Name Changes No More

[Ragnar]

Recently the forum has been imperceptibly growing slightly. Despite the number of postings not seeming any more, registrations increase apace: the average continues at 5 - 6 a day, but some days goes up to 12; and the number of members on at American evening hours has sometimes reached 70.

With growth comes change; with change comes responsibility; with responsibility comes care; with care comes cynicism; with cynicism comes brutality... ( I could continue this a long time ).


Anyway, due both to the increased server load and the safeguarding of the databases, and the confusion caused by name changes of long-standing members, it has been decided that from now on there will be no more changes except under exceptional circumstance. Which includes stalking fears and harmonization with other boards, but for both of which some proof may be required. Such requests will only be considered by a PM to any admin who will bring it before committee.

There is a window of one month for new members to regularize their choice of names. Everyone else has been given two weeks, up to 6th February GMT to decide whether they want their name altered in any way.


Hopefully not too many will avail themselves; every change is bad news for the databases. To quote from another board which had to implement the same policy:


The biggest reason is a bunch of "nasty" SQL queries have to run on the DB servers, and the database for the forum is just getting too big. In some cases, a username change can seize up (meaning no one can use that server for the forum) a DB server for 5-10 minutes. Forces a few full table scans on many gigabytes of data.

So from now on, you need a very, VERY good reason to change it (I can't think of a good enough reason off the top of my head, but maybe there is one).

Digital Point

 

[Toad]

Thank God! I'm starting to get confused about who is who these days. Too many people change their names...

 

[Cognisant]

With growth comes change; with change comes responsibility; with responsibility comes care; with care comes cynicism; with cynicism comes brutality... ( I could continue this a long time ).

Fascist

(wouldn't have it any other way)

 

[sagewolf]

So... everyone can just be happy with what they have now and stop confusing me?

 

[Tyria]

I would like to change to 'Tyria' please.

 

[Claverhouse]

You would have to PM an admin.


They can't be expected to monitor this thread ( a healthy admin in prime condition requires 20+ hours of sleep a day ).




Claverhouse

 

[Tyria]

Thank you for the advice.

I expect admins are somewhat like cats in their regard for needing large amounts of sleep

 

[loveofreason]

Auburn is now Azarath.

I anticipate much wailing and rending of shirts.

Please, perhaps I could be executed for murdering the innocent... even if it was euthanasia, I must be punished.

*looks confused as someone shadowy tries to press thirty pieces of silver into her hands*

 

[Anthile]

Azarath, eh? Looks like he really likes Teen Titans.

 

[sagewolf]

...May I change my name, for one day, to "HaHaHaGuessWhoIAm"?

I'll even change my avatar and signature at the same time, to make the game really, really fun.

We need a comprehensive list of who used to be who.

 

[Claverhouse]

Cauterise is now Words.

Note that if any changes are requested, then the admins have decided there will be a 30 day cooling-off gap.




Claverhouse

 

[Beat Mango]

My reason for requesting a name change is that I feel that it no longer has its anonymity - too many people IRL know of my internet alias and I'd rather keep this posts private. The other alternative is that I request a deletion of my account (assuming there are no similar restrictions) and I don't want to do that. So again I request, please, that my name is changed to Beat.

 

[Claverhouse]

Beat Mango is as far as we are prepared to go.


You must understand that quite apart from annoying the databases --- which have to find and replace one name with another, except for quoted posts where the old name remains --- as Ragnar mentioned, this severely selfish action causes confusion and revulsion amongst members: who then have to work out who was whom, and why is this post addressed to someone who does not seem to be a member.


As for requesting a deletion of account, good luck with that.



BTW, how the hell do you slip into conversation the fact that your nom-de-plume is Banana Mango ?




Claverhouse

 

[Beat Mango]

Ok I'll take Beat Mango - thank you.

 

[Claverhouse]

K. But the Demons of the Database will curse your name.

Banana Mango now Beat Mango.




Claverhouse

 

[asmit127]

As a computer-y person I have to wonder who designed the database. The sane rules of database design dictate that each entity should have a unique number assigned with the name stored only once against it. The number is smaller to store on each post and the name can then be looked up when required. This would make name changes easy! No less confusing though...

Is there need for a new forum database ... package? I've been looking for a project

 

[Melkor]

*Slaps the new guy for being so insolent as to question the admins in all their wisdom*

>:{

You ser', are a deville.

 

[Flacid]

i'd like mine changed to

Ccret 0F MANA

 

[Claverhouse]

This thread is not for name change requests, as is apparent from the title.

As a computer-y person I have to wonder who designed the database. The sane rules of database design dictate that each entity should have a unique number assigned with the name stored only once against it. The number is smaller to store on each post and the name can then be looked up when required. This would make name changes easy! No less confusing though...

Is there need for a new forum database ... package? I've been looking for a project

vBulletin was devised by these people: Jelsoft was a British firm, but a few years ago vBull was sold to a Californian firm, Internet Brands, and some problems have ensued which have led to the determination that we shall not go on to Series 4 once Series 3 is EOL, but to a new software; as mentioned in a thread in the same sub as this: Upgrade to vBulletin 4 Virtually Impossible.



Series 3 will stagger on for about a year ( although Jelsoft still issues security fixes for Series 2... which is rather nice of them ) --- vbulletin.org itself has not upgraded from 3.6.12--- and various php forum products are being considered, especially SMF, but not excluding proprietary firms, if the form can be converted, and we can get a blogging system as one admin requires and there are adequate plugins to match what we possess already. I quite like Dragonfly, mainly because it has a cool name.


Sadly, for security reasons we shall have to go with any established software. vBulletin Series 4 does have blogging capabilities, but apart from being vastly more expensive exponentially is awesomely fugly.




Claverhouse

 

[Melkor]

i'd like mine changed to

Ccret 0F MANA

And I would like you to die in a fire sir.
Will the administration, under the concern of perpetuating the illusion of democracy, grant us both our wishes?


*Adds awesomely fugly to a list of phrases never before used by Claver*

 

[Fedayeen]

Could I be permitted to have my name changed back to what it used to be?

nobody.

I dont anybody recognizes this username. but at least a decent amount of the older users remember me as nobody

 

[DarkGreen]

Clav can I be that one user with that username?