# Registered User?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [December 13, 2007, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864 "2007-12-13T15:11:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2007, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864/1 "2007-12-13T15:11:25Z")
As seen in [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9266062&postcount=31) post, the poster isn’t a \*\*Guest \*\*or a \*\*Member \*\*or a **Charter Member** , but a **Registered User**. Is that something new?
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### Author:  [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2007, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864/2 "2007-12-13T16:20:49Z")
The answer lies [in this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=9026361&highlight=registered+user#post9026361) Basically, they have signed up, but haven’t gone to the email account and clicked on the linky there to activate it totally.
However, they are NOT supposed to be able to post as such! :eek:
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### Author:  [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2007, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864/3 "2007-12-13T16:22:15Z")
Nope. It’s what someone is when their registration is in the security confirmation holding queue . . . when you change your email address or password the system puts the registration there pending the receiving of the confirmation email . . . like when you first signed up.
This new guest is pending a name change. I’m sure you can see why.
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### Author:  [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2007, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864/4 "2007-12-13T16:30:16Z")
What is wrong with that name? If the software accepts it, it doesn’t trip any hamsters, and is not offensive to anyone, why can’t it be had?
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### Author:  [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2007, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864/5 "2007-12-13T16:33:25Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo]
What is wrong with that name? If the software accepts it, it doesn’t trip any hamsters, and is not offensive to anyone, why can’t it be had?
[/QUOTE]
It’s annoying.
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### Author:  [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2007, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864/6 "2007-12-13T16:34:26Z")
[QUOTE=DSYoungEsq]
The answer lies [in this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=9026361&highlight=registered+user#post9026361) Basically, they have signed up, but haven’t gone to the email account and clicked on the linky there to activate it totally.
However, they are NOT supposed to be able to post as such! :eek:
[/QUOTE]
I’d guess that they posted as a guest or member, and then the status change happened and the titles updated on the existing posts.
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### Author:  [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2007, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864/7 "2007-12-13T16:44:47Z")
[QUOTE=friedo]
It’s annoying.
[/QUOTE]
Although I am not personally annoyed by it, I can easily see why other people would. Still, is that enough of a standard? I think I am more annoyed by long compound usernames with no spaces between the words. Who do I lobby to get those changed?
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### Author:  [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2007, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864/8 "2007-12-13T16:48:56Z")
We are in expectation that this newly registered guest will return with some suitable names. I’ll change it and we’ll move on.
Quoting from the rules:
> [@](#):
>
> You agree to abide by the wishes of the board moderators in interpreting and enforcing these rules. Refusal to cooperate with board moderators or to abide by these rules is grounds for revocation of your posting privileges.
>
> We reserve the right to refuse postings from screen names we find objectionable.
Would you have rather I banned them?
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### Author:  [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2007, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864/9 "2007-12-13T16:50:23Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo]
Although I am not personally annoyed by it, I can easily see why other people would. Still, is that enough of a standard? I think I am more annoyed by long compound usernames with no spaces between the words. Who do I lobby to get those changed?
[/QUOTE]
Your local congressional Representative, Senator, or the Secretary-General of the UN. 😛
Seriously, though, I think a general standard of readability is reasonable; a username consisting only of one repeated unpronounceable symbol would get on people’s nerves.
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### Author:  [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2007, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864/10 "2007-12-13T17:27:38Z")
[QUOTE=TubaDiva]
We are in expectation that this newly registered guest will return with some suitable names. I’ll change it and we’ll move on.
Quoting from the rules:
Would you have rather I banned them?
[/QUOTE]
We realize the rules allow you to ask for another name “because you say so” and not have to answer any questions. Still, I would like to hear the reasoning behind it, if applicable. Is it just that it is unreadable? Can he be known as “The Artist formerly known as \_\_\_\_\_”?
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### Author:  [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2007, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864/11 "2007-12-13T17:34:02Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo]
We realize the rules allow you to ask for another name “because you say so” and not have to answer any questions. Still, I would like to hear the reasoning behind it, if applicable.
[/QUOTE]
So, you understand the rules, but nevertheless request an exception? Why? Should all rules be subject to such inquiry?
If one agrees to abide by the rules as a condition of membership, what is the point of questioning the rules?
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### Author:  [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2007, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864/12 "2007-12-13T17:43:10Z")
We find symbols and lines and dashes and dots and ASCII art to be confusing and annoying. And while we’ve let some of it go in the past it tends to open the door to all sorts of wildass stuff that sometimes makes moderating difficult.
We prefer people have real names. It’s not unreasonable to ask that.
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### Author:  [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2007, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864/13 "2007-12-13T18:11:47Z")
[QUOTE=TubaDiva]
We find symbols and lines and dashes and dots and ASCII art to be confusing and annoying. And while we’ve let some of it go in the past it tends to open the door to all sorts of wildass stuff that sometimes makes moderating difficult.
We prefer people have real names. It’s not unreasonable to ask that.
[/QUOTE]
No, it is not unreasonable. Thanks for the answer.
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### Author:  [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2007, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864/14 "2007-12-13T18:22:38Z")
[QUOTE=Contrapuntal]
So, you understand the rules, but nevertheless request an exception? Why? Should all rules be subject to such inquiry?
If one agrees to abide by the rules as a condition of membership, what is the point of questioning the rules?
[/QUOTE]
I am not requesting an exception. Just asking about the rationale behind the ruling. There is no rule, just a blanket “we call them as they pop”. TPTB make a decision and I am curious about how they got to it. Nothing terrible.
And of course rules should be subject to inquiry! Always, on everything. This is what keeps us on course.
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### Author:  [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2007, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864/15 "2007-12-13T18:33:44Z")
I rather like it. Oh well.
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### Author:  [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2007, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864/16 "2007-12-13T19:21:41Z")
We’re not out to stifle creativity but the line between really great user name and something that just annoys the heck out of people is sometimes razor thin and difficult to see until it’s been stepped over. So we tend to act swiftly in these cases.
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### Author:  [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2007, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864/17 "2007-12-13T19:27:29Z")
Thanks for the answers.
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### Author:  [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2007, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864/18 "2007-12-13T20:58:37Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo]
I am not requesting an exception.
[/QUOTE]
So, you understand that the rule says that they can act without question, and yet you question it, and that’s not asking for an exception?
> [@](#):
>
> And of course rules should be subject to inquiry! Always, on everything. This is what keeps us on course.
Let me be more clear. Why question a rule that you have agreed to abide by? The time for question is before you make such an agreement.
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2007, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864/19 "2007-12-13T22:25:30Z")
[QUOTE=Contrapuntal]
So, you understand that the rule says that they can act without question, and yet you question it, and that’s not asking for an exception?
Let me be more clear. Why question a rule that you have agreed to abide by? The time for question is before you make such an agreement.
[/QUOTE]
I’m not sure why you are having such a problem with this. He clearly stated that he wasn’t questioning the ability or the decision to ask the user to change their username. The question was what reasoning was used in this case. No one seems to have a problem with this but you. 😕 No one is questioning the rule; but people were genuinely interested in why “\_\_\_\_\_” wasn’t a good choice for a username.
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### Author:  [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2007, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registered-user/429864/20 "2007-12-13T23:40:01Z")
[QUOTE=Telemark]
No one seems to have a problem with this but you.
[/QUOTE]
So you are stating affirmatively that I am the only member/guest of the SDMB to “have a problem?” How did you determine this? Do you speak for everyone but me?
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