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Upcoming change to default usernames

Hello everyone,

We're looking at replacing our default Forum Name system. This will be applied to new forum accounts moving forward along with all existing forum accounts. So, if you (still) use the default forum name that was provided to you at the time of creating your account, your forum name will change. If you've ever changed your forum name at any time, this will not affect you and you will keep your present forum name.

If you currently use the default, and wish to get ahead of this and set a new forum name for yourself, we encourage you to do so! It was always meant to be temporary. Simply head to the My Account menu in the top corner of our website and select Forum. Then scroll down to find the Edit Forum Settings button.

If this change will affect you, and you do not wish to have your forum name changed, I will not be able to single out your name and prevent the change for you. However, you will be able to set it back to whatever you'd like in your Forum Settings after the change.

We are also looking at adding a step to encourage new members to set a forum name as they make their first post, but we do not plan to require it. Requiring it would create an additional barrier to new users and we wish our forum to be feel easily accessible.

The new default-name format has not yet been chosen, but it may look something like "Traveler-12345" or we may use a dictionary to randomly assign unique identifiers which could make for amusing names like "Traveler-Spongy.Koala". The reason for considering the latter is so that it's still easy to differentiate and refer to one another in a thread where multiple default names are in use. E.g. it'd be easy to say "Hey Koala, try staying in Riomaggiore instead of Vernazza" or whatever. Note that I'm not set on "Traveler" being the first part of the format yet either. It's early in the process and I'm just giving examples.

Our changes will not happen for a few weeks, and I'm bringing it up now so that our community has a chance to understand what's happening. About a 1/3 of all accounts here use the default. Most of those are inactive accounts at this point, though it will affect a lot of newer participants. Some confusion may ensue.

It is a necessary change at this point, and thankfully this won't affect most of our regular contributors. Let us know if you have any concerns or comments.

Posted by
5437 posts

I think this is a good step. Thank you for the work! What I have REALLY have trouble with, though, is multiple uses of the same name. I don’t know if you have a way around that, but I can hope, right? :) I hate having to look to see where nigel lives before I can tease him…..

Posted by
1082 posts

Hi TexasTravelMom, we'd like for people to use first names here (if they want that) as that can allow for things to feel a bit more personal. If we lock down usernames so that only one person can have each name, the eventuality is that everyone's name looks like xXxCalvin69257xXx or various other not-so-enjoyable formats. The Location is meant to be a way to differentiate. I'm open to alternatives, and perhaps there will be a need for unique naming at some point, but I don't see it in the near future.

Posted by
181 posts

I didn’t know there were default forum names. My user name on the forum is one I chose when I created my account, and I’ve never changed it since then - so this change will not affect me? Just want to make sure. Thanks.

Posted by
903 posts

I find duplicate user names confusing. There are several Pam, Pat, Kim, Carol, Dave, Frank, Nigel... If they are frequent posters, I may know them by location. But sometimes I have to open their profile to figure out who I'm responding to.

When I set up my account earlier this year, I knew there were already several Jean, so that is why I'm jeanm and that's okay.

Posted by
1431 posts

Webmaster, what do current default forum names look like? I assume I carefully selected my own oh so creative (ha ha!) forum name, but have no recall of it!

Posted by
5915 posts

we'd like for people to use first names here

I'm afraid that one backfired for me. The fact that there would likely be multiple forum users sharing a name, made me far, far less likely to use my own first name.

Posted by
232 posts

I don’t quite understand. My user name is Susie. Will it remain that, or will it be changed?

Posted by
5437 posts

Well, mine is a bit unique, so not really any way I would give it out to a lot of random online people I may never know are reading my comments - now and ten years from now. (So if you have it, you know I trust you - and that the occasion has arisen to use it.)

I realize the intent (and the difficulties) in the situation, but don’t have the computer savvy to know what can and can’t be done. It’s a crazy world out there, though. On rare occasions it’s been a crazy world here also. So caution is always advisable.

But yes, the location option for those with the same name helps! I think you are headed in a good direction!

Posted by
10889 posts

I had zero idea there are default user names. I guess it has been a while since I set up my account.

Posted by
9432 posts

Glad you are addressing this. I originally went by just “Carol”, but there were a lot of us and sometimes another Carol would give a response that I would prefer not to be associated with or people couldn’t tell that different Carols were responding. Hence “Carol now retired” came into being. Sort of a ridiculous name but I had to do something…….

Posted by
1815 posts

There are hundreds of Nigels but only one Nigel.

Carol, if you think your name is ridiculous, have you considered obtaining gainful employment? Then you can call yourself 'Carol goes back to work', a catchier and less showy moniker if you ask me.

Moderator, on the whole I'm not so sure about this name change business, it can have serious consequences. James E used to be very funny and interesting. Just look at him now.

Posted by
23217 posts

I remember James E, he was great. I suspect if we all made a fuss he might return to the forum.

Posted by
1815 posts

We can only dream. I'll start a petition.

A man with big shoulders is a man to admire.

Posted by
773 posts

I use my first name and first two letters of my last name. Hence, Lynda- sh. I think people may assume someone named Lyn is in a hurry, but no.

Posted by
35383 posts

As long as I don't lose my identity!

(please don't use travellerNNNNN)

Perhaps using the joining date and hoping that a genuine participant will want to change "NEW20250719a" to something which separate them from the less genuine. And maybe change the reddit defaults to something meaningful?

Thanks, Webmaster!

Posted by
9360 posts

Perhaps using the joining date and hoping that a genuine participant will want to change "NEW20250719a" to something which separate them from the less genuine. . .

I'd vote for subbing the joining date for post counts.

Posted by
2120 posts

If this change will affect you, and you do not wish to have your forum name changed, I will not be able to single out your name and prevent the change for you. However, you will be able to set it back to whatever you'd like in your Forum Settings after the change.

Sounds like a pause in the action only. You can just go and change your name back.