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Comments on Restrictions on usernames

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Restrictions on usernames

+5
−2

This post asks to disallow usernames with only periods and spaces. I would like to propose disallowing any឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵឵ username with more than one consecutive space. Furthermore, usernames that have more whitespace/blank characters than non-blank characters should also be disallowed. Such usernames make it extremely hard to click on user profiles and ping them in comments for little benefit. To demonstrate this, I have changed my own username to U+17B5 (឵).

feature-request discussion status-declined username
posted over 3 years ago
3y ago by ArtOfCode‭
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2 comment threads

I would go as far as suggesting to limit them ASCII chars only (1 comment)
Agreed (1 comment)
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+3
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I've declined this, for the same reason that I've declined other similar Unicode-related "bugs" before. They're not really bugs, just a product of how easy Unicode is to abuse.

The solution: don't do this. Expect your username to be reset to something not-unhelpful if you do.

posted over 3 years ago
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2 comment threads

Precisely because Unicode is easy to abuse there should be a filter/restriction/whatever (12 comments)
Is it really that hard...? (5 comments)
Precisely because Unicode is easy to abuse there should be a filter/restriction/whatever
elgonzo‭ wrote over 3 years ago
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Yeah, but your argument is the best argument one can make for restricting the allowed chars for user names: Unicode is easy to abuse for screwing with user names and such...

elgonzo‭ wrote over 3 years ago
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However such a restriction would be implemented - whether it would be denial of creating violagting user names, or the system automatically replacing a violating user name with a auto-generated name - as long as it is not a manual process i personally wouldn't mind whatever approach is chosen...

ArtOfCode‭ wrote over 3 years ago
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elgonzo‭ That's the whole reason it's not being restricted. It's easy to abuse, and hard to detect. I can disallow specific Unicode characters, but someone will just find another one. There's no easy attribute I can pick to detect what's "abusive" use of Unicode and what's genuine. If someone wants to abuse it, they will.

elgonzo‭ wrote over 3 years ago
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Don't blacklist characters or character ranges, instead whitelist character ranges. In my opinion, just whitelist characters in the ASCII range.

ArtOfCode‭ wrote over 3 years ago
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elgonzo‭ And then what about folks who want to use their real names? Real names aren't all ASCII, let alone usernames. Works the other way round, too: I can't possibly whitelist all safe Unicode characters, either.

elgonzo‭ wrote over 3 years ago
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Well, i guess i will look forward to see 房仕龍 here :-)

deleted user wrote over 3 years ago
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https://stackoverflow.com/a/11983015/16241416 it may be helpful to detect unicode

ArtOfCode‭ wrote over 3 years ago
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elgonzo‭ Without trying to be flippant... what's stopping you copy-pasting the username? Or, worst case, hover over the link and type in the user ID yourself? Not ideal, no, but neither's breaking the system for anyone with a name that's not 100% ASCII. What about Chloë? Or Ægidius? Or, indeed, 李某? See also the other comment thread on this answer.

elgonzo‭ wrote over 3 years ago · edited over 3 years ago
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That's a terrible UX, in my opinion. That's a reason for separating display names from user names (for example, like Twitter does), not for championing subpar UX.

ArtOfCode‭ wrote over 3 years ago
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elgonzo‭ I don't disagree, but so is stopping people with names that aren't completely Americanized or Anglicised from using them. Six and two threes. We should be looking at ways around this, rather than just saying "we'll block it completely" instead.

elgonzo‭ wrote over 3 years ago
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I agree with that 100%.

Tortliena‭ wrote over 3 years ago
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ArtOfCode‭ What's stopping me from copy-pasting... Because I have a quick remembrance of the name but don't have the name imprinted on hand. Doesn't happen when you comment of course, but when looking for specific users...