Can you hear me at the back? Do I need to speak up?

Second Names for Second Lives! Image designed by Toady Nakamura

90 days / 1825 votes / 613 watchers and not a single Linden comment.

That’s the state of play with the Jira requesting the restoration of Second Names.

The comments – and there are a lot of comments – are thoughtful, angry and – in some cases – desperately sad; people wo feel like second class citizens.  People who find themselves burdened with improbable names that they never intended to be the name they would be known by.

Above all it’s filled with pleas for Second Names to come back.

If you haven’t registered already, now might be a good time to add your voice.

Second Names for Second Lives!

Or maybe not.  Because although this is the second most popular issue on the Jira, and although it’s shot to that place in 90 days while the issues in first and third places have been running for nearly four years(good grief), there has been no Linden response to this clear concern at all.

Not a “We’re looking at doing this.” Not a “We understand your concern but we can’t change this because … ” Nothing.

This does not augur well for a system that is meant to be a gold standard of communication between the Lab and residents.

Actually, the discovery of some Second Name portals still left open does suggest that the system could be changed back (although, after the link to one of them was given, and 4,000 people signed up hurriedly in a weekend, that was closed).  But could that be replicated on a larger scale? Are we stuck with Resident for all time whether we like it or not?  Can changes be made, or not?

Will Linden Lab please tell us?