Your Display Names and the Challenge Of 10 Million Members
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Nagy Vilmos wrote:
everyone calls Nagy Vilmos
Including your family? Now THAT'S dedication! :omg:
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer
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For new members it's hard to get a display name that's your actual name. Almost impossible. However, we have tons of members who really don't care if their name is the same as someone else's name. I was thinking that it could be interesting to open up Display Names so that you can choose whatever name you want, even if it's been taken by someone else, with a small cavet: If you haven't contributed a message or article, question or answer, your display name is plain text and it will be displayed in gray. Each time you contribute, or each time you change your name, your name is checked against the list and if you're account is the only account with that name that has made a contribution then your name is yours and is unlocked to accept HTML, and will (by default) be displayed in a dark font. Thoughts?
While it may be 'difficult' to get a display name that is your actual name, there are a myriad of varieties of said name. I do have a display name that is my name, but I also have relatives with the same first/last name. So, what to seperate us? The same thing I do when I find an e-mail address for Tim.Carmichael@whatever.com is taken - use my middle initial or special characters. So... Tim Carmichael, Tim I Carmichael, Tim_Carmichael, Tim_I_Carmichael, etc. Or, Tim Mac Carmichael, Tim Bar Ivan If a user REALLY wants to be a part of the collective, they can put some effort into finding a name that isn't taken. And, for simplicity sake, plain text only, and squeeze out instances of multiple spaces. Tim
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For new members it's hard to get a display name that's your actual name. Almost impossible. However, we have tons of members who really don't care if their name is the same as someone else's name. I was thinking that it could be interesting to open up Display Names so that you can choose whatever name you want, even if it's been taken by someone else, with a small cavet: If you haven't contributed a message or article, question or answer, your display name is plain text and it will be displayed in gray. Each time you contribute, or each time you change your name, your name is checked against the list and if you're account is the only account with that name that has made a contribution then your name is yours and is unlocked to accept HTML, and will (by default) be displayed in a dark font. Thoughts?
What happens if the message gets voted up? At the moment the message and the username both go green - which is handy. But an upvoted Chris Maunder would look like an upvoted Chris Maunder... Can I suggest that instead, "dormant" usernames are recycled instead? If an account hasn't been used for a year, or two years maybe, the username gets recycled and the original user gets a generic "Member xxxxxxxx" instead. Send 'em an email saying you've got a month to reclaim it maybe?
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Sure. I bet there are thousands of people that have the same name as me and are frustrated that can't get a CP account :-D
Well, I got it ok!
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I think 10 million plus people thinking it's my name is close...
speramus in juniperus
Yeah, but at least half of us are still looking at your profile picture and trying to work out which one is you. :rolleyes:
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer
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I'm Spartacus!
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Yeah, but at least half of us are still looking at your profile picture and trying to work out which one is you. :rolleyes:
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer
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Chris Maunder wrote:
small cavet
Is that anything like a civet? Civets are adorable, a quite delicious if properly prepared. As to the proposal, will seniority be a factor? :rolleyes: Actually, I think that Dr. Wilbur Daffodil-11 Swain[^] proposed a valid solution in the referenced story. Not only would randomly assigning new members to artificial families eliminate the screen name problem, it would help to reduce world loneliness.
Will Rogers never met me.
Or we could get a Sorting Hat and do it that way!
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Not really - I'd have to sign up to Farsebook if I wanted to post abusive messages on your "wall". ;P On a not-even-slightly-stalkerish note, if you type "vilmo" into the Twatter search box, the first suggestion is "Vilmos Nagy de Nagybaczon". I'm assuming that's the name you put on your Hungarian forms?
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer
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Not really - I'd have to sign up to Farsebook if I wanted to post abusive messages on your "wall". ;P On a not-even-slightly-stalkerish note, if you type "vilmo" into the Twatter search box, the first suggestion is "Vilmos Nagy de Nagybaczon". I'm assuming that's the name you put on your Hungarian forms?
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer
Not me, for twatter I'm @GinAndBacon
speramus in juniperus
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What happens if the message gets voted up? At the moment the message and the username both go green - which is handy. But an upvoted Chris Maunder would look like an upvoted Chris Maunder... Can I suggest that instead, "dormant" usernames are recycled instead? If an account hasn't been used for a year, or two years maybe, the username gets recycled and the original user gets a generic "Member xxxxxxxx" instead. Send 'em an email saying you've got a month to reclaim it maybe?
Or change the name to "XX (retired)"; like "Henry Minute (retired)"
speramus in juniperus
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For new members it's hard to get a display name that's your actual name. Almost impossible. However, we have tons of members who really don't care if their name is the same as someone else's name. I was thinking that it could be interesting to open up Display Names so that you can choose whatever name you want, even if it's been taken by someone else, with a small cavet: If you haven't contributed a message or article, question or answer, your display name is plain text and it will be displayed in gray. Each time you contribute, or each time you change your name, your name is checked against the list and if you're account is the only account with that name that has made a contribution then your name is yours and is unlocked to accept HTML, and will (by default) be displayed in a dark font. Thoughts?
Just say no. Or if you must, some form of account name retiring and the retired account is reassigned "Member <datetime>"
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.-John Q. Adams
You must accept one of two basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not alone in the universe. And either way, the implications are staggering.-Wernher von Braun
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.-Albert Einstein -
I'd be inclined to restrict all display names to plain text. Are there any good examples of HTML display names? Letting users choose and use display names which are already in use could easily cause confusion. Imagine how many spam posts we'll get from "Chris Maunder"! Even without the radioactive Bob icon on the post, we might still fall for it. You could try adding a counter or member ID after the name, but after a couple of pages of arguments between "Chris Maunder 3276412" and "Chris Maunder 3267412", would anyone be able to keep track?
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer
Richard Deeming wrote:
Are there any good examples of HTML display names?
yes
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Richard Deeming wrote:
Are there any good examples of HTML display names?
yes
Who? ;P
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer
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Or we could get a Sorting Hat and do it that way!
Excellent suggestion! :-D
Will Rogers never met me.
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Maybe some sort of sliding scale: if you have less than 1K rep points, your account is retired after 18 months of inactivity; 10K for five years; 100K for 10 years; etc. Of course, that means Griff's account would still be alive and kicking at the heat-death of the universe. :)
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer
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I've been around for over 9 years now and unless you get a ton of up votes your points don't rise very quickly.
With an average of 37 messages per year, I'm not surprised! ;P I've posted an average of 210 messages per year, most of which have been utter rubbish. Griff's posted an average of 5547 per year, almost all of which involve sheep. Plus an average of 2669 QA answers per year. Not forgetting 2245 comments, 12 tips, and 1 article. The point is, the more time you waste spend on the site, the more points you're likely to pick up. And when you get more points, you get ... well, a higher score. Which is nice. If you like that sort of thing. If it makes you feel any better, open your profile page[^] and press Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A.
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer
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With an average of 37 messages per year, I'm not surprised! ;P I've posted an average of 210 messages per year, most of which have been utter rubbish. Griff's posted an average of 5547 per year, almost all of which involve sheep. Plus an average of 2669 QA answers per year. Not forgetting 2245 comments, 12 tips, and 1 article. The point is, the more time you waste spend on the site, the more points you're likely to pick up. And when you get more points, you get ... well, a higher score. Which is nice. If you like that sort of thing. If it makes you feel any better, open your profile page[^] and press Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A.
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer
-
For new members it's hard to get a display name that's your actual name. Almost impossible. However, we have tons of members who really don't care if their name is the same as someone else's name. I was thinking that it could be interesting to open up Display Names so that you can choose whatever name you want, even if it's been taken by someone else, with a small cavet: If you haven't contributed a message or article, question or answer, your display name is plain text and it will be displayed in gray. Each time you contribute, or each time you change your name, your name is checked against the list and if you're account is the only account with that name that has made a contribution then your name is yours and is unlocked to accept HTML, and will (by default) be displayed in a dark font. Thoughts?
If this is your biggest problem to solve today, you should take a long well earned vacation. I'm with Griff on this one, by all means recycle unused accounts, but otherwise let the users solve their own problems. I'm pretty sure John Smith has encountered this problem before and has a solution for it.
Politicians are always realistically manoeuvering for the next election. They are obsolete as fundamental problem-solvers. Buckminster Fuller
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For new members it's hard to get a display name that's your actual name. Almost impossible. However, we have tons of members who really don't care if their name is the same as someone else's name. I was thinking that it could be interesting to open up Display Names so that you can choose whatever name you want, even if it's been taken by someone else, with a small cavet: If you haven't contributed a message or article, question or answer, your display name is plain text and it will be displayed in gray. Each time you contribute, or each time you change your name, your name is checked against the list and if you're account is the only account with that name that has made a contribution then your name is yours and is unlocked to accept HTML, and will (by default) be displayed in a dark font. Thoughts?
Let me offer a simple solution. Example using My name: User request's David C# Hobbyist You could suggest C# Hobbyist, David. Simple but elegant. :)
David
