Discussion of Naming Policy

[Pushkar Chowdhary]

Hello all,

just posting here to say that i totally agree with the naming policy and i too believe that it adds a sense of responsibility to anyone posting here.

i just have one problem though. i had registered on this site earlier with the actual spelling of my last name which is "Choudhary", but i forgot the password and also forgot which email id it was linked to. now the problem is when i go to "Forgot Password" link, the only thing that page would do is mail your password to your email id. but it doesn't say anything about what is to be done in a situation in which someone forgot which email account it was linked to. is there any other way i can get back the password for that account, because I've had to register again and with a different name as it would not take the same name again.

i know it's rather stupid of me to forget which mail id this account was linked to, but i would really appreciate any of the sheriffs or bartenders or anyone else who can help me here.


Regards,
Pushkar.

[paul wheaton]

Give us a list of all the passwords you have ever used for everything for all time. If any of them comes close to the one we have on file, we might let you make a few million guesses.

If you give me $500 via paypal I'll give you a hint!

[Marilyn de Queiroz]

Out of curiosity, how many email accounts do you have?

[anand phulwani]

Dear Staff/Ranchers,

Can anyone use one letter as an initial for the first name,will it be valid.

[fred rosenberger]

An initial for a FIRST name is allowed, although a full first name is preferred.

[Pushkar Choudhary]

Originally posted by Paul Wheaton:
Give us a list of all the passwords you have ever used for everything for all time. If any of them comes close to the one we have on file, we might let you make a few million guesses.

If you give me $500 via paypal I'll give you a hint!

well, thanks a lot for that suggestion... it really helped...!!!

Originally posted by Marilyn de Queiroz:
Out of curiosity, how many email accounts do you have?

i have only 3.... but the when i was trying to get the password.... none of them were matching with the one i had registered with... so i was wondering what the problem might be...

but anyways... thats solved now, thanks to Andrew... and this id using which I'm replying now is the original one.....

[Asif]

My real name is Asif

[fred rosenberger]

I doubt anyone was questioning "Asif" as your real name, but our policy requires a first AND a last name, with a space. I would not be allowed to keep a screen name of "fred", regardless of whether it's my real name or not.

So, please follow the links provided in either other posts or private messages, and update your name.

[Parwaneh Wilb]

Even after reading several post in this thread, I didn't get the point, why users should use their real name.
There is a lot of discussion these days about people revealing a lot of personal data on the internet.
I want to keep my privacy...
The reason why I just subscribed to this otherwise great forum is, that sharing ones knowledge is better for everyone...

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Originally posted by jm009:
Even after reading several post in this thread, I didn't get the point, why users should use their real name.
There is a lot of discussion these days about people revealing a lot of personal data on the internet.
I want to keep my privacy...
The reason why I just subscribed to this otherwise great forum is, that sharing ones knowledge is better for everyone...

We don't require you to use your real name. We require a name that looks like it could be your real name. And that if you are using a name other than your real name you not advertise. Suppose you name is "Joe Mantra" and you create a display name of "John Mantras". Signing your posts "Joe" would be confusing. If you are fine with being referred to as "John" we are perfectly happy with "John Mantras" as a display name.

There are benefits to using your real name such as enhanced credibility within the industry. However, nobody is asking you to sacrifice your privacy. We do ask you to use a real looking name. It creates a more professional atmosphere to be talking to "John Mantras" than "jm009".

[Ilja Preuss]

Originally posted by Jeanne Boyarsky:

It creates a more professional atmosphere to be talking to "John Mantras" than "jm009".

In fact, as I think about it, it not only creates a professional atmosphere, but actually helps creating a *community*, and one where you feel that you are communicating with real humans (in contrast to just virtual identities).

[Ben Souther]

Originally posted by jm009:
Even after reading several post in this thread, I didn't get the point, why users should use their real name.
There is a lot of discussion these days about people revealing a lot of personal data on the internet.
I want to keep my privacy...
The reason why I just subscribed to this otherwise great forum is, that sharing ones knowledge is better for everyone...

"jm009",
You're welcome to continue discussing this here but, until and unless the policy is changed, you'll need to fix your screen name before you continue.

You can change it here

Thanks,
-Ben

[James Grossling]

When registering for JavaRanch Saloon, you are asked to give your first and last name. But the screen name set by the system afterwards appears to be your login name.. thats maybe why i see so much posts: "please look at our naming policy".

[test name]

test

[fred rosenberger]

Originally posted by Balder Van Camp:
When registering for JavaRanch Saloon, you are asked to give your first and last name. But the screen name set by the system afterwards appears to be your login name.. thats maybe why i see so much posts: "please look at our naming policy".

I don't understand. i just registered the above account. My login name was 'bogusreg', but the screen name it set was indeed the first and last name i registered with.

[James Grossling]

Very weird, because I did read the naming policy, I wasn't planning on using redlab as visible name, I swear that I didn't put redlab as visible name, i didn't change anything in the profile (not even the password (ouch thats noobish )).
But then on the other hand, computers sometimes act strangely when I'm around, sudden crashes and memory failures. Maybe it was just a one time strange thing!

[Jesus Angeles]

Originally posted by Balder Van Camp:

But then on the other hand, computers sometimes act strangely when I'm around, sudden crashes and memory failures. Maybe it was just a one time strange thing!

Thanks for warning us. Does your jinx travel over the network and past firewalls?

[James Grossling]

I was assuming it doesn't but I'm not sure anymore. Currently at my work the deployment of a service failed while nothing changed in the code. And the deployer is sitting next to me. So...

(to stay on topic)
Would the name James Grossling be valid?

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Originally posted by Balder Van Camp:
Would the name James Grossling be valid?

Not anymore. If you announce a name isn't your real name it is no longer valid.

[Pat Farrell]

way up thread, there was a comment about the moosehead. Its silly. And not all that professional. But I really don't like the fly. Lose that, and I'd be happy.

On topic: while I like the spirit of the real looking names policy, its not very realistic. Detecting pseudonyms is a cultural thing. I noticed a post the other day from someone named "Fletcher Munson" and I'll bet a beer that is not a real person. The Fletcher Munson curve is that most folks know as the "loudness contour" curve on their stereo.

Being an American, I have no clue what are real and what are fake names, curses, etc. in other cultures and languages.

Since it comes up so often, and so many new folks need to be told, reminded, and scolded about the policy, it seems clear to me that the initial registration page needs to be a lot more clear. And perhap a bit of programming is needed to help enforce it.

Pat

p.s. I really have brothers named Tom, Dick and Harry.

[Andrew Monkhouse]

Thanks for your thoughts Pat.

Originally posted by Pat Farrell:
way up thread, there was a comment about the moosehead. Its silly. And not all that professional. But I really don't like the fly. Lose that, and I'd be happy.

This comes up from time to time (usually in it's own topic) and it usually gets drowned out by those who do like it. Personally I like it. But each to their own.

Originally posted by Pat Farrell:
On topic: while I like the spirit of the real looking names policy, its not very realistic. Detecting pseudonyms is a cultural thing.

Fortunately we have staff members from all over the world, and we have regular members from all over the world. We find that quite often someone will register with a fake name and a regular member will warn them about it long before a staff member notices.

That, to me, shows that the naming policy is appreciated by the general members here - they not only abide by it themselves, but they actively try to get others to follow the spirit of it.

Originally posted by Pat Farrell:
I noticed a post the other day from someone named "Fletcher Munson" and I'll bet a beer that is not a real person. The Fletcher Munson curve is that most folks know as the "loudness contour" curve on their stereo.

The American white pages show 13 "Fletcher Munson"s in the USA, and widening the search to "F Munson" returns 172 matches. Given that many people in America do their best not to have their name listed, I think this is a reasonably good indicator that the name Fletcher Munson may indeed be a real name.

Even if it is not, I think that the Fletcher-Munson curve is far enough away from computer programing that it is unlikely that someone would be deliberately choosing their display name based on the names of 2 researchers who were publishing in the 1930s. What I'm trying to say (badly) is that normally the faked names are those of someone popular (Harry Potter), or someone famous (James Gosling) or someone trying to be "clever" (Theresa Green). I just don't think Fletcher-Munson is a normal candidate like that.

Regards, Andrew

[Ulf Dittmer]

Originally posted by Pat Farrell:
way up thread, there was a comment about the moosehead. Its silly. And not all that professional. But I really don't like the fly. Lose that, and I'd be happy.

I use the Firefox Adblock extension to suppress that image.

[Amit Ghorpade]

Hi all,
can we report users not following the naming policy here.
Or is there any other forum for it.



Thanks in advance
[ May 27, 2008: Message edited by: Amit Ghorpade ]

[Ulf Dittmer]

can we report users not following the naming policy here.

Please don't. You can bring them to the attention of any of the moderators.

[Rusty Shackleford]

Originally posted by Bear Bibeault:
Indeed. As the sheriff who probably has the biggest reputation for shooting first and asking questions later with regards to the naming policy, there have been many occasions where I've challenged a name only to become satisified that it adheres to policy after a little communication with the alleged bandit.

So if Amelia Earhart shows up, she'll probably get challenged, but will have no worries if it's really her. (Though she will have some other explaining to do!)

This is the best reason for changing the naming policy. Having to prove your name to be able to continue to post with it? It would be easier for the "bandit" to use a fake name! And that hardly is conducive to a friendly atmosphere.

[fred rosenberger]

read the policy carefully. you are ALLOWED to us a fake name. There is nothing in the policy that says I can't use "Anthony Meesey" as my screen name.

you are simply

a) not allowed to broadcast it's fake. i.e. using the above name, and having my sig file be "email me at [email protected]" would not be allowed.

b) If i used a name like "Thomas Edison", someone would probably challenge me. If sufficient proof is provided, I would be allowed to keep it (the proof is usually done off the forums, through private messages or email). Nobody is saying you can't HAVE a common or well known name.

The staff is still generally of the opinion it's more friendly to address someone as 'Rusty' than as 'haxordud69'.

[Ernest Friedman-Hill]

Originally posted by fred rosenberger:
n name.

The staff is still generally of the opinion it's more friendly to address someone as 'Rusty' than as 'haxordud69'.

Indeed -- or "Dale", "Hank", or "Bobby".

[Daniel Jackson]

I think you need to rethink the policy (or at least the enforcement of it) when a user's real name is challenged as being fake!! I didn't know whether to laugh or be very offended.

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Bobby,
When a moderator has a question about a username, he or she sends a PM. If it's your name just say so. No need to be offended. Do keep in mind we have moderators from all over the world so different people consider different things to be iffy. (I think your name looks real for what it's worth.)

This is the kind of thing where it works out better if people err on the side of double checking. Otherwise all kinds of things sneak though. And if someone can be "Bart Simpson" why can't I be "Superman" type things come up.

[Amit Ghorpade]

Originally posted by Bobby Islam:
I think you need to rethink the policy (or at least the enforcement of it) when a user's real name is challenged as being fake!! I didn't know whether to laugh or be very offended.

I apologize for the misunderstanding. But by no means I challenged your name, I just wanted to make sure its real. To err is human...

Happy ranching Bobby

[paul wheaton]

As long as we're making suggestions ... I would like to suggest that people just follow the policy because it's so awkward to ask people to follow the policy.

[Rory Marquis]

I am sure that this has already been mentioned but my only concern with putting my real name and email address is the potential for spammers.

Otherwise I like it.

[Ernest Friedman-Hill]

Originally posted by Rory Marquis:
I am sure that this has already been mentioned but my only concern with putting my real name and email address is the potential for spammers.

Otherwise I like it.

You're not required to make your email address coderanch, and I'm not aware of any mechanism by which people can be spammed merely by having their real name mentioned on the Internet!

[Rory Marquis]

Originally posted by Ernest Friedman-Hill:


You're not required to make your email address coderanch, and I'm not aware of any mechanism by which people can be spammed merely by having their real name mentioned on the Internet!

Ok, I didn't realise that about the email address.

However, the name is a DPA thing IMO that's all. If someone has my Name and Email address then they have two important pieces of information to steal my identity.

If I were a spammer, being able to email someone with their real name would be a bonus.

However, you can hide your email so like you said, it isn't a problem. Was just something I wanted to mention

[Raghavan Muthu]

Originally posted by Jeanne Boyarsky:

It creates a more professional atmosphere to be talking to "John Mantras" than "jm009".

Perfectly valid. It gives a nice feeling that the interactions are between humans and not with machines .

[Mark Vedder]

There was an interesting article at CNN.com -- #@*!!! Anonymous anger rampant on Internet -- a few days ago that I think goes to show the value of JavaRanch's naming policy. In particular this anecdote:

As part of [a communications course at Central Michigan University] several of [Professor Lesley Withers'] students work on a collaborative project with students at other schools, and they come together in Second Life, the virtual reality environment. ...says Withers, others can be harsh in their judgments -- harsher than in real life, because the anger is expressed at the person's avatar. Which led at least one of Withers' students to forget that the avatar was attached to a real person.

"One student went off on another student and she was sitting in the classroom a few rows behind him," she said. "He knew she was there, but didn't -- there was that distancing."

I really think JavaRanch's naming policy (along with the efforts of the Moderators) prevents (or greatly limits) that type of thing from happening here.
[ November 09, 2008: Message edited by: Mark Vedder ]

[Raghavan Muthu]

That's great Mark Thank you for quoting that!

[Ravikanth kolli]

hi,
I am not sure if anybody pointed this out as i have not read the entire 196 posts that are made..

I am not sure how javaranch is built but why cannot we search for "spaces with no text" in each of the first and lastname, when people register because that is how they come to miss one of the 2 fields, and i think this can avoid almost half of the request by bartenders and sheriffs asking people to confer to the naming policy.

What say guys?

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Kolli,
It's on our list of things to do one day. It's not as easy as you might expect though.

[Amit Kumar.]

I had my display name as Amit Kumar HCL to which some said to be invalid and some say to be valid. Now when I changed to Amit Kumar. , some said it is valid & some said as invalid. I again rolled back my name to Amit Kumar HCL.

Amit Kumar is already is use by some member and I can not also have my display name as Amit Kumar316. What do I do?