Currently there appears to be no limit to the length of a user's username, and every few days someone thinking they are clever signs up with a ridiculously long username, such as "God_So_many_people_have_this_name" which is actually a real user name. Normally that shouldn't matter, but with the way the forum is set up using tables, the long username field causes all of the other fields to be compressed in both the topic list and in the thread they posted to.

It makes the whole forum difficult to read until that new user's posting has dropped off the current list of posts. We can't really fault these new users, because they don't realize how their clever name causes problems for everyone else as they are new, but the forum admin should know this, and could correct the problem. Right?

I can't imagine that the moderators, or more specifically administrators of the forum actually take the time to scan every new posting, such as this one, so I am pretty sure this will get sucked into the black hole of oblivion...unless of course that last sentence happened to use one of those silly little trigger words.

Agreed.

Every once in a while a fairly long name will show up and mess up the format of entire pages. I don't know what the character limit is, but it should be less.

Yes, it is annoying.

I was tempted to quote your entire post, then throw in a few random known trigger words just to get the mod's attention.

But then, that's against the TOS/VA, and it's actually easier and faster to email the mods instead, or post on the "ask a moderator" thread.

quote:

Yes, it is annoying.

I was tempted to quote your entire post, then throw in a few random known trigger words just to get the mod's attention.

Please don't - it is better to email a moderator then to risk moderation by using trigger words.

There is a limit to the number of space allowed and any username that is to wide and alters the text is subject to deletion.

Thank you.

DCFM

Thank you, DCFM. I personally wasn't aware that there was any limit on screennames.

quote:

Originally posted by DCFanMod:
There is a limit to the number of space allowed and any username that is to wide and alters the text is subject to deletion.

Thank you.

DCFM

Just to clarify, if a member is using a user name that is too long (a.k.a it alters the forum format), we are encouraged to report that name to the appropriate moderators (DCFanMod or Mod_ivy) via email?

If so, should we include a link to one of the long-named member's threads / posts... or is just giving the user name sufficient enough?

Hello Alanna,

Emailing a link (URL) to the post and including the username would be very helpful.

Thank you.

DCFM

Couldn't we just report the posts?

I'm guessing "yes", but the mods have always said that the quickest way to get action on a post is to email them the link, regardless of the issue.

At least, that's been the policy since I joined in '05.

Okay.