IMPORTANT! If your user name has a space in it or a non-alphanumeric character READ THIS

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1

Going to the new system (Discourse) we have noticed that user names with spaces or non-alphanumeric characters like apostrophes (anything that isn’t a letter or a number), that part of your user name will probably get converted to an underscore (this guy --> _ ).

If that’s ok with you, then you don’t need to do anything. Just be aware that you’ll need to use the new version with underscores once we switch over.

If this causes an issue for you, please contact us ASAP!

ETA: Two examples that I checked:

Omar Little becomes Omar_Little
Elendil’s Heir becomes Elendil_s_Heir

2

It’s not a huge deal for me, but if it’s not a hassle for anyone to maintain the name I would prefer to keep Fotheringay-Phipps rather than switch to Fotheringay_Phipps.

3

I’m assuming, then, that my name would be Dr__Winston_OBoogie?

Don’t overly care too much. Would almost rather have DrWinstonOBoogie.

4

These appear to be the user name rules.

Minimum length: 3 characters
Maximum length: 15 characters
Must begin with a letter or number
All other characters can be a letter, number or underscore

If you want me to check how your name ported over, please contact me.

5

Yours comes up as Fotheringay-Phipps

6

Yours comes up as Dr.Winston_OBoogie

7

I posted this in the other thread, but I’ve been considering changing my username. Would it be easier to do it now or after the move?

8

Thanks.

Looks like a hyphen is OK under the new system.

Also, that the 15 character max has exceptions. (Possibly it’s a per word limit, and the hyphen separates them?)

9

I will check with our admin and get back to you.

10

Mine is more than 15, but those were the only printed rules I was able to find (admittedly it was a brief search). If anyone can find better documentation, let us know.

11

So, since mine doesn’t have a hyphen it’s too long??

Ivorytowerdenizen 17 char

12

Is that just an issue with the transfer of info or a permanent thing in the new board?

i.e. can you rename it back again with the space?

13

Yours comes over as IvoryTowerDenizen

14

I’m not 100 percent sure, but it looks like Discourse simply does not allow spaces in user names.

15

Latest info I have now is user names can be 3 to 20 characters.

I have also been told that the minimum password length is 8 characters and must have at lease 2 unique characters(#$%& etc)

16

That’s a mild annoyance. So I’ll lose my space and my “?” it sounds like.

17

Yours ports over as What_Exit

18

Thanks, not a good thing, but not a big thing either.

19

ECG, have you checked if there are any problems with similar names that get converted to the same name? Users “engineer comp geek” and “engineer’comp’geek” would both end up with your username. I know you generally don’t allow usernames like that, but I bet the database has a few banned users who purposely created a name close to someone else’s.

ETA: In fact, there was a banned “Jonathan Chance” just from today with nonprinting characters in their username.

20

Ok! Phew