15
votes
Username similarity?
I tried to register here the other day with my preferred username, which was taken, so I replaced an S with a 5 as I've done in the past. Now I realize that might have been a bit deceptive - someone reading my comment might think it's coming from the other user or vice-versa, and I don't want to be that guy. What's the vibe here about that? Should I invite myself under a new name once I'm approved for invitations, or keep this username? I'd just DM the other user if that was an option on tildes.
edit: Thanks, all! I'll keep it until/unless the other user feels strongly about it.
considering an s and a 5 are different heights, I wouldn’t worry too much, but maybe @Sisyphus can make that decision for you. If you want a username change, I’m sure @Deimos could make that happen if you email him
Edit: Sisyphus has been a member for five years and never posted or commented once. Maybe Deimos could just give you that account name? Clearly they’re not attached to it
I feel like reassigning @Sisyphus might be a step too far? They might have registered to keep an option to comment, just to vote/tag/label, or to save their theme on their device.
But even if they haven't logged in since creation, I feel that reassigning names might fix this particular identity crisis between Sisyphuses, but would break the usually-assumed invariant that social media usernames never change, and ironically make people in general more uncertain about who they're speaking to.
I think it's reasonable to keep using Sisyphu5 because you're not referring to the user Sisyphus, you're both referring to the character, who is reasonably well known. I don't feel theres any malicious intent, nor is there a high chance of confusion.
I agree maybe reassignment is a little harsh. I was one of those invisible accounts: I sort of had a digital home and even if it wasn't as good, it was mine. And it was only because my account was kept open for so long that I had the ability to reclaim it.
Re: @Sisyphu5 - I don't think it's confusing because @Sisyphus isn't using their account. If they were also active then maybe? But I wouldn't worry too much, because similar user names have been a thing since the 90s and similar/same first names are a thing for millennia.
Maybe if they become active, you could sign off your comments with a -S or -5 or something small like that if you're worried about it. :)
Additionally, that's also some how new internet names are born. I used to try getting the username Saturas (from the Gothic role-play games back in the day), but as I wasn't the only one playing Gothic the name was often taken. So on Reddit I had to pick Satures as Saturas was already taken by an account with no activity for years. Well, here we go... and I didn't even check if Saturas would be available, as over 8+ years on Reddit I got used too much to Satures.
Magie zu Ehren!
Hope you enjoy tildes.
E: now that I don't spoil the reference by overexplaining it to the intended recipient: Magie zu Ehren ("in the honor of magic"...?) is the standard greeting among mages in Gothic, of which Saturas is one.
Thank you!
Nevermind that it'd set a precedent that "squatted" usernames can be reassigned. And once you start that, I fear you make a.... sisyphean task out of it for deimos. Simpler to not reassign names, particularly since (at least from a user's perspective), the username is basically the unique ID of each user.
Don't reuse unique IDs. Then they're no longer unique, nor IDs.
Yeah, I don't feel comfortable asking for the name for this reason.
All you can do is ask. Send @Deimos a message, present your problem, and see if he has any alternatives to offer.
I found him quite helpful and co-operative regarding usernames when I was signing up here. I can't speak for now, obviously, because there are 5 times as many users now as then, and the situation is a bit more complicated. But, you have nothing to lose by asking. So, ask.
That's a dangerous assumption to make. I haven't commented or posted for exactly 5 years myself before getting active again last week, and I'm very attached to my account and username.
Same. I posted some when I first signed up, took a break, came back, lurked, wrote some comments and deleted them, lurked more, took another break, lurked more, and here I am engaging again.
It's just not a safe bet that the account isn't used or wanted. Imo it'd be a dick move to pull it out from under them without more info, and I don't think OP wants that anyhow.
It has zero activity after 5 years. If that's someone wanting the account, I'd hate to see what happens when they don't want something! :P
It's possible they lurk and vote with it. All we know is they don't comment or post.
I like to believe that @Sisyphus is a chronic lurker, and still waiting for that right moment to post... :) Maybe they are reading this very thread...
I had a similar occurrence on Reddit way back when. I saw it was already taken and said to myself: “Who could have possibly taken this name? I’m going to look at their profile”.
Long story short, I stole it from myself. I had made an account with that name years prior that I’d completely forgotten about, and never commented/posted anything on it.
Apparently it is an option, though I'm not sure they'd see it with no activity in 5 years.
It looks like you just go to their profile @Sisyphus and in the sidebar on the bottom is the option 'Send a Private Message'.
Oh! Ok, then. Could've saved myself some trouble. Thanks.
Like @Farshief said, if they haven't used the account in 5 years, they probably won't see a message you send them.
I was trawling through old posts in ~tildes, looking for something not related to this issue. However, while I was looking, I stumbled across this relevant comment by Deimos back in July 2018:
I wouldn't sweat it too much, friend. If it still bothers you when you're able to invite yourself, then change it up.
Consider tildes a fresh start; new username and everything.
Yeah, I grabbed the name I was using on Reddit but seeing the names on here I wonder if I skipped a golden opportunity. I use a different tag for gaming that I'm pretty sure is genuinely unique, but I don't like associating my gaming accounts with my commenting accounts so theoretically that leaves my choice wide open and yet with the far greater freedom to choose here (because there aren't enough users to have already taken all the one-word names) I stuck with the same ol' same ol'. Maybe I'll request a change after some thinking...
yeah I just went with pretty much just my first name. Pretty cool!
I like being anonymous, so I used a completely different username from the one I had on Reddit.
But having said that, I've given more personal information about my life here than I ever have on Reddit and that's not great. I don't know what it is about this site that just makes me want to ramble.
It actually is a new name for my. My Red[acted] username was different, and I decided Sisyphus was a fitting name for me.
I think you're fine. The two names are pretty different at a glance. The 5 stands out on my screen.
FYI - you can private message other users. Click on their name to go to their profile and then click on the "Send a private message" button on the right side of the page under their bio (if they have one).
Thanks, just did!
This is off-topic, but I thought I arrived here early enough to lock down Anthony as a username but apparently I was too late. Never seen the guy though, so tag me if he pops up somewhere because I've got a score to settle.
Yes, I signed up today after my invite coming through and thought I was a sure bet to secure @Paranoia. Alas, it was not to be. As the OPs situation it also seems to be a dormant account and I think I (bitterly) agree that reassigning usernames is opening a can of worms probably best left alone.
I don't understand how that unique name was already taken lol
It's not that unique
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisyphus
Wow interesting read, thanks!