Yet another request for uname change capability
Why is this a good idea or even remotely necessary? I can give you my reason. I am transsexual. My uname was chosen 1.5 years before I was diagnosed as such and began transition. It kind of doesn't fit now, like really doesn't fit. When I post now, just as in real life I have to live with being misgendered by people who address me as a him, when I'm now her.
My situation is about as extreme as it gets of course, but it points out vividly how a person's mode of self identification can evolve over their life.
Just open a new account dammit Well again, it's a personal thing. For most of us transition is about loss. We lose jobs, friends, family, self, and sometimes clinging to some vestige of our previous lives can be a lifeline to sanity. I consider reddit posts and karma to be tree rings of life that should be preserved. I'd love to be able to look back 20 years from now and read all the gyrations that my tormented brain went through.
How? I don't know the code, but from a rules perspective it really shouldn't be that difficult. You can either free up the old name but have it start from init, OR you could take the old name off the market and forward any PM's sent to it to the new uname. In this case a reasonably low threshold for the max number of times a person could do this would have to be set so that some maniac couldn't usurp every available uname. I personally wouldn't care if there was a new everymn. I only care about what the old everymn thought at one time. Some people may find that notion absurd as if there couldn't only ever be one and anyone else who picked it would just be an imitator. If someone balks then the obvious answer is, "Sorry we only allow you to be one person at a time here. You're welcome to change but you can't reserve the option of changing back. If your old identity is adopted by someone else, then this is a one way change."
Karma, history and PM's go with the new account, period. You don't allow KHPM's to be merged together from two accounts. You don't allow people to generate mountains of Karma from novelty accounts and shift it to an existing account. It is just A->B with A either being freed or held in reserve.
The admins of a couple of different message boards have changed my uname for me so it's not unheard of nor is it such a radical thought. I personally would really appreciate the option. It's onerous enough dealing with judges and all manner of city,state,and federal bureaucracies trying to change my identity on paper (don't get me started) Not being able to change it in the ether just compounds my frustration.
Just wanted to throw this old notion back out there with some new rational and see if it resonated with anyone.
Posted Jul 2, 2010, 1:53 PM UTC · edited
As much as we'd like to be able to help with issues like this, it simply breaks too many things internally.
As you have transitioned from one phase of your life to another, you have doubtless left cherished things behind; things that represented who you were, and not who you are. As difficult as it may be, making a clean break is probably for the best. I've been through a couple of primary usernames on reddit myself, and lost comments and karma every time. But as I settled into my new names, the old ones were gradually forgotten, except to dig back through for the occasional comment of note.
If you do choose to transition to a new username, I would recommend not deleting this account. If you do delete it, then your user page will disappear, and all your posts and comments will be marked as posted by "[deleted]". I regret deleting my old usernames. Instead, make your final comment a celebration of your new life, and your new username, so that if anyone ever sees your old user page, they will know where you have gone, and why.
Good luck, and best wishes.
:'-(
Hrm, well I don't want to break reddit. I get really upset every time I get the "You Broke Reddit" error page. Guilt is a big component of transition :)
Alright I'll tough it out as long as I can. I've already given up memberships in both the straight club and the men's club. Being in the 3 year club is the only claim to privilege I have left.
If you do make a new account, I'll give you your 3-year trophy on the new one, just PM me the name of the new account from this account.
I can't help with your links, comments, friends, karma, etc., though
I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I'd be willing to pay a small fee to create a new account and have my trophies moved (or copied) to it. They are proud achievements and the only reason that I hold on to this account.