# Usernames that appear to be duplicates



## Dave*H (Nov 29, 2007)

My username is "Dave_H", and I have been using it almost since the current BBS was set up.  A few months ago, a user registered as "Dave H" (no underscore).  On the BBS, it is difficult to tell that "Dave_H" is different from "Dave H" because the username in the posts is displayed with an underscore.  When I first saw postings from "Dave H", I thought my username had been hijacked because I saw postings I did not make.  Is it possible to get a username changed so that we don't appear to be the same user?


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## Bill4728 (Nov 29, 2007)

Dave_H said:


> My username is "Dave_H", and I have been using it almost since the current BBS was set up.  A few months ago, a user registered as "Dave H" (no underscore).  On the BBS, it is difficult to tell that "Dave_H" is different from "Dave H" because the username in the posts is displayed with an underscore.  When I first saw postings from "Dave H", I thought my username had been hijacked because I saw postings I did not make.  Is it possible to get a username changed so that we don't appear to be the same user?


Since most of the time,  user names are underlined, your _ (underscore) will seldom be visiable.  If you want, it is possible to change your username, which maybe a good idea in your case.

PS To change your user name:


Makai Guy said:


> Your username is the one thing in your bbs user profile you cannot change yourself, but the administrators can do it for you manually.
> 
> Use the "Contact BBS Admin" link in the blue bar near the bottom of the page to send in your request. Please provide your desired username and, if it has not already been taken by somebody else, we'll take it from there. You might want to provide several names in order of preference in case your first choice is already in use.
> 
> ...


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## JoeMid (Nov 29, 2007)

Maybe it's a factor of the quality of the monitor, but I have no difficulty discerning the underscore even w/o my glasses.


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## Ann-Marie (Nov 29, 2007)

I do not see the underscore at all.  On my screen it liiks like Dave H, and then underlined.


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## JoeMid (Nov 29, 2007)

JoeMid said:


> Maybe it's a factor of the quality of the monitor, but I have no difficulty discerning the underscore even w/o my glasses.





Ann-Marie said:


> I do not see the underscore at all.  On my screen it liiks like Dave H, and then underlined.


Then you definitely need to either put on your glasses, or if that doesn't work, buy a better monitor.  Now you know.


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## TUGBrian (Nov 29, 2007)

I think its more of a factor of the browser display settings...vs someones eyesight.


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## AwayWeGo (Nov 29, 2007)

*What's In A Name ?*

Shux, there are several folks named Alan on TUG-BBS -- & at least 1 other Alan Cole in addition to me.  Not only that, for some of us there's no direct connection between our I.D.-card names & our TUG-BBS user names -- not that anything's wrong with that. 

It's just an outgrowth of the expansion of TUG & TUG-BBS. 

How much longer before everybody from _Aaron Aardvark_ to _Z.Z. Zyzzle_ will be signed up ? 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## Fern Modena (Nov 29, 2007)

Although its really unfair that *you* should have to change your name since you had it first, I have a thought  you might want to consider.  Since it appears that the board's software will accept hyphens, why not have them change your name to Dave-H?  That's almost what you have now, and certainly easier to make out.

If you want it changed, Brian (Tug Improvements) can do it for you, no problem.

Fern



Dave_H said:


> My username is "Dave_H", and I have been using it almost since the current BBS was set up.  A few months ago, a user registered as "Dave H" (no underscore).  On the BBS, it is difficult to tell that "Dave_H" is different from "Dave H" because the username in the posts is displayed with an underscore.  When I first saw postings from "Dave H", I thought my username had been hijacked because I saw postings I did not make.  Is it possible to get a username changed so that we don't appear to be the same user?


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## AwayWeGo (Nov 29, 2007)

*Or Just Go Semi-Creative.*




Fern Modena said:


> Since it appears that the board's software will accept hyphens, why not have them change your name to Dave-H?


What about _Dave-Aitch_ ? 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## barndweller (Nov 29, 2007)

Oh, Alan, I like that suggestion! You are so clever & make me laugh each day. By the bye...do you have a stash of avitars somewhere? You seem to have more of them than the Real Housewives of O.C. have botox injections!


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## TUGBrian (Nov 29, 2007)

yes indeed...if you wish to change your name any of the admins (myself included) will happily do it for you with only the request via email from you.

we will also change your ratings/reviews name so they remain the same.

all prior posts will be labeled with your new name btw if you do choose to change it...so people wont be totally in the dark about who you are/were =)


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## AwayWeGo (Nov 29, 2007)

*Dueling Grand Pros ?*




TUG Improvements! said:


> if you wish to change your name any of the admins (myself included) will happily do it for you


_Whoa !_  More than 1 TUG-BBS Grand Pro ? 

Who knew ?

Would be quite a sight if 1 Grand Pro kept changing my name & another Grand Pro kept changing it back. 

That would short-circuit the servers in a flash, no ? 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## TUGBrian (Nov 29, 2007)

while I cant speak for myself...I have no doubt the other two admins are bright enough to figure that out =)


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## AwayWeGo (Nov 29, 2007)

*Those Little Pictures.*




barndweller said:


> By the bye...do you have a stash of avitars somewhere?


I snag'm off the Internet & save'm up on the electric computer C:\ drive somewhere so that I can install a new 1 approximately weekly.  

The Chief Of Staff says I should be careful not to use any little pictures that look like Alfred E. Neuman or The 3 Stooges or Mortimer Snerd, or any kind of monkeys & apes, etc., because folks are apt to think those are pictures of me. 

Somebody on TUG-BBS (not a Grand Pro -- just 1 of the regular folks) once got semi-irritated over 1 of those little pictures I was using, which is unfortunate because just about everything I do on TUG-BBS is intended for fun & good humor, & certainly not to get anybody's goat intentionally.  (I mean, timeshares are for fun, so why shouldn't TUG & TUG-BBS be just as much for fun?  As the song says, _Don't Take It Serious -- It's Too Mysterious_.)

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## TUGBrian (Nov 29, 2007)

I enjoy the avatars...provided they arent vulgar and such...there are plenty of sites around (do a quick google search on the word avatar) that house thousands if not more avatars for your own use...

that is if you dont want to use a personal picture and such.


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## Dave*H (Nov 29, 2007)

Thanks.  I'll put in a request to get mine changes.  I usually use IE but just gave Firefox a try.  In Firefox, I can differentiate "Dave_H" from "Dave H" so it would appear to be browser dependent.


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## DaveNV (Nov 29, 2007)

Dave_H said:


> Thanks.  I'll put in a request to get mine changes.  I usually use IE but just gave Firefox a try.  In Firefox, I can differentiate "Dave_H" from "Dave H" so it would appear to be browser dependent.



For what it's worth, I'm using IE 6 on a laptop with a normal LCD screen, and I can't see the underscore.  Just the underline.

And I'm already wearing my glasses.  

Dave


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## barndweller (Nov 29, 2007)

I'm using IE 7 or whatever newest version I just updated to last week. No underscore for me either and I've got my brand new glasses on.


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## Ann-Marie (Nov 29, 2007)

JoeMid said:


> Then you definitely need to either put on your glasses, or if that doesn't work, buy a better monitor.  Now you know.



My response was for informational purposes to the original poster.  Your response where you quoted me was outright NASTY.  I hope you have a better day tomorrow.


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## philemer (Nov 29, 2007)

Does your post count go back to zero when you change your "name"? I think it use to way back when.


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## TUGBrian (Nov 29, 2007)

no...post count remains the same.


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## Keitht (Dec 3, 2007)

JoeMid said:


> Maybe it's a factor of the quality of the monitor, but I have no difficulty discerning the underscore even w/o my glasses.





Ann-Marie said:


> I do not see the underscore at all.  On my screen it liiks like Dave H, and then underlined.





JoeMid said:


> Then you definitely need to either put on your glasses, or if that doesn't work, buy a better monitor.  Now you know.



On the off chance that the final post was a failed attempt at humour, I'd suggest using smilies if humour was intended.  As posted it has come across as simply extremely rude and personal.
As others have noted, the visibility of the underscore is dependent on browser and not the quality of either the monitor or eyesight.


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## AwayWeGo (Dec 4, 2007)

*Zat You, Alan Ray Cole ?*

Sure, there are lots more people walking around than there are separate, individual, unique names for everybody.  But even so, I got to wondering whether this Alan Ray Cole is the same guy as our fellow TUG-BBS member Alan Ray Cole. 

When I was younger ( 18 ~ 22 ) I would make it a point to use all 3 names -- Alan Andrew Cole -- 1st given name after the late Alan Hodgson, my mother's cousin, I believe, RCAF pilot killed in WW2 -- middle name after my mother's father Andrew (NMI) Porteous -- surname from the regular chain of identity down through my father's family tree. 

That got to be too much trouble so I started going with the neat, short version.  So what if it's a name-combo shared by dozens upon dozens of other folks?  If we were all in the same glee club or fraternal lodge or law firm or jazz band or cell block or high school home room or HOA-BOD or some such, it might sometimes lead to a bit of confusion.  As it is in the real world, we're each known to our own separate circles of family & friends & acquaintances in a more or less confusion-free way.  No problem. 

Putting it another way, there aren't enough of us to have our own international club, unlike the folks named, say, Jim Smith . 

So it goes. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## AwayWeGo (Feb 29, 2008)

*I Am Going Out On A Limb . . .*




> Sure, there are lots more people walking around than there are separate, individual, unique names for everybody.  But even so, I got to wondering whether this Alan Ray Cole is the same guy as our fellow TUG-BBS member Alan Ray Cole.


. . . & saying it _is_ the same Alan Ray Cole. 

-- Alan [non-Ray] Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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