Member's Display Name History

[MasumX]

I think it should be kept hidden and private from other members but not from mods or admins.

Let the user decide if they wish to disable it from other members seeing their Display Name History.

[smor]

Thats not a bad idea.

[Rοb]

Yes i agree, perhaps make this an ACP option

+1

[Millar]

Nice idea.

[Logan]

I don't agree with the idea.

I like it how it is now, no need for an additional setting for this.

It's good that members can see it, as they could possibly not know who the person is after they change their name, so with how it is now they can always check the history to find out their old name.

[Brian Garcia]

I don't agree with the idea.

I like it how it is now, no need for an additional setting for this.

It's good that members can see it, as they could possibly not know who the person is after they change their name, so with how it is now they can always check the history to find out their old name.

Exactly I don't know who someone is and see they have like 1,000 posts so I check their name History and that guy Luke used to be CY :lol: .

[MasumX]

I don't agree with the idea.

I like it how it is now, no need for an additional setting for this.

It's good that members can see it, as they could possibly not know who the person is after they change their name, so with how it is now they can always check the history to find out their old name.

But some members might not feel comfortable with this as they would like to keep their privacy and all.

It wouldn't hurt to have something to let the user decide their own, instead of you deciding it FOR THEM. It's their CP, so let em do w/e they want.

[OverDriveAdamJ]

Yes. This is a very very needed feature. Saves the ol' memory.

[Antony]

I've got to agree that this isn't needed or desirable for most people. With regards to privacy, you should just register a new account. Another setting like this would just confuse users and cause them to select it inadvertadly. Not only that, but it is important for members to be able to see what other members have changed their display names to.

[MasumX]

I've got to agree that this isn't needed or desirable for most people. With regards to privacy, you should just

register a new account. Another setting like this would just confuse users and cause them to select it inadvertadly. Not only that, but it is important for members to be able to see what other members have changed their display names to.

Why register for a new account when you can just change the name?

I'm not sure how would this confuse users, if you have something in "Change Display Name" section..

"Show other members your display name history?" with a check box...

while they fill in their new display name and current password..


How's that confusing? It would be confusing if you're completely computer illetartate. Beside, I don't think people are that dumb when they uses forum. They must know atleast A BIT to able to use it.


and if that is important for members to see? how about showing members e-mail address? why is there a option to hide it? b/c?


I'm sorry but, I see no confusion at all..it's just a simple "Check Box"

[Antony]

It's creating options that are pointless and completly unnescary. On my forum, I WANT everyone to know when a display name has been changed. Therefore, this feature would be a problem if implemented. Whereas, if you really need this feature for your board (which I cannot understand why you might) then you can mod it in.

[MasumX]

It's creating options that are pointless and completly unnescary. On my forum,

I WANT

everyone to know when a display name has been changed. Therefore, this feature would be a problem if implemented. Whereas, if you really need this feature for your board (which I cannot understand why you might) then you can mod it in.

Why should they follow your lead in their own CP? I don't understand it...

[Antony]

Why should they follow your lead in their own CP? I don't understand it...

Becuase otherwise it isn't possible for me as a board owner, or my users to keep track of who is who. If you really don't want to be known, you can register a new account. Seriously, it looks a bit odd if some new guy to just pop up out of nowhere with a high post count.

[MasumX]

Becuase otherwise it isn't possible for me as a board owner, or my users to keep track of who is who. If you really don't want to be known, you can register a new account. Seriously, it looks a bit odd if some new guy to just pop up out of nowhere with a high post count.

I said, I think it should be kept hidden and private from other members but not from mods or admins.

[eyedam]

If this is such a big mess for the users to understand then it could be at least admin's option for all members at once.

There are many cases when members want to change their username because they don't like it and don't want others to see it. But they still want their old posts associated with their account.

So, for tracking a user this could be an admin's option to turn it on for mods but off for other members. It would be nice as a member group option, I think.

[Antony]

Yes, but even if you change your name becuase you don't like it there is no reason why you'd not want anyone to not know who you used to be. This is just bloat and if you really need this feature it'd be best off as a modification.

[bfarber]

My opinion is...

If I went to a board as a user and saw some guy posting great threads, then suddenly they all showed up as a different user, or some guy with a posting style that was unique disappeared and someone else just showed up posting like him - as a user, I'd like to be able to see the name changes.

If the OTHER user was able to disable it in their UserCP however, I wouldn't be able to see it, even if I didn't want to hide my own name changes.

A username change is not privacy, because it was never private to begin with. ;)

Doesn't seem to be a lot of support for this yet....

[eyedam]

A username change is not privacy, because it was never private to begin with.

Well, in fact, a username change was private till the display usernames feature was implemented. If a member changed their name (via admin), nowhere on the board you could see their old username.

So, I would say that by adding the username history you have changed this information to public not giving an option to keep it private as it was previously (which was the way one part of the board admins prefer apparently).

[MasumX]

If this is such a big mess for the users to understand then it could be at least admin's option for all members at once.

There are many cases when members want to change their username because they don't like it and don't want others to see it. But they still want their old posts associated with their account.

So, for tracking a user this could be an admin's option to turn it on for mods but off for other members. It would be nice as a member group option, I think.

That's correct and the option is placed there as "Optional" not checked. If a user wish to disable it from others seeing their new username it must b/c they wanted or want to do it. so, shouldn't they have the choice to choose between it? there is always a Y/N. and it's not like admin or mod can't see the changes....anyways, enough said about it....i thought it would be nice to let the user have their way..but i guess can't expect everyone to feel the same..

My opinion is...

If I went to a board as a

user

and saw some guy posting great threads, then suddenly they all showed up as a different user, or some guy with a posting style that was unique disappeared and someone else just showed up posting like him - as a user, I'd like to be able to see the name changes.

If the

OTHER

user was able to disable it in their UserCP however, I wouldn't be able to see it, even if I didn't want to hide my own name changes.

A username change is not privacy, because it was never private to begin with. ;)

Doesn't seem to be a lot of support for this yet....

Placing it as "optional" in ACP wouldn't hurt and beside it won't kill the db or slow down or anything...it's a simple and easy feature..

[Brandon C]

I don't agree with the idea.

I like it how it is now, no need for an additional setting for this.

It's good that members can see it, as they could possibly not know who the person is after they change their name, so with how it is now they can always check the history to find out their old name.

I agree with Logan and others, it doesn't make for a logical implementation as a new feature as it could confuse a lot of people if a new poster comes out of nowhere with a high post count.

[Guest]

Well, in fact, a username change

was

private till the display usernames feature was implemented. If a member changed their name (via admin), nowhere on the board you could see their old username.

So, I would say that by adding the username history you have changed this information to public not giving an option to keep it private as it was previously (which was the way one part of the board admins prefer apparently).

you could still ask the admin to make the change for you :)

[bfarber]

Well, in fact, a username change

was

private till the display usernames feature was implemented. If a member changed their name (via admin), nowhere on the board you could see their old username.

So, I would say that by adding the username history you have changed this information to public not giving an option to keep it private as it was previously (which was the way one part of the board admins prefer apparently).

Yes, but all your old posts that you made are now associated to your new name.

It doesn't take a genius - just someone observent, to notice this.

Hence, your old username was not private, and your new username is not private (everyone was previously able to see your old name, everyone is able to see your new name), so there is little logic in make the history of your name changes private, when the names themselves weren't.

Food for thought.

Placing it as "optional" in ACP wouldn't hurt and beside it won't kill the db or slow down or anything...it's a simple and easy feature..

Oh, you're right - it wouldn't kill the db, and it wouldn't be hard, but most features are based upon necessity and usefulness, and I don't personally see this feature ranking up there yet. Based on this topic there has only been maybe 2 or 3 members who've said they agree with the suggestion, and 4+ that disagree. I obviously haven't closed this topic yet. Not saying it will never be done. I just don't agree with it on a personal level, that's all. :)

[eyedam]

you could still ask the admin to make the change for you

Well, yes, you can do many things directly in the DB, but that's not the question, is it? ;) As if the admin changes user's display name, it still shows up on the display name history for that member.

Yes,

but

all your old posts that you made are now associated to your new name. It doesn't take a genius - just someone observent, to notice this.

Yes, the personality of the poster would most probably not be a secret (contrary to what others against this idea in this topic say, BTW (it would cause a confusion etc.)). And I'm particularly telling that it is not the objective of a name change. Users who change their name usually just want other users to see them with another name, not as a different person. They just don't want to be associated with the old username anymore.

Hence, your old username was not private, and your new username is not private (everyone was previously able to see your old name, everyone is able to see your new name), so there is little logic in make the history of your name

changes

private, when the names themselves weren't.

Well, this is not that important particularly for me, but you said that username changes (or the old usernames) were not private to begin with, so I wanted to clarify the situation. They used to be private (or more precisely - were not recorded), but now they are made public (are recoreded and displayed for everyone to see).

And for wether it is logical to hide the old usernames of a member or not, I think that's why there are different boards with different members and admins with different opinions and desires. ;)