Its my opinion there have been WAY too many username changes in the past, and it has hurt forum identity and cohesion. Over the past year I've lost track of a lot of people. Some have left but a lot are still around under different usernames. Its as if I was at a costume ball and everyone kept changing costumes. Familiar people and acquaintances revert back to strangers and anons. In one poll thread I made 75% of people claimed to have changed their username - many for no reason other than they were "bored".
There are a lot of forms that don't allow any username changes and they have good reasons. Obviously at a forum with sensitive personal info username changes can be wise sometimes - but not 75% of active people. its now become a fashion statement or a cure for boredom.
"Feeling down and need a lift? Try goosing your day with a new username!" Sorry but things shouldn't work that way. I come here now and see all new people - then it turns out I know half of them but lost track of them 8 months ago when they got their second or third or fourth username. Its been off the hook like that and makes no sense imo.
Very often people go away for a few months and when they return it seems to them as if they don't know people anymore. If people wanted to water down a forum I can't think of too many ways better than swapping out a lot of usernames and making a place seem unrecognisable.
I saw allow one name change a year if that. Of course dire circumstances can allow for what ever needs to be done (keeping in mind a bookmarked username will still show an old user account even with the new name).
Plus some people have had about 15 different usernames in the last few years! I find it unnecessary.
There are times to stay put, and what you want will come to you.
But there are times to go out into the world and find such a thing for yourself.
I aint no abacus but you can count on me.
I can see your point, however I think username changes have to be allowed so that if people get worried about being found by friends/families then they can change. It's also kind of legit when you have a really emo username, but decide you want to be more positive. And it would be a load of extra admin for Camilla if she had to go through and decide who has a legit reason and only approve those, so I think in the interests of saving her time, I think it's sensible that username changes are allowed. And unless the member deletes all their posts, it's dead easy to find a member's new username anyway.
Have you ever sat there and wondered ‘why am I still here? I don’t even want to be here. I haven’t wanted to be here for so long. What’s keeping me here?’ And then you realize the answer is nothing. And that scares you even more than the fact that you don’t want to be here anymore.
Currently it takes about 5-10 minutes to change a username I have in the past not changed people username if they request to many in to short a time but this is rare. Changing this dramatically would potentially make this unmanageable so please can we bear this in mind!!!
As an aside I find username changes confusing at times but I tend to get to grips with them pretty quickly.
When we lose twenty pounds... we may be losing the twenty best pounds we have! We may be losing the pounds that contain our genius, our humanity, our love and honesty. ~Woody Allen
Is a chocolate muffin loving glitter ball
If you are close to the people and they want to maintain a relationship with you then you will keep up with each other regardless of username changes. Not everybody is comfortable with having people track them on RYL for long periods of time.
However, I don't see a problem with limiting the number of requests. I thought there was already a limit. Doesn't stop people from making whole new accounts if they fear someone is tracking them here.
There used to be a limit, not sure what happened there!
There are times to stay put, and what you want will come to you.
But there are times to go out into the world and find such a thing for yourself.
I aint no abacus but you can count on me.
I can see your point, however I think username changes have to be allowed so that if people get worried about being found by friends/families then they can change. It's also kind of legit when you have a really emo username, but decide you want to be more positive. And it would be a load of extra admin for Camilla if she had to go through and decide who has a legit reason and only approve those, so I think in the interests of saving her time, I think it's sensible that username changes are allowed. And unless the member deletes all their posts, it's dead easy to find a member's new username anyway.
I've been coming here almost 10 years in Dec (time flew lol). There were always some occasions where people needed a name change and it was never a problem. In the last 12-16 months however its become chic - a "thing to do" - and the changes have been massive.
I personally stopped replying to a lot of posts because I lost track of who was who. I got to know a lot of names of people who I may not have known well but I knew their situations. One person was in a hospital last month, another had an issue with parents, another was being bullied etc etc. Some of these people I posted or PMed once or several times. I had a dialogue going to one degree or another. In the past year that has all eroded. No way they all had security issues. When I see people I don't recognise - but who have been here a couple years and have a few hundred or few thousand posts - I assume I probably posted them in the past and don't want to go over the same things again.
If people really need a change for security reasons then what they need is a new account - an option that has always been available. If someone tracks down a person here and finds their account a new name doesn't help much because a bookmarked account will stay the same aside from name. If someone quotes an original post the old name stays in it and shoes up in Google searches. I've found old familiar people with new usernames that way.
Its obvious that the vast majority of name changes here the last months have nothing to do with security even if thats a reason given. Dozens and dozens of people I didn't talk too directly but recognised are now as anonymous as any forum I rarely go to. I have around 180 PMs saved from over the last 12-16 months, and I used to recognise all the usernames and now they are mostly different. I don't know who is who and stopped trying to keep track. I think all the name changes have been very destructive overall. I'm not saying don't allow them at all - just stop letting the situation run off the rails. It all reminds me of the "sig" fads of 2004-5 where people had to have the longest and most over-the-top sigs they could muster up until threads became unreadable never mind unloadable.
I can see your point, however I think username changes have to be allowed so that if people get worried about being found by friends/families then they can change. It's also kind of legit when you have a really emo username, but decide you want to be more positive. And it would be a load of extra admin for Camilla if she had to go through and decide who has a legit reason and only approve those, so I think in the interests of saving her time, I think it's sensible that username changes are allowed. And unless the member deletes all their posts, it's dead easy to find a member's new username anyway.
^ I agree.I've changed my username once-not long after i first joined but just because I felt i'd picked one that could easily be recognised from people outside of here if they were to chance across this site.
But yeah I can see its a bit excessive if peeps are doing it all the time,don't think that's v neccessary.
"And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back so shake him off."
Its obvious that the vast majority of name changes here the last months have nothing to do with security even if thats a reason given.
People will just give the reason of security, meaning that Camilla would have to personally interrogate each one to find out if they were genuinely concerned about their username being identifiable. And making a new account would not change the fact that there was an old account floating around with potentially thousands of personal posts attached to an identifiable username.
No, most of them are not necessary, but there are lots of things we do in life that are not necessary, and if people fancy a username change, then that's their prerogative and they do so in the knowledge that there will be some people who won't want to spend the time finding out their new username and that if they want to keep in touch with those people they'll have to drop them a quick message saying "hey, it's me".
I do certainly agree that there should be a limit, if only in the interest of time-saving. I think you're only supposed to change it once every three months or something?
I've been on this site a long time, and I didn't want my username to be the same as it used to be, because it was a username I had used on other sites, and I didn't want to link the two. It was easier to change it here, than on multiple sites.
Also, I'm really not that interesting and I doubt anyone cares enough about what I post to be bothered by my having a different username.
Plus, wasn't there a push a while back to get more supportive replies to less well-known members? Surely it's good that these 'popular' usernames are changing a bit to give newer members more of a sense of belonging.
I don't mind them, but then I don't feel I have a problem recognising people fairly easily despite changes. Hope that doesn't sound 'stalkerish', I don't 'stalk', just use the forums a few times a day. Also the number of users is smaller these days.
I have been a member here for five years-ish. Have had five usernames in that time, for various reasons including changes in stages of recovery, and anonymity reasons. I will probably keep the same name for quite some time now as it's a comfortable one for me. I don't mind too much if people can follow me as I can't be here for close friendships (although care a great deal for many RYLers).
My biggest concern is that the related workload is not too large for Cam so will play my part in ensuring that.
Last edited by whirlpools : 18-11-2013 at 09:55 PM.
Reason: really, autocorrect?
I don't mind them, but then I don't feel I have a problem recognising people fairly easily despite changes. Hope that doesn't sound 'stalkerish', I don't 'stalk', just use the forums a few times a day. Also the number of users is smaller these days.
I think one reason the number of users is smaller is because of too many changes. People often like to go to a place were they know people and are known. That's how even pubs get successful. RYL used to have a strong core identity and people saw it as a kind of community of sorts. People often left and then came back and still senses a connection. Very often someone goes to uni or gets a boyfriend etc and they fade out for awhile. when they come back (as they often do). They know people and people know them. If that doesn't matter then people could just post in dozens of forums that have same issues
Has honestly never bothered me. Just have to ask and they will usually tell you who they are. I don't change mine frequently, but to me it's whatever identifies you best. Perhaps you go through life changes and feel your username just doesn't fit anymore.
I think one reason the number of users is smaller is because of too many changes. People often like to go to a place were they know people and are known. That's how even pubs get successful. RYL used to have a strong core identity and people saw it as a kind of community of sorts.
But what about the CLIQUES?!?
Jodie I care about you :3
I don't see why the big deal though. I agree with Jenna. It's their prerogative to change names and risk losing contacts or support from people who knew the background.
If you're interested in certain people, another helpful tip is to "buddy" them so you can see they're online even with a new name.
I don't see why the big deal though. I agree with Jenna. It's their prerogative to change names and risk losing contacts or support from people who knew the background.
The legitimacy of peoples wants, desires, whims etc. ends where they begin to harm the forum (and usernames are a forum function - not a civil right). Its no accident this place is dying while people just sort of press on cluelessly doing the things helping it to the web 1.0 grave.
I personally stopped replying to a lot of posts because I lost track of who was who.
This is the most worrying thing out of this thread, in my opinion. Does it matter what someone's name is when it comes to getting a reply? I thought we were trying to get rid of Clitches (or whatever that word is).
This is the most worrying thing out of this thread, in my opinion. Does it matter what someone's name is when it comes to getting a reply? I thought we were trying to get rid of Clitches (or whatever that word is).
The right word is cliques, and I agree that it shouldn't matter what someone's name is for them to get a reply.
"I need you to know, I'm not through the night. Some days I'm still fighting to walk towards the light."
"I don't belong here, I gotta move on, dear. Escape from this afterlife"
"Don't let them in, don't let them see. Be the good girl you always had to be. Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know."
