Should users be able to change their username?

[Karen_D]

Yes 'cause when I tried to register the forum was playing silly buggers and it wouldn't let me use the name I tried to in the first place but wouldn't complete my registration and let me use it

Perhaps those wishing to change name could make a wee donation (if they aren't being stalked), I wouldn't mind doing so.

Wassail

Karen

[autumnleaf]

I voted yes but its taken me a while to think about why!

Basically to me names are not important - I'm more interested in the sharing of ideas and information in the hope that we can help each other with the selfsufficientish principle in mind.

Guess I enjoy the anonymity and freedom of the internet too and being able to change the username is part of that freedom.

If people are more interested in friendship networks then there are always the "real life" meetings and private messaging facilities I guess.

[Muddypause]

Well, I've said on here before that my username was a hasty choice because the forum rejected my first choice. If I'd given myself more time to think of another one I would have chosen something less tortuous.

But I can live with it.

Surely the only downside to registering under a new identity is that you lose your post-count. Perhaps, if you wanted others to know you were the same person without being explicit about it, you could PM the people who you want to know about your change of ID.

It is nice to see familiar names, so maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to confuse people like me too much.

Actually, I have suspected that one or two people on here already have more than one ID, and have even replied to their own posts, but I wouldn't dream of saying more.

[Mare Owner]

I have always thought it was pretty standard that user names would not be changed on other forums I have been a part of. I know other places, and perhaps here too, you can go and edit your own posts and take back out what you wish you wouldn't have said. Or request to a moderator that a thread be deleted, if something turned bad...

[The Chili Monster]

I'm with Muddypause - why not just change username and let those members that you trust 'in' throught the PM (it's far simpler).

[possum]

I can see where there are times people should be allowed to change user name, some times there are good reasons.
If a person fancies a name change, stick it in the sig, if it is a security/stalking problem create a new user account, if it is perhaps that someone was new to a forum and hadn't realised when they used their full name that it would be displayed, then again why not allow them to shorten it, they can keep the same avatar and everyone will know they are the same person

However I don't think users themselves should be able to do it. I can think of one forum where a woman with serious problems (of the nutty kind) stalked people threw abuse, then would change her user name to somthing she considered profound. The same person also had multiple log ins.

Leave it up to the moderators to decide if it is a good reason and give any conditions they want for doing it (by that I mean, include explanation in sig, keep old avatar etc)

[Bonniegirl]

I knew of someone like that too possum on an NZ forum! One sandwich short of a picnic she was!

[possum]

NZ forum.... hmmmm I wonder who we could be thinking about....

[Bonniegirl]

Do ya know? Do ya! Huh huh!