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If username differs from display name, have link title change to username

Started by samborabora, July 29, 2014, 05:26:20 AM

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samborabora

I'd like it so that if the username is the same as the display name, or Real Name, and one hovers over the $message['member']['link'], it doesn't contain a title, (or defaults to $txt['profile_of'] . ' ' . $profile['real_name'] ) whereas if they have changed their display name, the link title becomes something like "Originally known as ****". I've looaded at the Load array, and I've also tried things in Display.Template, but it just breaks it. Any ideas?

Arantor

Curious, but why?

On the contrary, it's always been a good policy to have a different username to display name to limit people trying to break into your account (my username is neither the interrobang symbol nor Arantor, makes bruteforcing my account much more difficult)

kat

Some people register with their real names and prefer their display name to be different, for reasons of security.

If you do what you're attempting to do, you might well seriously piss some of your members off.

Indeed, if I was a member of your forum and you did that, I'd leave, straight away. After all, my display name is for me to decide, not you. :)

Illori

Quote from: K@ on July 29, 2014, 06:05:39 AM
Indeed, if I was a member of your forum and you did that, I'd leave, straight away. After all, my display name is for me to decide, not you. :)

that is only if the forum allows you to change the display name to start, and since the admin runs the show they have the right to change your display name if they want.

Arantor

Indeed but if an admin starts actively messing around except in cases of dealing with offensive usernames, they are even more likely to drive people away.

kat

Exactly. Just because something CAN be done, doesn't mean that it'd a good thing to do.

Arantor

I was most aggrieved a few days ago when on a forum my avatar was changed from the one I had selected to the system default (which is autogenerated from username) all because several of us all uploaded the same avatar to prove a point. Apparently multiple people all having the same avatar is confusing (even when they're all making valid points that criticise the way something is being done)

samborabora


Burke ♞ Knight

Quote from: samborabora on July 29, 2014, 07:06:21 AM
Okay, I'll put a disclaimer. What's the code to achieve this?


Disclaimer or not, making a member's real name forcibly visible, is not something that should be done.
I for one, think it falls under invasion of privacy, so I'm not sure if it would be wise for someone to do this.

samborabora

Their username is visable from the profile link anyways, I didn't mean their ACTUAL real name (like Jane Doe) but their display name.

So, I want their CHANGEABLE name to be as usual, in the <h4> block, and their ORIGINAL username on the title= rollover.

Burke ♞ Knight

Username is NOT visible to everyone, only the member and the Admin.
Look at my profile here, and you will NOT see my username.

samborabora

Quote from: BurkeKnight on July 29, 2014, 08:35:33 AM
Username is NOT visible to everyone, only the member and the Admin.
Look at my profile here, and you will NOT see my username.

Okay, I'm displaying usernames publicly, they are not hidden. eBay doesn't hide login usernames, amazon doesn't hide seller's login usernames and twitter doesn't hide login usernames, so I think I'll be safe enough.

It's probably just a php compare string, but since everything's bound up together in $message['member']['link'], and taking the link part of the array out doesn't work (even with changing profile to message, etc) in Display.template, I was hoping someone with some better knowledge of SMF templates and arrays would assist.

Arantor

Just because <xyz> does it does not mean it's a good idea.

The problem is the people who are absolutely best qualified to help you with this are convinced it's a bad idea and refuse to help you as a result. I should not even have stepped into this thread, knowing how it would turn out.

kat

Why not just tell your members that they MUST have the name username and display name?

That way, they can either comply, or quit your forum.

Mush easier than the (what I perceive as) subterfuge...

samborabora

Quote from: ‽ on July 29, 2014, 09:38:10 AM
I should not even have stepped into this thread, knowing how it would turn out.

Why? It's not turned out any way in particular, there's no problem, you have offered some interesting viewpoints and contributed to the discussion in a constructive manner.

Quote from: K@ on July 29, 2014, 12:34:28 PM
Why not just tell your members that they MUST have the name username and display name?

That way, they can either comply, or quit your forum.

Mush easier than the (what I perceive as) subterfuge...

It's more of an easy way for everyone to know who everyone was.

"Hey, who's d***e?"
"No idea, they've got loads of posts"
"Hmm, anyone know?"
vs
"Hey, who's d***e?"
"Just rollover and see for yourself"
"Ahh, nice new name, member!"

I really don't see this possible scenario as an invasion of privacy, the entire board is a public place for information, and a username should be as public as anything. Email addresses are different, they should be secure as anything. But when the SIGN-UP Registration page doesn't offer the option to securely hide your username or even pick a display name initially, there's no reason why it should be kept such a secret. I could understand if the username and display name were picked on the registration page, but when an inexperienced user would more than likely have to post a thread to ask a question on how to change their display name FROM their default username, it seems unusual that this would be such a prickly issue.

Arantor

Quoteyou have offered some interesting viewpoints and contributed to the discussion in a constructive manner.

Yes, but it was a waste of my time because I know full well that like previous matters you've already made your mind up and nothing I say will convince you otherwise.

kat

So, what if they change their  name, again?

Sorry. But, I can only see this ending in tears, myself.

samborabora

Quote from: ‽ on July 29, 2014, 02:00:00 PM
Quoteyou have offered some interesting viewpoints and contributed to the discussion in a constructive manner.

Yes, but it was a waste of my time because I know full well that like previous matters you've already made your mind up and nothing I say will convince you otherwise.
And yourself, likewise. I'd like to think that you might offer assistance in the form of practical examples if you were presented with  enough valid reasons for a particular issue, as I feel I have done.

Quote from: K@ on July 29, 2014, 02:01:18 PM
So, what if they change their  name, again?

Sorry. But, I can only see this ending in tears, myself.

As I originally started, we would only be viewing the username. Username, ie: the initial name chosen upon registration. This would be displayed in the title html of the link, upon hovering the display name. Display name, ie: the name the user can change at will.

And I doubt it would cause tears, even hypothetical tears, we are all grown adults.

Arantor

Sorry, I refuse to offer assistance to something I fundamentally disagre with.

Burke ♞ Knight

Quote from: samborabora on July 29, 2014, 01:57:13 PM
It's more of an easy way for everyone to know who everyone was.

"Hey, who's d***e?"
"No idea, they've got loads of posts"
"Hmm, anyone know?"
vs
"Hey, who's d***e?"
"Just rollover and see for yourself"
"Ahh, nice new name, member!"

1. A username can be just as made up as a display name, so there really is no difference. The member will still be a "Hmm, anyone know?"

2. "Ahh, nice new name, member!" What the heck? You really think that showing the username is really going to tell who the person really is? Re-read my #1 above.

3. There is NO reason to do this, as stated above in so many posts. For those people that do use a diferent username verswus display name, they do it for SECURITY reasons. Meaning, people can all see the DISPLAY name, but not the USERNAME. That way, HACKERS can't use what they see, to try to HACK the member's account.

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