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User Names & Avatars
User Names & Avatars
FROM: Quitter0703 ... posted (6) Months Ago, Circa April 2019
Did you ever wonder why some members have an “alternate” name below their User Name and others don’t?
When the site changed platforms FOUR YEARS AGO many current members expressed an interest in changing their User Names from what they had initially chosen when they signed up on the site to something else. A User Name change was not previously possible on the old platform (unless you deleted your account; created a new account). The concern by members was that no one would be able to recognize who they were on the new platform if they did change their User Name. (An “old” Avatar was never an issue because there was none previously.)
The solution Administration came up with to address this concern was to have the system automatically place the old User Name of members under their newly chosen User Name at the time of the switch over if theirs changed (even if it was just a spelling, punctuation, spacing or CAPS change). That is the only reason you see an “alternate” User Name below some members current one. It’s their old one. If they ever deleted their account for whatever reason the old User Name “benefit” disappeared forever.
It’s not a “special” nickname as some have speculated & even asked how to get one for themselves. It does not represents an old, old, old member necessarily either. Again, it simply means that person chose to change their User Name four (4) years ago when the site transitioned to the new platform. Many members didn’t feel the need for a “reset” & intentionally chose to keep their User Name exactly as it was between platforms & therefore had no need to display an “old” one (like me!).
Did you know this site allows for you to change your Avatar pic as many times as you wish AND also allows for you to change your User Name too. I encourage you NOT to change your User Name as it confuses members as to your site identity & authenticity (choose it once & forget it is my suggestion!). Changing it also sets you up for being looked at as one of those that “plays at” deleting their account when they smoke and then comes back to the site under a different User Name (over & over & over again).
End of history lesson. Have a great smoke free day!