Official Feedback Request: Name Change Frequency

[Hikamaru]

Maybe we could maintain the 4 month cycle for PC Supporters or implement a system where name changes are done every 3 months; but you have to WAIT 6 months between name changes (per user limit)

You know, that would actually not be a bad idea. It reminds me a bit of that extra name change that higher-tiered supporters had a while back but with a new twist to it.

 

[Altairis]

6 months because 4 months is way too frequent and I can barely keep track of who everyone is

 

[dad]

i'm with it, pc is the only forum i've been on that allows username changes so i'm just grateful we have the option.

 

[Sopheria]

I voted 4 months, but I don't have a preference either way. People's names changing once every 4 months isn't that bad, but 6 months seems reasonable too. Also, wasn't a new policy put into place against "reserving" usernames with alt accounts and swapping them when the name change period comes around? That may on its own cut down on the number of username changes (since people don't have the security of knowing they can easily go back to their old name during the next name change), so going forward it might not be as confusing as we're used to it being.

 

[Wicked3DS]

If it went to 6 months I'd go back to Wicked3DS and don't expect me to change ever again. I like being able to only have to keep a name for a short amount of time.

 

[Poké Bean]

Would being able to change anytime be an option? Say members could have one change a year and supporters 2 (or more) but they can be done at any time?

 

[starseed galaxy auticorn]

I'm content with it just being 4 months, but I won't mind if it's six I guess. I never really notice when the name changes come up or how long it's been. It would give other people a chance to get used to their new names and such. I'm pretty content with my current name as well. I wouldn't know what to change it to if I ever did. If we had six months, I might consider going back to LokiofSassgard.

I also don't think supporters should get priority over earlier name changes. Staffers probably could, but I don't see why us supporters need to have earlier changes though. It's just confusing and unneeded if you ask me. I don't like the idea of supporters getting it early because we are still members just like everyone else to be honest. The only difference with us is that we donated money to the forums. Besides, don't we already get enough cool features for being one? We don't need anymore.

 

[Tsutarja]

Would being able to change anytime be an option? Say members could have one change a year and supporters 2 (or more) but they can be done at any time?

That's how it originally was with shorter changing intervals and we had a running thread, but it was backing up with members requesting name changes and other issues.

 

[moon]

I think three times a year like now is perfect. New years, spring and autumn. Four months is enough time to become your new name if you wish, but also short enough to revert to your old if you realize that you miss it more than you thought you would. I really don't think there's anything wrong with the 4 months interval we have now.

If it got changed to 6 months, well I'd just have to live with it. But I don't find it annoying when people change names, I think it's a really fun feature PC has. It's not just a username, it's an expression~ We have plenty of ways to keep track of who's who these days, for example by just clicking their username next to a post and see their previous name, so that's not really a heavy reason for changing the interval. Maybe once upon a time, when you had to go to their profile and check their statistics to see the old names, but like I said, that shouldn't qualify as a problem with the features of today xD

If you actually have good enough arguments for 4 months being too often, it would at least be nice if the supporter perk of one extra name change per year returned :3 as that would pretty much mean the same as the current standard and it'd be sweet ahah.


I quite like the system we have now btw, intervals aside. When we had a constant thread where people popped in and out depending on when their last change was, then it was pretty confusing. But now everybody is changing at the same time so there's no surprises really.

 

[Hiidoran]

I don't really much care one way or the other. I think I've changed my username only a handful of times in the entire 10 years I've been registered here.

I voted for every 6 months, but the current interval doesn't seem to be a problem either.

 

[Nick]

Please either change them to two times a year, one time a year, or no more username changes at all. I really do miss everyone having a consistent identity on here and knowing who everybody was. I get that they are a fun thing to have and they keep things interesting, but they're also rather annoying even with everything we have to show who is who based on past usernames on their profiles.

 

[Hikamaru]

If you actually have good enough arguments for 4 months being too often, it would at least be nice if the supporter perk of one extra name change per year returned :3 as that would pretty much mean the same as the current standard and it'd be sweet ahah.

This would not be a bad idea, since it seems balanced. I know how some people have come to regret their latest name a while after changing it, and maybe sorta-bringing this perk back might serve as an incentive to donate because there's not much separating Crystal from Gold tiers at the moment, aside from the former having customizable usertitles.

 

[Nihilego]

I'm quite surprised at the support for a 1-year option here, which I'd also be open to considering. I'd like to hear some more opinions on that, if anyone's got any.

Re: Supporter perks, I dunno. If I'm gonna bring back some sort of supporter name change perk, I'd want it to be Platinum-only, but I'm quite hesitant since that's a huge amount of money to expect someone to donate for any kind of perk. I'm not sure about bringing it back for Crystal supporters since differentiation between Crystal and Plat is a recurring issue, and I think that Crystal supporters get quite a lot of things already.

Also, wasn't a new policy put into place against "reserving" usernames with alt accounts and swapping them when the name change period comes around? That may on its own cut down on the number of username changes (since people don't have the security of knowing they can easily go back to their old name during the next name change)

No, there's no strict policy against that, but this is something I'm also considering doing. I don't think it's fair for existing members to have alts "reserving" usernames. Thinking of I'd enforce such a policy is the difficult part.

Would being able to change anytime be an option? Say members could have one change a year and supporters 2 (or more) but they can be done at any time?

We used to do it that way, but it was a complete nightmare for both the members and the admins. People didn't understand it very well, asked for names at times they couldn't ask for them at, there were all sorts of confusions about when you could take a name and whatnot, and the admins were having to deal with that all the time. We gave it a fair try, but the way we do it now has been working much better for everyone.

 

[Ullion]

I'm quite surprised at the support for a 1-year option here, which I'd also be open to considering. I'd like to hear some more opinions on that, if anyone's got any.

Re: Supporter perks, I dunno. If I'm gonna bring back some sort of supporter name change perk, I'd want it to be Platinum-only, but I'm quite hesitant since that's a huge amount of money to expect someone to donate for any kind of perk. I'm not sure about bringing it back for Crystal supporters since differentiation between Crystal and Plat is a recurring issue, and I think that Crystal supporters get quite a lot of things already.

Wasn't going to really join the conversation much, but I did want to respond to this. Is it possible to make a new supporter tier around $50-$75USD and balance the perks around Crystal-Something-Plat tiers? Don't know if this helps, since I haven't paid too much attention to what perks happen and at what stages.

Onto the actual topic though; I don't change my name. So personally, I don't really care on that front. I do get super confused when mass name changes happen at once, though. Although if people I know change their names - I usually keep up with it just fine and it doesn't bother me. But with more frequent name changes, people are more likely to do silly and temporary names. I'll put my vote down for once a year, but tbh; twice a year or thrice works as well. I'm not picky ;d

 

[moon]

people are more likely to do silly and temporary names.

And the harm in that is...? :3
am i defending this too hard, maybe i am ahahha. I just really like to be able to change my nickname here when I feel like being called something else by people I'm not close friends with (who usually call me by my name). That's not something we're privileged to do irl (because if you go around making up your own nicknames there, it's kinda weird haha) but on PC you are free to be who you want to be, every 4th month :3 Or not, if you've already found your perfect alias.

A side effect to having name changes less often is that more alt accounts might be created, hogging names people would like to take. As you mentioned earlier, about reserving. That's what people did when there were no changes possible, after all.

 

[Megan]

A side effect to having name changes less often is that more alt accounts might be created, hogging names people would like to take. As you mentioned earlier, about reserving. That's what people did when there were no changes possible, after all.

It's also the reason why a lot of other forums don't allow alternative accounts, which is a rule that doesn't apply here. Though, it could become a possibility.

 

[moon]

It's also the reason why a lot of other forums don't allow alternative accounts, which is a rule that doesn't apply here. Though, it could become a possibility.

Yeah, which would change PC a bit. Some might argue that it's for the better, while others have always enjoyed the freedom and variation that allows for :)

 

[Hikamaru]

A side effect to having name changes less often is that more alt accounts might be created, hogging names people would like to take. As you mentioned earlier, about reserving. That's what people did when there were no changes possible, after all.

I agree. This is what I could see happening a lot if the time periods were cut down to twice a year, and especially once a year. And I know that Alex wants to cut down on people reserving names via alt accounts as of late.

 

[ShieldWolf27]

While I voted 4 months, it doesn't bother me either way. A little OT, when is the next time to change my name.

 

[Hikamaru]

A little OT, when is the next time to change my name.

Next month is actually when the next name change round happens, so you'll only have to wait a few weeks.