wht01ws6ta

iTrader: (45)

Would it be a no/go even if a member has to be on the board for a certain number of years and/or have a certain number of posts? That would definitely cut down on the numbers...

streetassasin

iTrader: (30)

I wish I could change mine to fix the typo

BigDaddyBry

iTrader: (15)

I remember when this WAS allowed and the number of people requesting changes numbered only a few per week.

That throws out the whole "takes too much time argument".

Personally, I thinks it's laziness.

When a name was changed, the old name changed to the new name in all previous posts and threads created.

Can't scam if that occurs.

bamalt1

iTrader: (7)

Who cares if your ID doesn't relate to your current car? Look at RPM WS6, he hasn't owned a WS6 since before I joined the site. If he did change it, nobody would remember his new name. If everybody know you as one name, leave it alone.

JeremyT

I can't speak with authority on this as not part of the Administration on this website, but with administration on other forums, I know these requests come through threads/posts on the forum as well as PM and email requests. So, publicly, the amount of requests probably aren't an accurate gauge. The staff who actually get those requests will have a better gauge on volume.

You are correct that if posts are properly quoted, they will be updated when the user name is updated. But if someone doesn't quote properly, or simply types in the user name, those don't get updated because they're just text in a post table. It only works when the user ID is referenced.

Also, if someone knew of a member by user name but did not have any PMs, buddy list or could not find a thread/post that they knew they wrote (basically no hot link to their profile) it can be very difficult to find the user name.

badjuju342

iTrader: (3)

well , I can tell you that I have not been an admin for a month yet and have OVER 1000 pms in my inbox . Answered them all but it wasn't easy to work and have a home life ( crazy thing about wives , they do want a little "me" time every so often) so we aren't really lazy but are kinda busy 99.9% of the time.This isn't as easy as it looks .....

BigDaddyBry

iTrader: (15)

If memory serves correct, in the past, it was not done through PMs, you had to post up in a thread.

The actual posts are changed, but your quote would not be. The benefit was a direct link to the original username. If allowed to change multiple times, I could see where it would be a problem.

Solution: allow a 1 month window of opportunity for all current users to change their name.

I'd even offer to do the grunt work.

JeremyT

If user A quotes user B in a post, which a true quote links the user name, user B's user name will be changed in user A's quote if user B receives a new user name. That was not the issue I was trying to raise.

If I were to type in BigDaddyBry, and an Administrator updates your user name, the previous mentioned BigDaddyBry (and this one) will NOT be changed automatically. However, the part where I quoted you above WILL be changed.

That was my point. That's why I said a user must properly quote and/or link to the profile of the user in all cases for the user name to be kept dynamic. If someone just types in BigDaddyBry took my money in a post, and an Administrator updates your user name, it makes it difficult for anyone to link the user names. That's part of the scam issue that was raised.

As to a comment about being lazy, as you know, there's many other things staff must also do. They're unpaid volunteers. Moderating the forums and participating in the community is probably more of a priority.

BigDaddyBry

iTrader: (15)

If you search for the original username it will produce results. When looking at the quote of that username, you will find the new username. Easy as that.

Additionally, by having the request quoted in a thread by the mod handling it, it prevents your scenario from occurring. It would provide a direct link.

As for the laziness comment, I have read how quick and easy it is to do, and I offered my labor, so the remark about being unpaid volunteers and moderating is irrelevant. And "paid" is a relative term at a minimum.

JeremyT

You are correct that if you enter the old user name in the search, results will be displayed. But if you attempt to search using the Search by User Name, and you enter the old user name, you will get an invalid user name error because some functions the user name is just an alias to the user ID - which does not change.

This is something that I incorrectly stated myself. It does not update the user name in the quotes. Looking through the vB code and doing a real world test on 3.7.5, it does not. If a user name is quoted, and that user name is later changed, the user name itself inside the quote is not updated. I thought this was a case where the user name is referenced to the user ID, but it is not. I'm very surprised by this and don't know why the developers did that. The only link will be to the post itself, as that does not change. I suppose users can put two and two together to see that despite the user names don't match (quoted and original author) that they are one and the same.

I'm not quite sure what you were saying, but you aren't going to find many people that are going to take a user name change requests, perform a search for that user name, and then edit all posts where that user name may exist as typed. It could be 0 - hundreds of results.

It may be quick and easy in of itself, but there is still issues involved as noted above. I would be surprised if the powers that be hand over AdminCP access to allow someone to change user names. In some cases moderators don't even have that access. The staff, apparently, does not think it's worth the risks that are created with changing user names. Given the powers that be have decided against it, it probably makes this all irrelevant.

CRAGER

We do not change names and we do not plan on changing this policy ever. This is not up for a debate.

If you want a new name, create a new account.

~ Craig