# SDMB Username Search: How many characters until you're the only option in the dropdown? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 5, 2013, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383 "2013-02-05T11:49:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383/1 "2013-02-05T11:49:25Z")
Using the search function, start typing your name in the “Search by User Name” box (if you want to). Upon typing 3 characters a dropdown menu will offer results. How many characters do you have to type before your name is the only offered result? I type 3 characters and get suggestions of:[ul] [li] **Biebs** [/li][li] **Biederman** [/li][li] **Bieklouy** [/li][li] **biensaturnolo** [/li][li] **bienville** [/li][li] **Bieplus** [/li][li] **Biere** [/li][li] **Biermeister** [/li][li] **biernien** [/li][li] **Biers** [/li][li] **Biexoucurn** [/li][/ul]11 Results I type 4 characters and get:[ul] [li] **biensaturnolo** [/li][li] **bienville** [/li][/ul] It is not until I type 5 characters that I end up the only offer result. **bienville** = 5 ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383/2 "2013-02-05T11:54:51Z")
7 characters, including the space (“noone s”) ---
**Author:** ![Anaglyph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Anaglyph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaglyph)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383/3 "2013-02-05T12:13:10Z")
Four ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383/4 "2013-02-05T12:24:27Z")
Seven. Crotalu. There’s a user named crotale who has never posted. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383/5 "2013-02-05T12:28:37Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > There’s a user named crotale who has never posted. I haven’t searched the posting history of my matches, but pretty much none of them seem familiar. Of the 11 results that come up for “bie” the only one from whom I _think_ I’ve seen posts is **Biermeister**. I am completely unfamiliar with **biensaturnolo** , the one who bumps me up to a 5. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383/6 "2013-02-05T12:54:10Z")
Eight – up to the “c”. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383/7 "2013-02-05T13:12:55Z")
All of mine; there’s a user called **wordman81** ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383/8 "2013-02-05T13:44:20Z")
There are two users, one named **GuandautidA** and another named **GuanYu** , that mean I need to get to 5 characters. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383/9 "2013-02-05T13:56:03Z")
At three letters, I get: [ul][li]Maud[/li][li]Maude[/li][li]maudro[/li][li]Maui[/li][li]Maui Lion[/li][li]Maui479[/li][li]mauichef[/li][li]mauigirl[/li][li]mauigrom23[/li][li]Mauiwe[/li][li]maui\_blue[/li][li]Mauky[/li][li]MaulLove[/li][li]Maura[/li][li]maura9[/ul][/li] 15 - I think that’s the maximum return. At four letters, it drops to two names: [ul][li]MAUS[/li][li]Maus Magill[/ul][/li] The search function seems to ignore the space until you add one more letter. So at six (including the space), there’s just me. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383/10 "2013-02-05T14:00:50Z")
Can’t do it. Even with my whole username typed, it still offers WhyNot whynot77717 whynotme? ---
**Author:** ![CCYMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/87869e/32.png) [@CCYMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCYMan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383/11 "2013-02-05T14:11:43Z")
At 3 characters, I’m the only one! And it doesn’t seem to work with less than 3 characters (that is, if I type in “CC” I get nuthin’). ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383/12 "2013-02-05T14:18:27Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Can’t do it. Even with my whole username typed, it still offers > > WhyNot > whynot77717 > whynotme? I also have other usernames showing when I’ve typed my whole name in: Chrisk33 Chrisk66 ChrisKaye chriskemper chriskidney ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383/13 "2013-02-05T14:27:09Z")
4 - dcnd ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383/14 "2013-02-05T15:39:45Z")
9, including space: student d ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383/15 "2013-02-05T15:43:57Z")
“MSW” gives six results. “MSWH” is just me. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383/16 "2013-02-05T15:46:26Z")
1. Even at 5 I get 15 results. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383/17 "2013-02-05T15:48:38Z")
If I type in all 7 letters of my username I still get one other user, **telemark7449** , who posted once in 2010. I \*hate \*him. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383/18 "2013-02-05T16:19:34Z")
I need all four. There are still some with those four plus more: [ul] [li] **iggy popov** last posted in 2005[/li][li] **iggy14** never posted[/li][li] **IggyDad** never posted[/li] **IggyWhip** never posted [/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383/19 "2013-02-05T16:20:20Z")
I had to go 6 letters. Someone is Procrutes ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383/20 "2013-02-05T16:44:01Z")
Three for me [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-username-search-how-many-characters-until-youre-the-only-option-in-the-dropdown/649383.md?page=2)