critter you are"
(from CanYouHearMe Snoring) Ugh yes, I have one of those names that Guenevere hates. Little did I know what I was getting into when I signed onto SL -- and now it's too late! You know now it is when you accumulate a bunch of stuff you like . . . there's no turning back! The upside of this silly name is that people remember it, and it's been a great conversation starter, so it's not all bad. But oh, what I wouldn't give to be Susan or Kelly or Beth!
I know what you mean CanYouHearMe Snoring. Look at my name. Sheesh. But you know it isn't all bad. I do LOVE Beth though. Perfect, if you're a girl that is.
Well, Denied, with our crazy names I think we just may be perfect for each other. Is it possible to find love on a blog? Based solely on stoopid names? See Guenevere, sometimes a quirky name is a good thing! :)
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