<!--quoteo(post=1574826:date=Nov 8 2006, 08:52 PM:name=urinalcake)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(urinalcake @ Nov 8 2006, 08:52 PM) [snapback]1574826[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> I love my name. <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I don't like it <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" /> I don't like the contrast of it.
<!--quoteo(post=1574826:date=Nov 8 2006, 02:52 PM:name=urinalcake)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(urinalcake @ Nov 8 2006, 02:52 PM) [snapback]1574826[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> I love my name. <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> I don´t think my name is the best, but I use it for 6 years and i don´t want to change now.
<!--quoteo(post=1574516:date=Nov 7 2006, 11:24 PM:name=WaterBoy)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(WaterBoy @ Nov 7 2006, 11:24 PM) [snapback]1574516[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> So the chances of me getting my old name back.... (h20) is about...
...nill?
Why is it that other forums dont have this problem; it's seemingly only the NS ones? <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo(post=1573864:date=Nov 6 2006, 06:26 AM:name=Talesin)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Talesin @ Nov 6 2006, 06:26 AM) [snapback]1573864[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> Mostly as a number of people were using keycodes and strings that would break even the administration functions. Not to even mention our fake Flayra, who used a Cyrillic lower right 90-degree shape to replace the R. Only reason it was caught was because of sharp eyes, and about a half-hour of staring at it. Also, there were people who had managed to enter key combinations which WERE registered by the forum software, but were NOT visible... again breaking the direct user search functionality, PM destination (even with the 'reply to' link!) and in one case, rendering them un-bannable.
I've got no idea if the bug that lead to that behaviour was fixed... if so, it'd be possible to offer a one-time namechange (so we don't have people changing around randomly), much as the previous change was enforced.
If not, we get to live with alphas and underscores until the problem is solved. Additionally, the use of punctuation in names was getting confusing... having 'Hi', 'Hi!', 'Hi.' and 'Hi,' is a recipe for confusion and disaster. It's doubtful that punctuation will be restored, even if numbers are permitted again.
The numbers themselves can get annoying, with 'HOT', 'H0T', and 'Seph1r0th_487385' being minor examples of confusable names or 'name squatting'. Most of the folks on the forums have managed to come up with relatively unique names... there's no need to gangpile a name because someone else got there first. <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
CoolCookieCooks, Talesin's post doesn't explain why other forums don't have the problems that this forum was having, outside of the large number of members.
the problem is you assume the other forums arent having these problems, or maybe they just havent ran into them yet. if they have users using those invisible characters, talesin said its sometimes impossible to find them or even control the account. again, he mentioned a case of a flayra impersonator, we cant be having that. he could make false news posts and such. its not a problem of us having problems other communities dont, its us actually taking action against these bugs rather than just ignoring them
We can have nickname changes easy and secure for ns forums. 1- At my board we store accounts name change history to avoid abuse. 2- To avoid hacking just use regular expressions. A simple [A-z0-9] should do the trick. If the database manager of the board has security problems, the hacker can use where i´m writing instead of use nickname field. Another way to secure is to use prepared statements of mysql improved in php. Since most of php builds doens´t turn on the new mysql improved module, many bulletin board softwares avoid making any support for it now. Another problem is that mysqli forces you to code object oriented in php. *Many* php programmers doesn´t even know what is it. A guy would make good projects at his life without even code a single line in OO.
But in my opinion, i think you should stop changing names... i doubt you will ever get a name that you *really* like.
Why not just create a forum rule like "no random number or character names" and enforce it?
It's really frigging annoying when people name hop like 3 times a year, it makes it really hard to attach a name to a person. I'd rather never see non sanctioned name changing allowed.
<!--quoteo(post=1575135:date=Nov 9 2006, 02:59 PM:name=Nero)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Nero @ Nov 9 2006, 02:59 PM) [snapback]1575135[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> i doubt you will ever get a name that you *really* like. <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
In that case I was very lucky... twice <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
ByekaName changed from Freak83TorontoJoin Date: 2003-03-13Member: 14484Members, Constellation
I had completely forgotten that I had made this thread until just now.
Comprox as you mentioned earlier in the thread, you created your name 9 years ago and it is whom you are now. I understand where you're coming from on this and I do feel the same way. Although when we're dealing with the uncreative examples of names like Bob90112409871 which are just basically random numbers, this is not the case for all users. JmsBnd007 is one example, 404notfound is another, and yes as uncreative as "Freak83" is it's been my online persona for the past probably eight years or so. As long as I'm online it <i>is</i> who I am, even though I could come up with something better now I wouldn't just as I've had it too long.
Enforcing rules for insanely random names is understandable yes, but in cases such as the ones mentioned above there has to be some moderation. From what I read earlier in the thread I had gotten the impression that I could PM Flayra and request to be changed back but I didn't find that 100% clear and don't want to send him a PM unless I'm certain about that.
You can try. Right now, even if I wanted to help, I sadly can't. We have no control over names at this point, only people who have access to the site do I assume, which is very limited. Forum admins/mods can do our usual moderation work, just no name changing.
Comments
I love my name.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I don't like it <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" /> I don't like the contrast of it.
I love my name.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I don´t think my name is the best, but I use it for 6 years and i don´t want to change now.
So the chances of me getting my old name back.... (h20) is about...
...nill?
Why is it that other forums dont have this problem; it's seemingly only the NS ones?
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo(post=1573864:date=Nov 6 2006, 06:26 AM:name=Talesin)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Talesin @ Nov 6 2006, 06:26 AM) [snapback]1573864[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
Mostly as a number of people were using keycodes and strings that would break even the administration functions.
Not to even mention our fake Flayra, who used a Cyrillic lower right 90-degree shape to replace the R. Only reason it was caught was because of sharp eyes, and about a half-hour of staring at it.
Also, there were people who had managed to enter key combinations which WERE registered by the forum software, but were NOT visible... again breaking the direct user search functionality, PM destination (even with the 'reply to' link!) and in one case, rendering them un-bannable.
I've got no idea if the bug that lead to that behaviour was fixed... if so, it'd be possible to offer a one-time namechange (so we don't have people changing around randomly), much as the previous change was enforced.
If not, we get to live with alphas and underscores until the problem is solved.
Additionally, the use of punctuation in names was getting confusing... having 'Hi', 'Hi!', 'Hi.' and 'Hi,' is a recipe for confusion and disaster. It's doubtful that punctuation will be restored, even if numbers are permitted again.
The numbers themselves can get annoying, with 'HOT', 'H0T', and 'Seph1r0th_487385' being minor examples of confusable names or 'name squatting'. Most of the folks on the forums have managed to come up with relatively unique names... there's no need to gangpile a name because someone else got there first.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Reading the whole thread helps. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" />
Reading the whole thread helps. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" />
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I did. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" />
1- At my board we store accounts name change history to avoid abuse.
2- To avoid hacking just use regular expressions. A simple [A-z0-9] should do the trick.
If the database manager of the board has security problems, the hacker can use where i´m writing instead of use nickname field.
Another way to secure is to use prepared statements of mysql improved in php. Since most of php builds doens´t turn on the new mysql improved module, many bulletin board softwares avoid making any support for it now.
Another problem is that mysqli forces you to code object oriented in php. *Many* php programmers doesn´t even know what is it. A guy would make good projects at his life without even code a single line in OO.
But in my opinion, i think you should stop changing names... i doubt you will ever get a name that you *really* like.
It's really frigging annoying when people name hop like 3 times a year, it makes it really hard to attach a name to a person. I'd rather never see non sanctioned name changing allowed.
i doubt you will ever get a name that you *really* like.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
In that case I was very lucky... twice <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
Comprox as you mentioned earlier in the thread, you created your name 9 years ago and it is whom you are now. I understand where you're coming from on this and I do feel the same way. Although when we're dealing with the uncreative examples of names like Bob90112409871 which are just basically random numbers, this is not the case for all users. JmsBnd007 is one example, 404notfound is another, and yes as uncreative as "Freak83" is it's been my online persona for the past probably eight years or so. As long as I'm online it <i>is</i> who I am, even though I could come up with something better now I wouldn't just as I've had it too long.
Enforcing rules for insanely random names is understandable yes, but in cases such as the ones mentioned above there has to be some moderation. From what I read earlier in the thread I had gotten the impression that I could PM Flayra and request to be changed back but I didn't find that 100% clear and don't want to send him a PM unless I'm certain about that.