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Poll

Which one do you prefer?

User name
[ 1 ] (16.7%)
Username
[ 4 ] (66.7%)
other (please specify)
[ 1 ] (16.7%)

Total Members Voted: 6

Voting closed: January 11, 2014, 07:40:35 am

Topic: Username VS User name VS alternatives (Read 8030 times) previous topic - next topic
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Username VS User name VS alternatives

@forumsearch0r is changing all the "username" to "user name" (with space).
I (personally) am not against, though I'm so used to the single word that I'm wondering what is "best", so I did a couple of simple searches:
https://www.google.com/search?q=username+VS+%22user+name%22
A lot of personal opinions, funny the google fight:
http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=%22username%22&word2=%22user+name%22
Interesting interpretation the second answer here:
http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/43436/username-user-name-or-user-name

Then I searched for some of the most commonly used systems and applications:
Windows 8 (User name) http://buildyourown-computer.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/8.jpg
 Windows 7 (User name) http://blogs.dirteam.com/blogs/sanderberkouwer/Win7LogonScreen_2DEBB266.png
Ubuntu (Username) (though I couldn't find any recent one, just this from 2007) http://johnbokma.com/mexit/2007/12/22/ubuntu-gutsy-gibbon-login-screen.jpg
 OSX (Name) http://4sysops.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Network-accounts-are-unavailable-error-in-Mac-OS-X-Lion.png
Skype (Skype Name) http://community.skype.com/skypec/attachments/skypec/Windows/44734/1/SKYPE%20Login%20Screen%20jpg.JPG

Then some other forum scripts:
 vBulletin "User Name"
XenForo "name"
 IPB "Username"
* phpBB "Username"

Last observation: Opera spellchecker set to English UK marks username as wrong, while English US doesn't.

Apparently almost complete freedom, so, what do you prefer? (And maybe, why do you prefer it?)

 emanuele loves the "add poll" button!

 emanuele has just noticed the editor is already using an eye as icon for the spoiler tag... :-\
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Re: Username VS User name VS alternatives

Reply #1 –

For a log on prompt I prefer Username as one word as User name seems to ask me for my name not my ID credentials. 

Honestly I'd probably prefer userid for credential screens and then user name for the real name, the code is kind of a mixed bag when it comes to this, but use of id for credentials and name would be more clear, at least for me.

Quoteemanuele has just noticed the editor is already using an eye as icon for the spoiler tag
Eye see this also :P

Re: Username VS User name VS alternatives

Reply #2 –

 emanuele wonders: why not drop the user\s{0,1}name altogether and use the email instead?
Well, that would be a rather big change, likely impossible now?... Don't tempt me! :D

The advantages would be a couple:
1) the code would me much more clear (no need to "guess" if we are talking about real name, member name, user name, name, whatever),
2) the email is always hidden (except for admins), so no need to guess if you are logging with a nick or with an email (that is a part I hate TBH).
And probably more.
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Re: Username VS User name VS alternatives

Reply #3 –

Quote from: emanuele –
 emanuele wonders: why not drop the user\s{0,1}name altogether and use the email instead?
Well, that would be a rather big change, likely impossible now?... Don't tempt me! :D

The advantages would be a couple:
1) the code would me much more clear (no need to "guess" if we are talking about real name, member name, user name, name, whatever),
2) the email is always hidden (except for admins), so no need to guess if you are logging with a nick or with an email (that is a part I hate TBH).
And probably more.

yep, agreed :+1:
Thorsten "TE" Eurich
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Re: Username VS User name VS alternatives

Reply #4 –

Well, in my world "User Name" differentiates from "Real Name"... :)
(Sorry, didn't get an e-mail about the mention.)
-

Re: Username VS User name VS alternatives

Reply #5 –

Mails are not sent on mentions (yet, 1.1 matter to expand and organize better all kind of notifications and alike ;)).

Yep, that is true, though, as Spuds pointed out in the code frequently username and real_name are (still) mixed up (and probably there is even another name for one of them floating around, not sure).

Instead, what I'm not sure about is if there is a real need for a username/"user name" at all. Yes, one is used to login, the other is used to "display it", but then, why not use the email to login?
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Re: Username VS User name VS alternatives

Reply #6 –

Email login seems like a better option. Keeps the bots from scanning the pages picking up usernames like what happened some time ago. Sites were getting slammed with those bots trying to brute force a user name login. Keeping login username hidden is just one small step to better security IMO.
Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion, you must set yourself on fire!

Re: Username VS User name VS alternatives

Reply #7 –

Yup what IchBin said.

Should also require a real name on the registration form, or just use the stuff left of @ in the email.  All that plus harmonize those darn names in the code, you know names are names and id's are id's !

Re: Username VS User name VS alternatives

Reply #8 –

I was thinking about it a bit more: there is also (maybe) another point to consider: integration with other systems.
For example, as far as I understand, the integration with MediaWiki works only if there is a username, and use the email address as username is not so nice usually.
So, what we could have to do, is keep the member_name, and use it for a sort of normalized username (strip or replace with _ or other, anything that is not... [\w\d\-]) in order to be used in case. This member_name would remain the same no matter what and no interface to change it.

ETA: forgot to add a piece: obviously, that may cause member_name clashing, so during registration it would be necessary to check if another one already exists and in case... dunno, add a 1 at the end and check again or something smarter...
Bugs creator.
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Re: Username VS User name VS alternatives

Reply #9 –

Just a note : \d is part of \w ;)