Misplaced Pages:Username policy: Difference between revisions

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	===Real names versus pseudonyms===		===Real names versus pseudonyms===
	Historically many wikis have encouraged users to use their real name as their user name see, e.g., ], in their belief that a user will offer constructive contributions to the project if they are more likely to be accountable for their actions. Most Misplaced Pages users choose to use pseudonyms, although many disclose their real names on their user pages.		Historically many wikis have encouraged users to use their real name as their user name see, e.g., ], in their belief that a user will offer constructive contributions to the project if they are more likely to be accountable for their actions. Most Misplaced Pages users choose to use pseudonyms, although many disclose their real names on their user pages. Misplaced Pages editors have occasionally been subject to harrassment outside of Misplaced Pages due to their contributions or vandal-fighting activities on Misplaced Pages.

	Also if you use a ] rather than a user name that identifies you with your real name, U.S. copyright law grants you only a fixed period of copyright rather than one based upon when you die.		Also if you use a ] rather than a user name that identifies you with your real name, U.S. copyright law grants you only a fixed period of copyright rather than one based upon when you die.

Revision as of 00:12, 2 December 2005

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When you create a new account, so you can log in, one of the things you'll have to do is pick a username. This page gives some advice on this.

What are usernames used for?

Your user name will be attached to all your edits, while you're logged in. This is partly for reasons of accountability. It's also helpful from a copyright perspective: if someone wants to use your contributions in a way not allowed under the Misplaced Pages copyright, they can ask you on your talk page, for example. Also, the GFDL encourages giving appropriate credit to authors, and your username is used to give that credit.

It's possible to change your username, see Misplaced Pages:Changing username.

We recommend against using multiple usernames, unless you have a very good reason. See Misplaced Pages:Sock puppet.

Choosing a username

The best username is typically either your real name, or a longstanding Internet pen name. Please pick a username that helps us to write an encyclopedia. That means picking a name that you're comfortable writing under, but it also means picking a name that others are comfortable seeing and collaborating with.

Remember that a controversial name may colour other users' perspective on your own credibility or political viewpoint. In addition remember that Misplaced Pages is a world-wide source book and so take care in selecting a name to avoid anything that might potentially cause offence to someone from a different culture, religious or ethnic group.

Misplaced Pages recommends that users avoid

names of politicians, military or religious figures or events;
any other names that may be seen as potentially offensive, or endorsing or opposing the politics, policies or beliefs of a public figure.

People should be able to judge you purely on your contributions, not an emotional response to a potentially controversial nickname. Avoiding such names is in your own interest. So do please be careful. Remember you are working as part of a community. Show everyone else the respect for their beliefs that you expect them to show to you.

Real names versus pseudonyms

Historically many wikis have encouraged users to use their real name as their user name see, e.g., MeatBall:UseRealNames, in their belief that a user will offer constructive contributions to the project if they are more likely to be accountable for their actions. Most Misplaced Pages users choose to use pseudonyms, although many disclose their real names on their user pages. Misplaced Pages editors have occasionally been subject to harrassment outside of Misplaced Pages due to their contributions or vandal-fighting activities on Misplaced Pages.

Also if you use a pseudonym rather than a user name that identifies you with your real name, U.S. copyright law grants you only a fixed period of copyright rather than one based upon when you die.

Avoid using real names of famous figures (living or recently deceased). Many editors consider them overly disruptive and may request that you change them. Creating a username of a famous person, and then performing disruptive eds in that "name", or in an attempt to discredit it, will likely result in actions listed under the "Inappropriate usernames" section.

Username capitalization

Misplaced Pages usernames are case sensitive and, for consistency, the first letter of all usernames will be capitalized when you create an account. This means that if you request the username "your name", the account created will instead be: "Your name".

If your username will consist of more than one name, and you'd like your signature to be internally consistent, you might prefer to capitalize each one when you create the account. This conforms to the widely accepted rules of capitalization: usernames are, after all, proper nouns. Examples would be "Your Name", "Your Middle Name", and "Your M Name".

Inappropriate usernames

Inappropriate usernames include both clear and masked names. Misplaced Pages does not allow certain usernames, including the following:

No confusing or misleading usernames, eg:

Names which can be confused with other contributors. (If someone else is using a nickname that you wish to use, please consider using your real name or an alternative pseudonym instead. In the unlikely event that someone else is editing Misplaced Pages with your real name, please add a middle name or some other way of distinguishing between you and the existing contributor)
Names which include commonly used Misplaced Pages software or community terms, or imply an official position on Misplaced Pages . (eg, terms such as recent changes, Administrator or the now-blocked name NPOVenforcer)
Also, beware that the letter capital i and lowercase L look exactly the same (I/l) on certain fonts, as do numeric "1" (1/I/l) and numeric zero ("0/O/o"). This should be taken into account, and creative use of one in place of the other (I where L whould be normal and vice version) is discouraged, given its past misuse.

Users have been blocked in the past for choosing usernames which were perceived as impersonation attempts on present users, or gave the impression of being "official".

It is also recommended that users do not choose usernames that consist of random characters, such as "asd89w43jsw94". The user may be mistaken by an administrator for a vandalbot and blocked.

No inflammatory usernames Misplaced Pages does not allow potentially inflammatory or offensive user names. Inflammatory usernames are needlessly discouraging to other contributors, and disrupt and distract from our task of creating an encyclopedia. This includes, but is not limited to:

Names which promote racial/ethnic/national/religious/homophobic hatred
Names which are recognised as racial/ethnic/national/religious/homophobic slurs
Names which refer to symbols of racial/ethnic/national/religious/homophobic hatred, including historical figures who are widely associated with such
Names which refer to sexual acts or genitalia
Names which refer to violent real world actions
Names which are scatological or pornographic
Names which contain profanity, obscenities, or other potentially offensive language
Misspellings, or spellings of the above with "cr34+1v3 sub5717u710nz"

No harassing or defamatory usernames: Harassment and defamation is in any case inappropriate on Misplaced Pages. Further, your username is not a vehicle to attack other users with whom you have a disagreement. Your username should not be used to insult or mock other users, usernames, articles, or actions. Additionally, a username should not be used to defame other people, companies or groups, regardless of whether they edit Misplaced Pages.

Fairly or unfairly, the line between acceptable and unacceptable user names is drawn by those who find the username inappropriate, not by the creator of the name.

No usernames that closely resemble notorious Wikipedians' usernames. Willy on Wheels, Misplaced Pages is Communism, and the like are considered to be the most infamous usernames. Any username based on these or significantly similar to them will likely be blocked as soon as it is seen. Generally, such names are difficult to choose accidentally, but if you are concerned see the lists of past names linked earlier in this paragraph.

Rationale

The primary purpose of user names is to identify and distinguish contributors. This facilitates communication and record-keeping. The user name is not a forum to be offensive or make a statement. No one has a right to any particular user name. While colorful, interesting, or expressive names may add to the pleasure of Misplaced Pages, they are not essential. This might include legitimate names and long-established internet pseudonyms that can be misconstrued.

Signatures

Through the Preferences, one can choose a nickname used in signatures, independent of the actual user name (connected to a User: page). In general, the same rules apply for signatures as for usernames. A signature should not be misleading.

For more information on signatures, read the official guideline at Misplaced Pages:Sign your posts on talk pages.

Changing inappropriate usernames

If enough people complain about your user name (through talk pages or the mailing lists or Meta-Misplaced Pages), the administrators will change it. Neither complaints, nor name changes should be arbitrary, but user names that are offensive to a significant number of people will be changed, not without notice, but without appeal.

Co-operative contributors should normally just be made aware of our policy via a post on their talk page. Voluntary changes (via Misplaced Pages:Changing username) are preferred: users from other countries and/or age groups may make mistakes about choosing names -- immediate blocking or listing on RfC could scare off new users acting in good faith.

Where a change must be forced, we first discuss it. This can take place on either (A) the user's talk page, (B) a subpage of the user's talk page, or (C) a sub page of Misplaced Pages:Requests for comment. It should be listed on Misplaced Pages:Requests for comment in the appropriate section. The user should also be made aware of the discussion.

For uncontroversial cases where the user is actively editing, the decision can be taken in a day or two. For more controversial cases where the user is less actively editing, a week is more appropriate. For highly controversial cases, or cases whether the user has left Misplaced Pages, discussion might well take a month.

After an appropriate time for discussion, a sysop can take a judgement on the name in question. They should only take action if their judgement is that a "rough consensus" has arisen that the username is inappropriate. This will involve blocking the inappropriate username, for which see Misplaced Pages:Blocking policy.

However, the username changing mechanism is currently disabled, and administrators may block inappropriate usernames on sight.

Where inappropriate or borderline inappropriate usernames are coupled with vandalism, the username may be blocked indefinitely on sight: again, see Misplaced Pages:Blocking policy.

Usernames that are designed to impersonate legitimate users may be blocked immediately. The IP address of these users should be left autoblocked.

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