Username change refused by some board owners?

[wurkanimal]

Hi guys.

I'm just wondering why some board owners refuse username changes, I got this message back on a board what I won't name.

Can't change your username due to DB issues, security issues, BST transparency etc...

Although I can get a username here on vB.org with a valid reason, vB.com no problems at all, SitePoint no problems at all and they are large websites..

Can someone educate me?

[Wayne Luke]

They don't want to change your username. Its their board and their policies. Either live with their decision or register a new account and post under your new chosen username.

It all depends on independent forum policies...if the board is running some lesser forum software, it could actually be not an option (or an easy option), the community could have customized code that makes name changing difficult, or any other of the myriad reasons that could exist.

[punchbowl]

I often refuse name changes or give them a cooling off period after which they usually decide against it. People often want to change name on a whim and before you know it it's a long, ongoing, conservation that you didn't want in the first place.

[Wayne Luke]

Originally Posted by punchbowl

... it's a long, ongoing, conservation that you didn't want in the first place.

Do you mean conversation or conversion instead of conservation? All three have strikingly different meanings.

[punchbowl]

'conversation'!

lol

[Lynne]

I allow one name change. It's written in our FAQ and users are good about only asking once. Usually it is users who registered with their real name, or an email address, and they don't want that shown to the public.

I also wrote this on vb.com where you posted this same quetion:

It's really hard to guess why. I know I have a 'backend' to my site that has a separate user table. If I change the username for vbulletin, I have to change it for the other application also. I wrote a plugin to do this, but have to make a few code modifications also whenever I upgrade. I can understand someone in this same situation not wanting to be bothered with the plugin and code modifications and thus won't allow name changes.

Name changes take me all of 5 seconds to do, and it makes my community happy. I'll change someone's name 100 times if they ask me, It's not like it's a hassle.

My .2c.

[wurkanimal]

I really thought that some board owners refuse due to Database issues ect?

In my opinion, and I've run some pretty big sites, that's a load of rubbish unless (as Lynne said above) they have a backend that'd require multiple locations for the change, or a query. For the majority of vb boards, I'd say it's just admin laziness. Like I said, it takes 5 seconds and a community is nothing without it's members, so I have absolutely no problem with name changes on any of my sites.