Usernames
- Thread starter Alvin63
- Start date
Mendalla
Well-known member
That's kind of your call. I have never done so. We spun off from a site that was run by a major religious denomination so the ministers of that denomination who came over often mostly use variations of "Rev(real name)" or something like firstname plus last initial (though one does not). Given that religion and faith are supposed to be our focus, having them "in the open" is kind of nice since they are technically subject matter experts. So I am cool with that. That's their call. Now, if you think that the subject matter might turn using real names into a risk for someone, then it might not hurt to make it a "guideline" or recommendation. In the end, I am not sure how you would enforce it as a rule.
beerForo
Well-known member
They could because I came from other software but that's good to know. What if you leave out the tld like bob1212@yahoo does it still block it?
Mendalla
Well-known member
Actually, it doesn't in that case. Just tried it on my site and it only blocked me when I used FQDN.
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FTL
Well-known member
I don't block real names, but I discourage them due to the potential for abuse being directed at them. Note that the abuse need not be from other forum members either, but could from an unregistered person seeing their posts, recognizing them and then acting maliciously on it in some way. Basically, my forum isn't Facebook and that's how I intend to keep it.
Thankfully very few have insisted on using their real names.
Thankfully very few have insisted on using their real names.
FTL
Well-known member
That's a good point. Very nasty if they get you.
RaptureForums
Active member
Yes, I do not allow full or real names. Things have gotten weird on the Internet with retaliation and with cancel culture being what it is, I thought it was best for people not to use their real names. I let them use their first names and the first letter of their last names if they want though. But if it looks like a real name, I talk to them about it and make them change it. I've even had people put their real physical addresses in the "location" box. 
Usually that was an older aged member, so sometimes you have to watch out for your members. JMHO.
Usually that was an older aged member, so sometimes you have to watch out for your members. JMHO.
FTL
Well-known member
@Peterpapas76 Please see my responses and that of @Alvin63 as to why it's a really bad idea to use your real identity online.
FTL
Well-known member
Yeah, just firstname isn't too bad, agreed. I was thinking of the case where the whole name is used.
Again though, if that first name is very unusual, then it might still not be a good idea, as there won't be many people with it, allowing an attacker to zero right in on you.
Mendalla
Well-known member
What kind of unusual, though? I mean, someone named Jukka signing for my site would definitely register as unusual but it actually seems fairly common in Finnish (I know of at least 3 people by that name just offhand, all in the Finnish music scene). So would still be hard to actually tie just the first name to an individual.
FTL
Well-known member
I'm talking about a name that very few people in the world would have. Something like one of those crazy names that celebrities like to call their kids there might be very few people with that name, hence making it much easier to identify them, especially when combined with other info such as general location, say, that could be revealed in conversation.
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