# Totally Trivial Q: Can Guest Handles Be Reused? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 20, 2006, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-trivial-q-can-guest-handles-be-reused/357525 "2006-05-20T12:26:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-trivial-q-can-guest-handles-be-reused/357525/1 "2006-05-20T12:26:50Z")
In other words, if someone posts as a Guest with the handle ZZZ, then never registers, and their time expires, could someone else then register as ZZZ? (Hey, I know it’s trivial, but I have too much time on my hands this weekend, dangit!) ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-trivial-q-can-guest-handles-be-reused/357525/2 "2006-05-20T16:07:50Z")
I can’t speak for the SDMB, but for vBulletin messageboards in general, the administration would have to specifically delete usernames before they could be used again. I would assume they’d leave expired guest accounts alone here for a few reasons. The main one being that there’s no good reason to delete them. Also, deleting accounts causes threads that user participated in to look unusual, either by deleting posts or reassigning them to a user called “Guest.” ---
**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:** [May 20, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-trivial-q-can-guest-handles-be-reused/357525/3 "2006-05-20T18:04:58Z")
No, all usernames are equal, none are reused. The guest may decided to sign up at any time, and they are supposed to keep their original username. As Slacker said, the mods would have to delete each individual account to reuse them. ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-trivial-q-can-guest-handles-be-reused/357525/4 "2006-05-21T09:51:14Z")
Thank you both for the answer. Much appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-trivial-q-can-guest-handles-be-reused/357525/5 "2006-05-21T12:36:23Z")
While neither **Slacker** nor **Telemark** are moderators, they speak truth. We have made a couple of exceptions in rare circumstances, but generally the system doesn’t allow a name to be reused. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-trivial-q-can-guest-handles-be-reused/357525/6 "2006-05-22T00:11:17Z")
What about user names where the user has requested, and is granted, a name change? Does their original user name then become available or is it somehow kept off-limits? ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-trivial-q-can-guest-handles-be-reused/357525/7 "2006-05-22T02:45:20Z")
When there’s a name that was registered but never really used, we are open to consideration of allowing exceptions. However, when there’s been a name change, there are very strong reasons for not letting the old name be used by anyone else; there could be the danger of considerable confusion. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-trivial-q-can-guest-handles-be-reused/357525/8 "2006-05-22T20:44:57Z")
Note that names used by guests are automatically off-limits by the board software, but it is possible for someone to take a name formerly used by someone who’s had a name change. Every so often, this happens (I recall once with **Libertarian** / **Liberal** ), and there’s a bit of confusion until the mods notice and get things straightened out.