Doesn't get any simpler than that!
Real Name Headaches
- Thread starter Eric Patterson
- Start date
William Reinicke
Active member
good job @Eric Patterson I love this rule here. Keep on keeping this rule. It doesnt let people hide behind fake names and multiple accounts. Not sure how it can be any clearer, hope it helps with your frustrations.
The software deletes the account if it is not approved. Actually, I can do nothing and the account stays in limbo, but that serves no purpose that I can think of. I have been emailing folks that blew past the rule but when you do that over and over and you get sick of it.
Most folks on web forums these days are used to being on other web forums (bear in mind that this format has been around a long time now). Those "handles" are likely their handles from other forums they either were, or are still, on. I used the same forum handle on every forum I was on from around 2003 until a couple years ago. Not advocating it is right or wrong, just likely what someone is used to logging in with, and old habits die hard.
That is so true. Back in the 90's when forums first started I started using my last name Linhardt and have used it on all forums since then. I really did not want to be known by any other handle other than my name. Calling someone by their last name is pretty common in the offline world, but luckily my last name is not as common as Smith so I don't have to use Smith996873 in the online world.
But I also then add the signature line in forums and put my full name in there for better clarification of my forum name.Same goes for emails. I hated the weird email names like Dude69@gmail.com, etc. I always stuck with my first and last name as my email address.
Again my name is not a common name so I have that advantage. It also helps keep your emails instantly going to spam because of spam filters or word filters when sending emails to others.
@Eric Patterson maybe you can add some sort of On Boarding type add-on where you can have user complete the signature line with First and Last Name as well after getting properly registered.
Steven Alexander
Member
Same here. My first and last name were always in my signature block, but I absolutely had one of "those names" with trailing numbers on many-a-website.
I used to be an active poster on a water polo forum--I played and coached and still referee college games--that did not require real names. When I joined it had a vibe a lot like this place--most of the posters knew other, often in real life, and either posted under their own names or we all knew who they were anyway. The site went south when some of the old-timers dropped out or passed away, and we were left with those of in the second generation who were mostly not posting with our real names. I'm convinced that Eric's "real names" rule is one of the things that keeps this forum different. I'm sure it's a pain in the ass to be the name check police, but thank you, Eric, for all you do!
Eric, I agree 1000% on the real name thing. When I started my forum years ago, I had the same rule (copied from this site) and the same issue. Ended up deleting a lot of accounts that didn't comply. Even had a handful that would email me to argue about the rule as what they entered was their online "handle". My answer was always, my site / my rule! I always just figured that if they can't / won't comply with one simple initial rule, they would most likely cause more issues and would not be worth having around.