Get Your Legacy Names
Update: A year or so later, these don't work very reliably. Just get a username. Upgrade to Viewer 3.
I'm pretty sure that everyone knows about the new username system by now.
But what you might not know is that older "legacy" names are still available too.
I mentioned in the PS section of my last post about usernames that you can still get legacy names from SLNameWatch. Unfortunately, most of the portals that used to be listed there are no longer listed. As of last weekend, though, the following three portals still work for me:
I'm honestly not sure why RegAPI still works. When usernames rolled out, it was indicated the the RegAPI was going to be turned off soon. However, a few other things (merging the TeenGrid, for example) were also mentioned as coming soon but haven't gone live yet. I'm guessing that RegAPI owners wanted the API upgraded for usernames, since they probably invested heavily in their welcome area and SL-related infrastructure.
In the meanwhile, you can still get your legacy names and snag that silly alt name you've always wanted.