Showing up as Unknown User to other Kitely avatars

[Ghaelen DLareh]

I'm trying to post an issue and the forum gives me an SQL error.

[Ghaelen DLareh]

I'm trying to post an issue and the forum gives me an SQL error.

Had a wayward character in there - here's the issue.

A Kitely member told me I was showing up as Unknown UserUMMAU42 in her chat window. It has been happening since I set up the new Edummersive region in September. I still see myself as Ghaelen D'Lareh

I tested the name by logging into a different grid and meeting my Kitely avie, both in that grid and in Kitely. I am Unknown User to one HG friend, but Ghaelen to another. I gave both HG friends a box successfully.

My Avatar on Avacon, speaking to my Kitely avatar

[07:46] Ghaelen DLareh: ok (the Avacon avatar)
[07:46] Ghaelen DLareh: (busy response): Unable to send instant message. User is not logged in.
[07:47] Unknown UserUMMAU42: I'm not busy tho (my Kitely avatar)
[07:47] Ghaelen DLareh: I am typing from Avacon
[07:47] Ghaelen DLareh: (busy response): Unable to send instant message. User is not logged in.
[07:47] Ghaelen DLareh: and I am not busy either, but it says I am
[07:47] Ghaelen DLareh: (busy response): Unable to send instant message. User is not logged in.
[07:48] Unknown UserUMMAU42: none of those messages are showing up here
[07:48] Unknown UserUMMAU42: and I am an odd user

My Kitely Avatar did not receive the messages and they appeared in my Kitely chat window as a one-sided conversation:
[07:47] Ghaelen DLareh: I'm not busy tho
[07:48] Ghaelen DLareh: none of those messages are showing up here
[07:48] Ghaelen DLareh: and I am an odd user

It is my Kitely avatar that appears this way to others in and outside of Kitely. Is it my issue (in Kitely) or the other person's issue? Can it be fixed? I am NOT in busy mode and sometimes wonder why people in Kitely don't answer me. I am also concerned my creations in the marketplace will become credited to someone else.

Thanks in advance.

[Ilan Tochner]

Hi Ghaelen,

This may be a timing issue, their viewer is probably caching the unknown avatar identity it associated with that UUID in the past and isn't updating it now that the value is defined.

Please ask the people not seeing your name to clear both their viewer cache and their viewer inventory cache before restarting their viewer and checking your name again.

[Ghaelen DLareh]

Hi Ghaelen,

This may be a timing issue, their viewer is probably caching the unknown avatar identity it associated with that UUID in the past and isn't updating it now that the value is defined.

Please ask the people not seeing your name to clear both their viewer cache and their viewer inventory cache before restarting their viewer and checking your name again.

I have done that for my own viewer. I will ask the Kitely person to do that.

But I have to tell you right now I'm not going to go around and announce that if I appear as an Unknown User that everyone should clear their cache. I have no idea whether they can or will see see this name. I need to know how and why it happens so if it is me I can avoid causing it in the first place.

Can you speak at all to the cause?

[Ilan Tochner]

It is not you, it is how viewers work. They cache the first avatar name they encounter for a given UUID and don't check that association again unless their caches are cleared. There is nothing you or we can do to fix that unless viewer code is changed (which won't help either unless the people who encounter the problem change viewers).

[Ilan Tochner]

On further reflection, the problem may result from people using the same viewer to login using avatars from two different grids and then viewing your avatar UUID with both avatars. What I think may be happening is that the viewer caches your UUID when they are logged in with a Kitely avatar, so it caches a local avatar name. However, when they next login via another grid's avatar using the same viewer the avatar UUID that they cached as a local avatar can't be found in that grid's local avatar names list. As such, the viewer displays the name as unknown.

The same thing might also happen (not sure) if the first avatar to have seen your avatar UUID was a third party grid one, in which case your avatar name would have been stored as belonging to another grid and then when they next log in using a Kitely avatar that cached UUID will no longer be correctly mapped to a foreign grid (as now it belongs to the same grid they are logged into).

[Ghaelen DLareh]

These are possible. I did some extensive testing this morning and did not have any trouble with avatars on other grids even when I had three in the same world (two on the same viewer). I had not noticed this at all until it was brought to my attention with my Kitely avatar.

I took screenshots and have a rather long list of chat snippets to illustrate if you are interested in seeing them. In the end we could not reproduce the issue that caused the testing session. We're trying to take note of the exact circumstances under which it happens next time.

[Ilan Tochner]

Okay, please keep me updated.