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I don't see a point in name changing. but... I've been using this name since 3rd grade

im keeping mine so go for it

what about having a display name and a user name

the user name is what you log in with, the display name is what appears in the bbs, portal, profile, etc.... kinda like an addition to your 'real name' and no need for formatting restrictions.

When first implemented you could just make all the default values equal to the username.

At 11/6/06 08:26 PM, TomFulp wrote: Consider this post a sort of heads up... There's a chance your name might go on lockdown, so be sure it's the name you want to have. This is also a chance for everyone to share their opinions concerning this course of action. Go for it.

Well, if that's going to be the case then I better hurry up and decide whether to change my alias or not.

At 11/6/06 08:46 PM, OldGust wrote: Have two names, a user name and a display name:

username.newgrounds.com
www.newgrounds.com/?target=displayname

That seems like the most logical solution to me...

if this were like myspace, couldn't my page be like "clickingheremakesyouafaggot.newgrounds.com"
then have my username for flash submissions and etc interchangable

Well I wouldn't have a problem with it seeing as I love my username. Maybe people would have to ask you to change it for them?

I think the best option is to use a similar method that some sites (Myspace for one) use. Have a changeable display name people use on the forums and such, and then have a userpage url that has the user's id in it (849127.newgrounds.com, or the like). I don't see why it's really necessary to have the user name in the url. If someone knows of a user and wants to find their page, they could simply search for them under a user search, much like the title and author search already on the site.

I think this method would take the best of both worlds, and keep everyone happy.

I personally don't really mind it... Yet I do enjoy my account freedom!!!

Hmm... that sounds like a problem. Maybe we could make it so that the URL has to beupdated to by the user ofif they want to change their name...

what are you guyz talking about im new here.

Forgive me if this has already been mentioned. I'm to lazy to read through all of this.

Anyway this doesn't effect me cause I like the names on my accounts but just a suggestion, maybe allow users the abbility to change their names up unto the point in which they decide to create this umm special page/blog/feature mystery thing.

At 11/6/06 09:07 PM, blingboy09 wrote: what are you guyz talking about im new here.

Generaly, we are discussing about wether we should be able to change our names or not.

I honestly think it's good idea to not be able to change your name. Because I hate when people change their name and you're all the sudden like, "Where'd so-and-so go?" or, "Who's this guy with 10,000 posts that I've heard of," when there was only a name change.

Cool, jimtopia.newgrounds.com, that rox.

I have no problem. I'm fairly lucky to have "Pyro" and don't think I'll ever change it for fear of name squatters.

lock it down, people will get over it. Its all in the name of growth, the site has to evolve just like any other site.

-L

hmm. I say perminant names. or having username and display name two different things...like already suggested. i think thats a deacent solution. But perminant if anything.

At 11/6/06 08:44 PM, TomFulp wrote:

At 11/6/06 08:39 PM, MrMonopoly wrote: You should make it so the user must PM you to request an alias change.

Wouldn't that be wonderful. :)

It isn't liek your PM box would be filled daily...
;)

Why don't you just make the main page like thecrook.newgrounds.com the only page with the thecrook.newgrounds part. You could have the rest of the pages just be the user id like newgrounds.com/user id. Then when the user changes their name just have to old main page direct to the new one until someone takes the old name.

Considering that I've been using this username for years on all the sites I visit, I wouldn't be pissed if the ability to change our aliases gets taken away. A lot of people would be though, so it probably makes more sense to have our profile ID's in our URL as others have suggested.

I've got no problem Tom. I'd say I'll be fat and proud for awhile.

Name changes arent essential, i have been a member since july 2004 and havent changed my name once, people sign up and choose a name and they should really keep that chosen name, i think a lockdown would make user locating easier too.

At 11/6/06 08:26 PM, TomFulp wrote: I get this bad feeling that people will totally freak out at the thought of not being able to change their names.

What?? How do I changed name? (stupid meme ref, but serious)

I enjoy the freedom we get now, but I wouldn't die if I was locked to this username. Although, I really think profile URLs should use our user ID, as long as there was a user search.

What about redirects?
like joeschmoe.newgrounds.com(old) redirects to jayiscool.newgrounds.com, like how newgrounds.com/samurai redirects to its portal page?

Dude you have to let us change our names, people change theirs for christmas and stuff.
And newbs change their names once they become long time members (eg ruNEesCApepwner293 to JohnS).
I suggest a unique ID for the subdomain.

I was thinking about changing my name at one point. But I can't come up with anything better and I already have the domain registered. I know that's not a big deal, but still.

I was only concidering changing my name because it fails to reflect my life. Most user names don't have to worry about that, but mine is just one of those names that make people assume the wrong things.

I say do what you have to do to make this website run the most effectively. If they must become permanent, post the date this change will take place to provide time for people to change. If they don't have to be locked down, great. But I'd rather have the minor inconvenience in exchange for a much more kick ass site. Do what you gotta do Tom.

I think I have an idea for how to fix this (although I'm no expert on the matter). Do you dynamically generate the the user page every time it is accessed or is it saved as a static page after each time the user updates something? Would people update their pages more often or would people access them more often anyway?

If it's saved as a static page you could let the user create as many names with associated pages as they want without have to store them in a database. The only thing you would need stored is their username and id which are already there. The way I think it would work is in a comment or something in the static html page (or a seperate .txt with only the variables if each user has a folder with several pages) that the referer page check to see if it matches the current username associated with the id. If it does then it doesn't do anything, if it doesn't it deletes everything and replaces it with a header(Location: /path/correctUsername.html). Now if nobody takes the name it simply redirects to the correct one. If somebody takes the same name it will overwrite the redirect and old links will point to the new user, but there will be no broken links. I understand that this requires a certain amount of overhead, but as far as database intensity it's really just a single database query each time somebody accesses a username.newgrounds.com page which is minimal compared to the number of queries for the forum.

If they are dynamically generated each time then I'm pretty stumped. After writing this post and giving it some thought I'm pretty sure they must be or the pros would have figured this out. Oh well, it's all typed I'll post it anyway.