First and Last Names Policy
- This topic has 26 replies, 17 voices, and was last updated Jul 25, 2010 at 6:37 pm by
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In North Carolina and parts of Georgia, they post these signs on the outside of town that show the local seatbelt law compliance. Usually it’s about 80-90%. Up in Bryson City, I got a huge kick out of seeing one county with about 30% compliance.
We now have about 80-90% compliance with the name policy on this site. I am very thankful to those of you who have chosen to go by your full first and last names. I am somewhat less thankful to those of you who have hidden your last name in favor of an initial, but hey, it’s a step in the right direction, right? 🙂 (That was a joke).
For those of you who have registered in your real name or real name and an initial, then used a handle for your board interactions, I appreciate the gesture but I wanted to remind you that others can’t necessarily see your registration name (I can because I am an administrator). So, we’re kind of backwards here; the idea is for everyone to at least know your first name (and yes, this adds a layer of accountability that I want to preserve).
For those who have not registered in your own name and who are also using a handle, I would remind you that no one else here seems to have had a problem with unveiling themselves. I see zero risk in what I am asking, especially if you continue to hide your last name (which is still not ideal, but I bow to realities). Please switch over from full handle use as soon as possible.
Thanks,
Zach
How to Change Your Display Name
These are the steps you should take to comply with this board’s policies on names.Your Displayed Name is not the same as your username. Let’s say you registered with the username “troutfishing.” To log in, you would type “troutfishing” and your original password.
However, “troutfishing” is not an acceptable Displayed Name on this board (no handles allowed, please).
To change your display name, once you have logged in (“troutfishing”), do the following:
(1) Look at the top of the page and click “User CP.”
(2) In the User Control Panel (that’s what CP stands for), at the top left of the control panel you will see a button called “Profile.” Click “Profile.”
(3) Now you will see “Edit My Profile.” Click that.
(4) You will be asked to confirm your password.
(5) Finally, you will be given a screen where you can change your password. Immediately below this is a blank called “Displayed Name.”
Now, you need to change your Displayed Name to reflect your real First and Last name. If you’re not comfortable with your complete information on the internet, I am willing to make an exception, but I do require at least a first name and last initial (“Bob W.”) or first initial last name (“B. Williams”).
As we’ve stated many times, this is to promote camaraderie and make everyone as responsible for their comments as they would be in a real life club. Based on the feedback, it’s clear this works. Given that there are many “Bob W.”s in the world, I really prefer if you use your full name, but I do understand that there may be legitimate reasons why you can’t in some circumstances.
(6) To change your Displayed Name, simply change the name in the blank (by default it should be your login name) to reflect your real name, and then click Save Changes at the bottom.
Zach, is it necessary to re-register to change the handle? If not, I missed that option on the User CP. I have only 1st name as posting name, but always include full name on sig – kosher? Don’t know hat eitf I used full name in registering or not – can’t see that either.
Thanks –
Kent - FlyFishGA
Here’s a timely article underscoring why I insist on the use of real names, which as far as I can tell is unique in the fly fishing internets.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/11/03/angry.internet/index.html
I genuinely believe the respectful tenor of this board is due to this one rule.
Zach
Zach,
I started using my given name on all message boards about two or three years ago.
I use to frequent a couple of “Traditional Archery
Hey guys –
This needed to be bumped for some of the new folks.
Zach
Zach, can’t you make it a sticky topic, then it should appear at the top of all the boards?
Hey guys –
Just as an additional note, in the near future I am going to begin doing just a little light editing to profiles, strictly to improve the way the board lays out. Some of you have chosen to put your handle in your display name along with your real name. While I appreciate the gesture, handles should really be placed in the “personal text” block (which displays right below your name) or else in your signature line. The reason here is to keep the board from double-stacking extra-long names in the main layout, which causes the site to break on some browsers (particularly mobile ones). Please understand if your name is suddenly capitalized or justified or something, I’m just doing it to improve the look and feel for all the other site users.
Thanks,
ZachPS It’s come to my attention that some of you CAN’T capitalize or change your name because there is a duplicate user registration.
Ok….fully compliant here too! I was one of the “last name initial using losers”!! haha
Thanks for a great board Zach! I don’t post a lot but I read most every day!
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