User name changes

[Ulysses]

We're having a discussion about facilities for subscribed members (see here) and one thing that has cropped up several times is the issue of user name changes.

 

Currently, our settings allow subscribed members to change their display name every 30 days, but several members have said they find the frequent changes annoying or off-putting.

 

What do you think? Should we reduce the number of name changes allowed? Or remove the facility altogether? Or are things fine as they are?

 

Ulysses

Administrator

[Incompetnce]

Remove entirely. It just encourages trolling.

[Ulysses]

Remove entirely. It just encourages trolling.

 

Thanks.

 

And I'll try actually posting a sodding poll in a minute.

[S.N.T.H.]

I think it should be a feature for Paid Members, definitely. But would agree that it does get annoying when posters do it frequently.

[leginten]

We're having a discussion about facilities for subscribed members (see here) and one thing that has cropped up several times is the issue of user name changes.

 

Currently, our settings allow subscribed members to change their display name every 30 days, but several members have said they find the frequent changes annoying or off-putting.

 

What do you think? Should we reduce the number of name changes allowed? Or remove the facility altogether? Or are things fine as they are?

 

Ulysses

Administrator

 

I do find it thwarting to have built up a simmering resentment of a poster over the years only to find myself being pleasant to him once he's changed his name. Something needs to be done.

 

[Boomstick]

Everything's fine. There's a display name history on people's profiles that takes two seconds to check if you get confused. I don't get why people should have to stick with their name if they wish to change it.

 

Although I think the the rule should be every fifteen days.

 

Just to piss some folks off.

 

[Groot]

I don't see the problem with it to be honest and I've had the same user name for many many years on JKB

[Flux]

I do find it thwarting to have built up a simmering resentment of a poster over the years only to find myself being pleasant to him once he's changed his name. Something needs to be done.

 

 

does ignore not work on name changers?

[Dave Spacey]

Uly, what will happen in regards to a name change and the predictor league? When i do change my name will I put my old (this name) in my predictions so you know it's still me. Just if i do change name, not exactly a popular cat on here so not much people will notice anyway

[Le Chat]

Only every 3-6 months imo.

[Chris Benoit]

Keep it, not as if it's hard to click on someone's name and check their name history and fail to see how it encourages trolling.

 

 

and no it's not because i'm preparing for my next name change

[Ulysses]

Uly, what will happen in regards to a name change and the predictor league? When i do change my name will I put my old (this name) in my predictions so you know it's still me. Just if i do change name, not exactly a popular cat on here so not much people will notice anyway

 

Doesn't matter - the Predictor Massive will hunt you down and extract your predictions anyway.

[Ulysses]

and no it's not because i'm preparing for my next name change

 

When you change your name, are you able to remember all the details of what happened in your previous user name? Or do you have to get a hologram to tell you what's going on?

[Dave Spacey]

Doesn't matter - the Predictor Massive will hunt you down and extract your predictions anyway.

 

Sounds painful, I'd agree at being able to change every 3 to 6 month, say every 4 months.

[Flux]

it's why I pay my..

 

 

[Incompetnce]

Thanks.

 

And I'll try actually posting a sodding poll in a minute.

 

No worries, just keeping you on your toes

 

Also, would there be any way of adding in a line somewhere in a profile that someone has recently changed their name?

[Robbo-Jambo]

Every 4 months seems reasonable IMO.

[frankblack]

I don't think its a good feature, and there is a reason I've never seen it on other forums.

 

Some posters go out trolling and change their visible identity once they have built up a substantial number of enemies. If the facility is to exist at all, it should be controlled by the discretion of moderators and perhaps only be allowed once.

 

If you have spent a while building up a good reputation, why would you need to change your forum identity?

[I P Knightley]

I do find it thwarting to have built up a simmering resentment of a poster over the years only to find myself being pleasant to him once he's changed his name. Something needs to be done.

 

 

Aye! That ###### Ivanawfyticklikov - where did he get to???/

 

 

 

Serious response:

 

Guilty of having changed name and dropped my unpronouncable moniker so I can't say "never".

 

I've plumped for 6 months as a bit of middle ground but with a strong request that folks with changed names keep their name history accessible for a while beside their avatar as has been done by the posters formerly known as Victorian, Andy68Hearts and my good self.

[PsychocAndy]

I've not voted as I don't really care what people call themselves. I've changed my name once and I'm happy with that. I paid a ?5 just to keep the board running and this Dec I'll renew. It's cheaper than a tv licence and a million times more fun.

[Chris Benoit]

When you change your name, are you able to remember all the details of what happened in your previous user name? Or do you have to get a hologram to tell you what's going on?

 

 

 

"Ziggy says you only need to make 3 more name changes before you get into the Kickback Elite"

[shaun.lawson]

I do find it thwarting to have built up a simmering resentment of a poster over the years only to find myself being pleasant to him once he's changed his name. Something needs to be done.

 

 

No more heroes anymore... no more heroes anymore...

[Dave Spacey]

Aye! That ###### Ivanawfyticklikov - where did he get to???/

 

 

 

Serious response:

 

Guilty of having changed name and dropped my unpronouncable moniker so I can't say "never".

 

I've plumped for 6 months as a bit of middle ground but with a strong request that folks with changed names keep their name history accessible for a while beside their avatar as has been done by the posters formerly known as Victorian, Andy68Hearts and my good self.

 

Just changed name but put my old one under my avatar so no one needs to go through the previous name bit. As for my reasoning of changing names, I grew out of it, none of my mates really call me Shock or Davey Aftershock anymore, that names died a death, time to move on. It's Dave Spacey now, although not too sure how that came about.

[Groot]

I don't think its a good feature, and there is a reason I've never seen it on other forums.

 

Some posters go out trolling and change their visible identity once they have built up a substantial number of enemies. If the facility is to exist at all, it should be controlled by the discretion of moderators and perhaps only be allowed once.

 

If you have spent a while building up a good reputation, why would you need to change your forum identity?

 

but some folk just do it as a bit of a laugh

 

if I think of who I consider major trollers on here I don't think most of them have changed names

[JamboRossi79]

Can be a bit annoying so I say only every 6 months

[I P Knightley]

Just changed name but put my old one under my avatar so no one needs to go through the previous name bit. As for my reasoning of changing names, I grew out of it, none of my mates really call me Shock or Davey Aftershock anymore, that names died a death, time to move on. It's Dave Spacey now, although not too sure how that came about.

 

 

I only noticed that after posting so honourable mention to you for the "FKA" tag line as well.

[Beverley]

it bugs me in the mafia games but its not a HUGE annoyance for me in general

 

i say every 6 months or thereabouts

[Grumpy]

Went for 1 change every 6 months, although I'd suggest that you let users move back to their original name sooner - say after a month - but only if they come up with a really, really good reason for changing their name in the first place .

 

We can all make mistakes after a few refreshments - a month to consider the folly of your ways is long enough, 6 months would just be cruel.

[leginten]

No more heroes anymore... no more heroes anymore...

 

Don't know what you mean. I held his bloody hand through the worst of his wanderings...

 

[shaun.lawson]

Don't know what you mean. I held his bloody hand through the worst of his wanderings...

 

 

That's an intriguing reformulation of what were some of the most epic rows on this board between you (representing the forces of light), and JKB's very own answer to Comical Ali.

[Guest John Meurig Thomas]

People talking about building up reputations, trolling, becoming established etc is taking this far too seriously. Boomstick has it right: it takes 2 seconds to check name history, it's not as if they're adopting a new personality when they change their name.

 

I voted more often, variety is the spice of life.

[leginten]

That's an intriguing reformulation of what were some of the most epic rows on this board between you (representing the forces of light), and JKB's very own answer to Comical Ali.

 

[Heaven98]

People talking about building up reputations, trolling, becoming established etc is taking this far too seriously. Boomstick has it right: it takes 2 seconds to check name history, it's not as if they're adopting a new personality when they change their name.

 

I voted more often, variety is the spice of life.

 

Yeah but that's two seconds you'll never get back....

[shaun.lawson]

 

A Manager Is Not Important. Vlad owes the money to himself we have to live within our means! And we're still on course for our average league finish.

[Chris Benoit]

People talking about building up reputations, trolling, becoming established etc is taking this far too seriously. Boomstick has it right: it takes 2 seconds to check name history, it's not as if they're adopting a new personality when they change their name.

I voted more often, variety is the spice of life.

 

 

Amen brother

[Guest John Meurig Thomas]

Yeah but that's two seconds you'll never get back....

 

In fairness - and with a lot of respect because I like what you post - if you have time to kill on Kickback in the first place, I'll bet you won't miss those two seconds of your life.

 

[Heaven98]

In fairness - and with a lot of respect because I like what you post - if you have time to kill on Kickback in the first place, I'll bet you won't miss those two seconds of your life.

 

 

But does it not feel a bit like...sneaking on someone?

[The Doctor]

Once a year, on your birthday.

[I P Knightley]

People talking about building up reputations, trolling, becoming established etc is taking this far too seriously. Boomstick has it right: it takes 2 seconds to check name history, it's not as if they're adopting a new personality when they change their name.

 

I voted more often, variety is the spice of life.

 

 

I hadn't realised we had the power to interrogate past user names in the profile. Now that I know this, my life is complete.

 

Change away.

[2NaFish]

2na no likey. bad medicine.

[Rick Grimes]

surely your username (and any change to it) is your own business & anyone who gets annoyed by it should just have a cup of tea & a wee sit down....

 

its no hard to find out who someone is anyway.

[RossHMFC93]

Why are people wanting never?

 

If you don't want to change your user name don't, some will want to though. What's wrong with that?

 

I think it's fine the way it is.

[Peebo]

People talking about building up reputations, trolling, becoming established etc is taking this far too seriously.

 

Oh indeed, some people clearly need to get out a bit more.

 

In any case, don't hate the poster, hate the post. Or something like that.

[redm]

No surprise on who's voting for what on this thread then. The name change junkies are out in force.

 

It's annoying and I think people should be able to do it but not quite as often as they do currently. I like the Doc's idea of once a year on your birthday.

[Guest GhostHunter]

We've taken on board all requests in this thread.

 

And, duly ignored all of them.

 

Henceforth all users will be called Bob.

 

Okay Bob(s) ?

 

[Heaven98]

We've taken on board all requests in this thread.

 

And, duly ignored all of them.

 

Henceforth all users will be called Bob.

 

Okay Bob(s) ?

 

 

There's a noted gentleman of that moniker in Canada that might have an issue with that...

[frankblack]

People talking about building up reputations, trolling, becoming established etc is taking this far too seriously. Boomstick has it right: it takes 2 seconds to check name history, it's not as if they're adopting a new personality when they change their name.

 

Yes, but non-subscribed members can't access that part I believe. The same goes for posting history when you get the feeling a user only posts on one subject e.g. anti-Romanov rants.

[Ulysses]

Interesting mix of responses so far. 40% have said "never", while 20% have said either leave it as is or let people change their names more often.

 

I wonder what the poll outcome would look like if those options weren't available? For anyone who's not sure why I said that, go to Wikipedia and look up "Soviet Union".

[Guest Atticus]

Anyone who is genuinely bothered about other members changing their username has to be a torn faced old wreck of a life.

[Heaven98]

Interesting mix of responses so far. 40% have said "never", while 20% have said either leave it as is or let people change their names more often.

 

I wonder what the poll outcome would look like if those options weren't available? For anyone who's not sure why I said that, go to Wikipedia and look up "Soviet Union".

 

What a good idea. From now on, every poster is just called "Soviet Union", thus submerging the sense of individual identity for the collective good. Much better than Dexter's rubbish "Bob" thing.