Newgrounds.com — Everything, By Everyone.

You could always make a seperate display name and a user url name. That way, people can still get their name changed, but have an original url, kinda like myspace

At 11/6/06 08:59 PM, PsychoGoldfish wrote: 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.

UMM... I TOTALLY ALREADY SAID THAT, YOU'RE JUST COPYING ME

STOP IT GET YOUR OWN IDEAS JERK

I think it's a great idea. Anyone who doesn't agree is a tool and a slimey piece of bloody vagina fart.

I don't know why people have such a hurry to change their names. I use this name everywhere and I am fine with it ;)

What about people with illegal characters in there names? Like * ( ) ^ &$% stuff like that don't work on uniform resource locators.

The only problem I see with locking down urls but not BBS names is that if someoen signs up for an account using your url name (because you chanegd your username so its technically free) they cant get a url in their own name. Also that means if someoen wants to sign-up with your username, but that url is free then again theya re screwed. one accoutn is taking up two names.

I say all or nothing.

I've been meaning to have "Phantom" ever since I signed up in 2004, but it was always taken, until you lent a helping hand of course. So I personally wouldn't mind the user name lockdown but it could upset other users, because changing the user name in a specific way is a tradition like the muffin club...I'm positive some users will be against it, but I'm not since I look out for myself, and I'm doing just fine.

well i like my name and i doubt i will change it again

Just a suggestion, I don't know if it has already been said:

Many other forums have a custom text above user avatars which users can edit. Maybe have usernames unchangeable and this small text customisable to users.

In my opinion the idea above seems pretty useless, but hey, it's a compromise.

Don't take my nickname away from me, Tom !! :(
So yeah... mine has been, is, and will be the same. For ever.

Hmm... the user ID is a good idea, but so is the link idea.

Hmmm:

shortmonkey.newgrounds.com

Ok, if someone was looking for a username, they just type in

tomfulp.newgrounds.com

But they could just use the search bar with the flash author search, or post author search. If they're not on either, they just do nothing on NG.

I VOTE FOR USER ID NUMBERS

Give people a few weeks' warning. Maybe give them all a private message warning them about it. Display the message when they log in. "Notice! You will not be able to change your name after X date!" Then go for it, lock them all down.

I like my name, I've had the same one all the time.

Hmmm, this makes me curious. How many people have changed their account names? Can you divide the population into segments? Like...x% of the users never change their names, x% have changed it once, x% have changed it 2-5 times, x% have changed it 6 or more times? Just curious. :D This would give you an idea of how many people you'd tick off if you did this.

Don't forget to add stuff to the registration page saying "You'll never be able to change your username so be sure you have one you like"!

How about your url always stays the same but you can change your name whenever you want.
So if I had paperbagmask.newgrounds.com I could change my alias to something else but the URL will still be paperbagmask.newgrounds.com.
It'd work the same as the number system.

I'm completely for it, more so because it gets pretty confusing around the BBS when users keep changing there alias's.

A SOLUTION:

Allow users to change their names. Their old username URL points to their new username URL for, say, 30 days. Include a notice on the top of the page when this redirection takes place, a big yellow banner with red text right below the top header stating "This URL will soon change to whatever.newgrounds.com, please make a note!"

After 30 days, the old link goes dead and the name is freed up.

The only problem I can see with this is people would start "blocking" usernames and it would create a huge headache for you to admin this new system. Permanent lockdown of names would also prove a problem liek this as well.

You could keep a database of all the users of a certain name at one point or another, and when a link is followed the banner could pop up again and say "Not who you're looking for? Check the name change registry". Apon clicking, they could be given a link table allowing for redirection to any of the former users of the name.

But that might be a little over the top...or maybe not:

The best idea I can think of is a slight take on the way MySpace does it: Allow the DNS names to be changed at will, but the name just re-directs you to the account numbered page. DNS is useless for websites doing the linking, as anyone writing a web page with a link can easily be bothered to copy and paste the numbered link into their HTML code. Hell, that's just as easy as copy-and-pasting the DNS-prefixed URL. The whole purpose of a DNS name is for people to remember easily, so the sole purpose of that could be for users typing a URL into their browsers off the top of their head. Combine this with the DNS-prefix name history feature and you might just have yourself a workng dynamic system.

You're welcome.

OK, maybe I should explain my idea a little better:

I sign up for an account, here is my info:

ID: 123456 (permanent)
Display Name: The Winktologist (can be changed whenever)
DNS Prefix name: winktologylabs (Also can be changed whenever)

This creates not only an entry into the user database, but also an entry into a new database which tracks name changes:

Name Change Table
Entry #: 1
Account ID: 123456
DNS Name: winktologylabs
Dates: 11/07/2006 - Present

After which my account can be accessed from the following URLs:

http://www.newgrounds.com/users/123456
-OR-
http://winktologylabs.newgrounds.com

...the latter of which would redirect me to the former. Since my ID number will not change, this URL will ALWAYS point to me. However, the page content will ALWAYS reflect the DNS-prefixed URL, because it is easier to remember for people, which is the whole point.

One day, I decide I heart the bung. Why, I have no idea, but for the sake of argument, I am taint's biggest fan; so I decide to makeover my Newgrounds "image" to suit this change.

Account ID: 123456
Display Name: The Proctologist [CHANGED]
DNS Prefix Name: proctologylabs [CHANGED]

This causes an update in the NG user databases, and a new entry in our change table:

Name Change Table
Entry #: 1
Account ID: 123456
DNS Name: winktologylabs
Dates: 11/07/2006 - 11/08/2006 [CHANGED]
--------------------
Entry #: 2
Account ID: 123456
DNS Name: proctologylabs
Dates: 11/08/2006 - Present

Until someone claims the old name, BOTH URLs will redirect to my numbered page. This will allow people who are unaware of the change to continue to visit the page, as well as those using the new URL. Anyone hard-linking from a web page should use the numbered URL anyway, because no one will see it embeded in a page.

Perhaps now, another has been enlightened to the wonders of Winktology and decides to start their OWN animation lab which never submits anything to NG because of a lack of time and skill. This person creates the following account:

ID: 654321 (permanent)
Display Name: The Winktologist Jr.
DNS Prefix name: winktologylabs (a dupe!)

This is where most see conflict, but thanks to our tracking table, we see opportunity for a wonderfully dynamic online community! A new entry is added to said table:

Name Change Table
Entry #: 1
Account ID: 123456
DNS Name: winktologylabs
Dates: 11/07/2006 - 11/08/2006
--------------------
Entry #: 2
Account ID: 123456
DNS Name: proctologylabs
Dates: 11/08/2006 - Present
--------------------
Entry #: 3
Account ID: 654321
DNS Name: winktologylabs
Dates: 11/09/2006 - Present

Notice we now have plenty of data to clear up who is using what name; "winktologylabs" is presently in use by the new account, 654321, and "proctologylabs" belongs to the old account, 123456. Each URL is redirected to the proper user page based on ID, and so far all is well.

"WAIT A MINUTE," you say, "I wanted the original, not this lame n00b!" you say as you type "winktologylabs.newgrounds.com" into your browser. Never fear, NG is Teh Smartiez™ now! Using the Name Data Table, we can see that winktologylabs is less than 30 days old. Therefore, after the redirect, we could include a banner with a link to a page that lists any former user of the name and the dates they used it, with a link to their current URL. Again, with a simple query, the Name Data Table can provide this information in detail for us as well, including cross-referencing for a user icon, or the title of a recent submission.

After 30 days (or whatever amount of time), the banner could be reduced to a small box on the side of the page in a very unintrusive sort of a way.

All major problems are solved:

- Page names are flexible; have your work identified however you wish.
- Users who get lost can find their way quickly and with minimal fuss.
- A system is in place to prevent broken links, no matter what is happening with the DNS names. (This depends on webmasters using the numeric links in their HTML)

Locking down names might be easier, but this would be kind of neat and seem like sort of a cop-out now, wouldn't it? ;-)

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to wake up for work tommorow, and then play Guitar Hero 2 all night for 12 hours until my next work shift. ALIEN HOMINID RULES

I don't believe it to be a big issue. Have never thought of changing my alias. Do that and lockdown the usernames. I much rather prefer the url erixs.newgrounds.com then to be able to change my alias.

It's a good idea and i think you should go for it!

Can't you just keep our url with the user ID, so Toms would be 1.Newgrounds.com? Im still not sure about my name!

This really is becoming the great name purge of 2006. All I can say is maybe you should send an automated message to all users before and after the finalization of this.

I feel sorry for new sign-ups though. They don't get years to fiddle around with their aliases finding just the perfect one, as I had. Oh well, there loss. I had plenty of fun name changing all of these years though, it was a great feature. But if it must be sacrificed so we can be the next Blog site, so be it. :P

At 11/7/06 12:18 AM, DariusR wrote: You could always make a seperate display name and a user url name. That way, people can still get their name changed, but have an original url, kinda like myspace

I was about to say that.

Would it be possible to know an appoximate time you're going to turn NewGrounds into MySpace?

At 11/6/06 08:31 PM, MuyBurrito wrote: Would it be possible to give users a "Display Name" that can be changed as the username is changed under the current system, while locking down an official "Account Name" which is tied directly to user pages?

I agree to this. I think this is like what Myspace does where you have your personal URL account name but you can change your display name. Now, I never change my name because that's just me, but I know people who would DIE if they couldn't change their name on a whim. You don't have anything to lose really because people aren't going to leave if nothing changes but if you were to lockdown the names, you might lose some fans. Maybe hit up Tom from Myspace and find out what he did.

Personally, I like the idea I've seen so far of leaving a dynamic display name, while locking down a URL for that user's homepage. I don't know if it is feasible, but having both a user name which can be changed, and then a profile name to link up to the site seems kind of like a happy medium for this situation.

~Rift~

how people can constantly change their names has good freedom, but it can be annoying. personally i never change my name (with a few wacky exceptions) as BlueHippo is me through and through :)

i haven't read this thread fully yet as i'm not as "home" ("home" being where i'm staying), so i'm not sure if it's been adressed, but hopefully we can get admin name changes or something, like most websites. that would be fine by me, all this name freedom is unusual, and will take some getting used to.

i have to go, my friend just broke our $350 bong, i have to go freak out brb.

personally, i don't have any problems with the name change. My username for *all* the sites I visit has been something along the lines of badger-head, and I don't have any wishes to change it. Do what you wish, Tom ;)

And on an off-topic note, I'd like to take this opportunity to laugh at the people who seriously thought Tom was dead. LOLOLOLOLOLOL

I've only changed my name for special occasions or that im just a bit bored with it. A lot of users would probably be pissed at the situation but im not too much.

6 pages, and i have 5 min until class starts... probably suggested before, but here goes;

Lockdown one selected name, allow profile names to be changed. After a while ppl will probably get bored about changing names anyway, since the "anonymosity" would disapear with a "name lock"...

Fine with me. Smoother user pages > name changing novelty imo

I've already made a movie with my name (with an underscore, but still) and I have no plan to change it. I think that those who actually change their username often are actually in the minority. Even if there was a username lockdown, I think it would eventually lead people to have more pride in their usernames. I am, and forever shall be, THE-BOLSHEVIK, and I'm damn proud of it.

No big deal, just give people enough warning before you lock it down and it should be fine.