# So some of you think its funny(rant)



## Ex-Dragoon (13 Dec 2006)

Ladies and gentlemen, some of you have been doing something that irks some Staff members greatly and that is changing your names. There are 11000+ users at Army.ca and when one of you changes your name we have to get to know you all over again. Personally, some of you change names like most people change underwear and I feel its an abuse of the system. So from now on I will be as a Staff member advocating that feature be removed from the Board. I will be also advocating that if for whatever reason you want to change your name you go through Staff. Yes, I realize that sometimes there are reasons that you must do so and I will be only too happy to help. I am sorry it has come to this rant but some individuals on the Board in my opinion have left me no alternative.


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## El Gerco (13 Dec 2006)

Why stop there.  No more changing of pictures, or signature blocks, you can only use one smiley etc...etc... 

Ex-dragoon, I respect your posn here as directing staff, but please tell me your not serious?   :argument:


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## Yrys (13 Dec 2006)

Why would he have post it in Admin instead of Radio Chatter,
if he wasn't serious ?


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## El Gerco (13 Dec 2006)

Yrys said:
			
		

> Why would he have post it in Admin instead of Radio Chatter,
> if he wasn't serious ?




Thanks , I think the man is old enough to answer for himself. 

My point is I don't agree. That is all.


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## Michael OLeary (13 Dec 2006)

MuddyoldSpr,

The problem is not those who decide that a different name fits them better, it is those whose constant name changes are a vehicle to try and disguise their erratic, and often unwelcome, posting habits.  The staff are here voluntarily and they try to maintain some semblance of order in keeping with the Conduct Guidelines.  When one of us has to spend an extra 30 minutes or more sifting through someone's prior posts to figure out what names they have previously posted under to put together a 'history' that may qualify for the Warning System, it pretty quickly turns a hobby into a chore.  Legitimate name changes would always be supported, it's the frivolous ones that are used to abuse the system that need alternative measures.

Mike
Staff


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## Ex-Dragoon (13 Dec 2006)

Thank you Michael, exactly to the point.

MuddyoldSpr wrt the overuse of emotes we come down on those people as well.


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## El Gerco (13 Dec 2006)

Mike; 

I agree that it can be a pain in your "6". Having read the first post, by Ex-dragoon, perhaps it was the wording "rant " that was missleading. Us old army SSMs have very Small brains at times. 

apologies you old zipper head (meant in jest) 

Thank you,


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## Ex-Dragoon (13 Dec 2006)

No worries MoS, am happy to be able to clarify.


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## Mike Baker (13 Dec 2006)

Good idea on you'r part.


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## Shamrock (13 Dec 2006)

I don't know much about the Interwebs or their fancy pipes, so bear that in mind with this suggestion.

What about having a history of name changes maintained with each person's profile, be that visible only to mods or all users?


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## Mike Bobbitt (13 Dec 2006)

Hi Shamrock,

We've discussed that internally as an option, but unfortunately there's simply no good technical way to do it. I'm also afraid that the "honour system" will only work for those users who are already not part of the problem. At the same time, I dread the surge of "Can u plz change my name 2..." requests we'll be getting if we turn the feature off, so we're still searching for that middle ground.

Maybe the right approach is to request that users who change their name add a "formerly known as" line to their sig, for clarity. Could be that simple...


Cheers
Mike


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## Shamrock (13 Dec 2006)

Name changes available to Army.Ca subscribers.  There's an honesty system for you.


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## navymich (13 Dec 2006)

Shamrock said:
			
		

> Name changes available to Army.Ca subscribers.  There's an honesty system for you.



And/or not able to change your name until you have been a member for X number of days.


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## Journeyman (13 Dec 2006)

..and you can never change your name if you're Garvin


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## Yrys (13 Dec 2006)

well, nowaday, he's   	Hauptmann Scharlachrot !


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## 17thRecceSgt (13 Dec 2006)

I am not a software weenie...but is there a way to "flag" users who are problem children or the like..that when they try to change their name they can't?  I am not sure how the functionality of the SW the server is running may/may not allow this, but I am thinking in AD mode here...where Admin's can tag a user/object with the "password cannot be changed" option and lock out that option on a "per user" type basis?

Again, it involves some work on the Staff side but...any option other than leaving it wide open as it is now would also involve that...would it not?


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## Shamrock (13 Dec 2006)

I think he has a definite case of NameDHD.


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## Klc (13 Dec 2006)

I vote for making it a subscription benefit. One more way for Mike to push all those stickers he's sitting on.


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## gaspasser (14 Dec 2006)

I concur with the "why" you want to do this. But, I am one who changed his screen name becuase I felt my original name was kind of goofy after some time and not "professional" sounding enough.  I agree with making it a "subscribers option only", as I will soon be ante-ing up. Certainly a good way to get rid of trolls and undesireables.  
Oh, and, Merry Christmas


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## vonGarvin (14 Dec 2006)

For the DS, I apologise for my Name Changing Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder (NCHDD).  In order to maintain consistency, I will keep my current "nom de plume".  I didn't realise that it caused as much confusion as pointed out.
For all, I apologise as well.

Hauptmann Scharlachrot
(aka "Captain Scarlet", previously "von Garvin")


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## Bruce Monkhouse (14 Dec 2006)

Who?


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## vonGarvin (14 Dec 2006)

:rofl:

You know, Captain Scarlet of SPECTRA?  von Garvin of, well, the Garvin Clan?  You know, that "guy".....


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## Kunu (14 Dec 2006)

Hauptmann Scharlachrot said:
			
		

> For the DS, I apologise for my Name Changing Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder (NCHDD).  In order to maintain consistency, I will keep my current "nom de plume".  I didn't realise that it caused as much confusion as pointed out.
> For all, I apologise as well.
> 
> Hauptmann Scharlachrot
> (aka "Captain Scarlet", previously "von Garvin")



I could've sworn I caught "von Scarlet" somewhere in that chain  ;D


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## vonGarvin (14 Dec 2006)

Kilo Mike said:
			
		

> I could've sworn I caught "von Scarlet" somewhere in that chain  ;D


:rofl:
That's the problem with NCHDD: you use so many names, you forget which ones you've exhausted in your search for something new


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## BernDawg (14 Dec 2006)

Don't forget the ubiquitous Von Grognard!
 ;D


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## 3rd Herd (14 Dec 2006)

I too have been miffed at the name changes. For one I sort of try and keep track of the fellow Patricia's on the site and thus be able to either through the site answer "yes, Pte Bloggins of 5 Pl, B Coy, 3rd BN PPCLI, 1978 to 1998 is still alive and his site name is..............." or in off site meetings, chance run ins, "yes you can get a hold of him/her the  through Army.ca web site, the joining instructions are very simple". Also, again previously mention is those who have changed their site identity to either continue string the pot or just generally waste the mod's valuable time and ours with trivial posts. My vote is make it a subscriber option only.


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## Gunner98 (14 Dec 2006)

Mike,

Could it become a requirement for those who request a name change (or are a trans -sexual -identity fiend or have multiple personalities in Garvin's case) to update their Subscription Intro post so that a mere Search of that Forum would produce sufficient info for tracking of those who have become shape-shifters.  

I was beginning to think that after a couple of thousand posts it was a requirement to changer votre nom de plume.


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## navymich (14 Dec 2006)

If you use the "search for members" and put a member's former name, it will pull up their current name.  Not that this is a big help, because unless you knew one of their previous names, you wouldn't know what to put.  But still, it seems like old names are still in the system somehow, althought this might only work for those that have changed only their name but not had their username changed yet.  (wow, I think I confused even myself now that I read that over!)


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## Magravan (15 Dec 2006)

I think that the suggestion was that in order to change your name, you'd have to make a post on a specific board, where you would have to list your current name and the one you want. You get switched, but there is also a record there. A quick search for your current name in that board brings up every post that you've made about wanting your name changed, and therefore, a complete record of every name change you've had.

Correct me if I'm wrong? It sounds like a valid option, in my mind... Doable, and not insanely resource intensive.


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## Mike Bobbitt (15 Dec 2006)

Mich, that only works if your username and display name were originally the same. That's not always the case, and doesn't apply for multiple name changes.

Magravan, your idea has merit... it puts the initial (but easy) step on the user, who simply posts to request a name change. That's the trigger for the change as well as the "log" for historical purposes.


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## Magravan (15 Dec 2006)

I was just reiterating what I believed Gunner98's idea to be. Either way, you've got the whole of it: It serves as both request and log.


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## navymich (15 Dec 2006)

Mike Bobbitt said:
			
		

> Mich, that only works if your username and display name were originally the same. That's not always the case, and doesn't apply for multiple name changes.



Thanks Mike, that's what I thought.  Glad you could understand what I was trying to spit out!


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## reccecrewman (18 Dec 2006)

Ex-Dragoon,

How about making an addition to the Army.ca guidelines that we have all read and agreed to obey?  That addition being that name changing will see you placed on the warning system if the name changes come with no reason other than to use smoke and mirrors to confuse people?  Post a notice up that there is a change to the system or just send out a bulk message to all members boxes that lets current users be aware of the change.  That could work well.

My .02

Regards


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## Shamrock (18 Dec 2006)

Won't that create a greater hassle for the DS in having to identify offenders, issue the warning, hear their arguments, and determine the validity of their warning/complaint?


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## reccecrewman (18 Dec 2006)

I don't believe it would.  It's not as though the Staff would have to spend their time actively searching for these people.  With 11,000+ users here, all it would take is for a member to notify Staff if they notice somebody playing musical names and they can then investigate.  Not only that, if it were in the guidelines saying you can't just change names because that's your whim of the day, the mods have it in writing that they can place said individual on the warning system.  It's no different from the many other rules in place to keep things in here running smoothly. Excessive swearing, trolling and a multitude of other thing's will get you on the warning system, why not this?

Regards


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## Klc (18 Dec 2006)

I can't see this making a huge difference, as the persons in question for the most part don't read the rules to begin with.


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## Paul Gagnon (18 Dec 2006)

Can't you just turn off the ability to change usernames?


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## Klc (18 Dec 2006)

Did you read the thread?


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## Ex-Dragoon (26 Jan 2007)

I see its occuring again......


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## ReneeClaude (15 Mar 2011)

If you never posted under your old display name do you still want us to let people know we have changed it? Also, is it possible to change the the actual user name? I am only able to change my display name, so I am obviously doing something wrong.

Thank you in advance for your help!


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## PuckChaser (15 Mar 2011)

You can only change your display name, thus when the admins see your posting history it links to one profile. My old forum name still shows up for the chat, but its changed everywhere else.

Better safe than sorry, announce the name change in the proper forum. Takes 30 seconds to make the post and prevents the DS for getting on your case.


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## midget-boyd91 (15 Mar 2011)

Technoviking said:
			
		

> For the DS, I apologise for my Name Changing Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder (NCHDD).  In order to maintain consistency, I will keep my current "nom de plume".  I didn't realise that it caused as much confusion as pointed out.
> For all, I apologise as well.
> 
> Hauptmann Scharlachrot
> (aka "Captain Scarlet", previously "von Garvin")



Oh wow, I had wondered for a while what had ever become of that "Garvin" who I used to see posting on these boards a lot....   :facepalm:


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## ReneeClaude (17 Mar 2011)

Thank you for the information PuckChaser, I will look for the proper forum and post the change. Hopefully I won't have NCHDD too bad and change a few more time


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## Loachman (30 May 2011)

"Mortarman Rockpainter" has been up for grabs for a while now.


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## vonGarvin (30 May 2011)

Loachman said:
			
		

> "Mortarman Rockpainter" has been up for grabs for a while now.


Yes, it's true.  I've been separated for a year now ;D


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