Don't allow people to register with a name similar to another

There are some people who register under a name that is very similar to the one of some regular poster, and it confuses quite a lot people. I bet on most cases they do this on purpose. In those cases the name should be edited. That's my suggestion.

oh yeah. So we should freeze the accounts of peopel that sign up with names like other people's names, even if they didn't know it?

Not like we can preemptively use a soundex on the names to block people from doing such.

Simply wouldn't work.

Amano Jacu:
There are some people who register under a name that is very similar to the one of some regular poster, and it confuses quite a lot people. I bet on most cases they do this on purpose. In those cases the name should be edited. That's my suggestion.

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I second that... my mate has just joined and uses Sengohan... I think there's someone else called that too... but he didn't know at the time...

I think he may change it soon tho... but YES... it's a bit of a pain...

JHendrix is one and that strange Swedish bloke is another...

But I think that we can block the multiple use of the same avatar.

EvilWasabi:
oh yeah. So we should freeze the accounts of peopel that sign up with names like other people's names, even if they didn't know it?

Not like we can preemptively use a soundex on the names to block people from doing such.

Simply wouldn't work.

Click to expand...

I don't think you'd have to freeze they're account... I don't agree with that Uncle EW...

I think maybe a short pm pointing it out would be ok...

If me mate knew beforehand he would've chose a different username... I think he's going to try to change it soon... but he's working hard at the mo and doesn't have a pc at home...

Just a thought Uncle Evil...

I agree there is a member here called lee and its not me LOL

nah if the name is not 100 percent identical then it should be allowed as you cant use a 100 percent identical name anyway and also you have member numbers to see who is who too.

solution = don't pick a common name that many people may have or choose.

JHendrix, J_Hendrix, JimiHendrix, etc. Come on. It's to be expected that there's more than 1 Jimi Hendrix fan.

I know the system doesn't allow you to register with the very same username somebody else uses, and that you can't implement some automatic way to stop "similar" names. What I meant is that in the case where there can be some confusion (which means when the similar name is used by a usual poster), the name should be manually edited, just like the Judge does with sigs.

I was talking specifically about J_Hendrix, he even mentions JHendrix in his sig, that by the way looks like was edited by the Judge.

About avatars, I see no problem in using the same one as another user (as long as your name is not similar to his), specially if is one of the generic public avatars. Make your own one if you want it to be exclusive.

Amano Jacu:
the name should be manually edited, just like the Judge does with sigs.

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not possible.

As far as I remember, the only name that was ever edited by the mods was the infamous Edward Pepelu BLAH BLAH BLAH, and that one was for a good reason. Hell, Ed finished banned anyway...