Full Version: Finding user's forum name
From: Carl (CSEWELL) [#1]
8 Jan 2007
To: ALL
After trying to search for a post every which way I could think of, I thought that by searching by usernames might be more productive. The problem was knowing the correct username. Is there some way to quickly find a user's forum name? Yes, you can search for their name and hope it is in their signature. Or look for a recent post that they might have made. Is there a better way?
I don't have much luck searching the forum. Is anybody having better success? Care to share your methodology? Boolean?
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#2]
8 Jan 2007
To: Carl (CSEWELL) [#1] 8 Jan 2007
If you go to the "Forum Stats" field, located at the bottom of this page and click on "View Complete List" you'll see a list of registered members who have recently been online.
Below that window, is a search by username window.
As an example, if you search for the name "Jim" you'll see a list of members with that name.
Until we become a "real name community" that's the best method of searching for a username.
From: Carl (CSEWELL) [#3]
8 Jan 2007
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#2] 8 Jan 2007
Thanks!
I knew the recent visitors were in the stats window, but I didn't see the View Complete List and then Search. The search works on usernames and nicknames. That's what I was looking for.
EDITED: 8 Jan 2007 by CSEWELL
From: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY) [#4]
9 Jan 2007
To: Carl (CSEWELL) [#3] 9 Jan 2007
EDITED: 9 Jan 2007 by HARVEY-ONLY
From: Carl (CSEWELL) [#5]
9 Jan 2007
To: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY) [#4] 9 Jan 2007
Just to clarify, the name in parenthesis (forum name, not the nickname) should be used for general searches.
Either name (nickname or the name in parenthesis) can be used when searching for a user in the complete list of users.
From: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY) [#6]
9 Jan 2007
To: Carl (CSEWELL) [#5] 9 Jan 2007
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#7]
9 Jan 2007
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#2] 9 Jan 2007
Until we become a "real name community"
David,
Does this imply that ALL registered users will need to use their real name?
From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#8]
9 Jan 2007
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#7] 9 Jan 2007
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#9]
9 Jan 2007
To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#8] 9 Jan 2007
I agree. Nicknames are fun, but it makes it easier to get to know folks that use their names. That was the reason I asked.
What was your name again? B-)
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#10]
9 Jan 2007
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#7] 9 Jan 2007
As David says, that will be the format. I've been looking into other sites that require actual names, to determine what verification method we can use.
Same thing with email addresses. They'll have to be permanent. Not the type that expire due to inactivity.
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#11]
9 Jan 2007
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#10] 9 Jan 2007
David,
Thank you for the clarification. It was a correct assumptin on my part ( for a change) {insert laugh here}.
I think the use of proper names lends itself to a sense of community and family, which is one of the main reasons I am a member on EE. I am continually amazed at the friendships I have made with people I have never met. ALL OVER THE GLOBE.
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#12]
9 Jan 2007
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#11] 9 Jan 2007
I haven't seen where the use of real names has slowed such sites down. In fact, it brings another level of credibility, not that we ever lacked. :-)
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#13]
9 Jan 2007
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#12] 9 Jan 2007
From: RALLYGUY (RALLYGUY1) [#14]
11 Jan 2007
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#12] 11 Jan 2007
Name verification could be tied in with the credit card used for payment....pretty simple way to make sure the person is verifiable.....
(unless the card is stolen ;)
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#15]
11 Jan 2007
To: RALLYGUY (RALLYGUY1) [#14] 11 Jan 2007
We'll be using Paypal as our subscription method and won't have physical access to credit card information, which I see as a plus.
No claims of mishandling or storing that information in an unsecure manner.
From: RALLYGUY (RALLYGUY1) [#16]
11 Jan 2007
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#15] 11 Jan 2007
I understand....
The negative aspect that you have without that information then is how to verify actual name/location etc....
If somene doesn't want you to have their personal information, How will you prevent them from coming up with an alias? It's pretty cost effective to get your own URL so you have your own custom e-mail address if your annonimity is important to you.
Although Pay pal is convienient...It's not going to do the job as easily, and will have plenty of holes (at least if true verification is your goal).
Another alternative would be a tax id number....This is commonly used to determined if you are a legitamate business around the country. You could require this as well as a legitimate business address that could be verified. The problem with this is that it will take plenty of effort to manualy verify any information that you pick as appropriate.
But it would be a nice way to verify that people joining are legitimate businesses if that is important to you for any reason. I know this idea has come up in past discussions.
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#17]
11 Jan 2007
To: RALLYGUY (RALLYGUY1) [#16] 11 Jan 2007
I'll have to find the site which explained their method of verification. One had to do with snail mail.
Handling verification manually may be tedious, but then again, with some people predicting a mass exodus, upon our launch of a subscription site, there may be very little work to do. :-)
From: RALLYGUY (RALLYGUY1) [#18]
11 Jan 2007
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#17] 11 Jan 2007
Regarding a mass exodus............I'm not much for predictions.....Some will leave based on principle alone. Some will stay to see what will happen, and some will stay because they love the ideas you have, and the direction that you want to take the site. At this point the percentages of people that fit those categories are unknown.
;)
My post is just food for thought as you make your decisions on requiring personal authentication, and move forward.
EDITED: 11 Jan 2007 by RALLYGUY1
From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#19]
11 Jan 2007
To: RALLYGUY (RALLYGUY1) [#18] 11 Jan 2007
Brian,
Anonymity is more difficult for one to maintain than you would think. I'm not sure why the need for some to be such a mystery.
There are some people who hold anonymity close to their heart, but the internet makes it so easy to determine who they are, where they live, what their business name is, what their hobbies are, etc., etc., etc. Of course, that information being public doesn't serve much purpose, other than help to forge more authentic relationships. Some people want that, while others could care less. I personally prefer it.
EDITED: 11 Jan 2007 by DATAKES
From: RALLYGUY (RALLYGUY1) [#20]
11 Jan 2007
To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#19] 11 Jan 2007
Anonominity is absolutely not that difficult to keep on the internet. (Unless you supeona ip addresses due to a crime being committed, and that may not even be enough anymore) if people take a minute amount of care....they can be very annonomous.
If the goal is to know who you are dealing with....someone has to be honest with themselves when setting up the authentication process. To think that just asking for a real name and e-mail address will be enough, is foolishness. It won't work. E-mail authenticates nothing....just that you set up an e-mail address...Not necessarily who you really are.
A simple link between a credit card holders name and the name that the person uses on the forum would be the easiest and most secure way to address the problem because of the security that is already built into the credit card system. It automaticly requires a billing address that corresponds to a real cardholders name. Most any other way would be far less than useful if someone truly wanted to keep their identity annonomous.
I have always used my real name and business name in my posts, along with my 800 number. I have no interest in being anyone other than who I really am. But you can't just hide your head in the sand and say that it's next to impossible to hide your identity on the internet. That way of thinking is just foolishness. It's really rather easy.
There are IP generators that create a fake IP identity for anywhere you post on a forum, or play games. The only reason that I know this is that I participate in an online gaming community, and there are often people that will use spoof IP addresses to avoid being banned from a game server when caught cheating or hacking. These types of products are very simple to obtain on the web. They can be used to keep yourself from being located, or banned on any forum, or gameserver giving you the freedom to reek havok in games and on forums. It's really quite frusterating to the gaming community, and I suppose that it would be for many forums as well. I have never been associated with a forum that had a problem like this, but I am well aware of what people with these types of motivations can accomplish. I have banned players that are using hacks or cheats from our game server just to have them come back with an entirely different IP address and cause more trouble within minutes.
Going to the trouble of finding this software and utilizing it would probably take less than 10 minutes. After that...you can be anyone you want to be and pretty much do anything you want by changing your ip address and coming back to the place that you were removed from. This also hides your location which normaly could be determined by IP address.
It is a real issue if honest authentication is truly desired.
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