Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Site stuff

Join our Innovation Panel to try new features early and help make Mumsnet better.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

What's with all the user+numbers names?

43 replies

BIWI · 19/05/2016 20:20

I've noticed a lot of posters recently posting with names like user123456 (usually a collection of seemingly random numbers).

Why is this? Don't people get the option to choose their own names these days?

I think it's one of the joys of this site, seeing the creativity and wit that many posters show when choosing their names!

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
notamummy10 · 06/06/2016 15:52

10 was the first number that popped into my head!

Doik · 06/06/2016 15:37

By the way, it wasn't the app that assigned this to me either. I used the box on the front page where you enter your email and select 'join', and it was assigned to me from there.

user1463321771 · 06/06/2016 15:33

Thanks Doik
Nice to know it's not just me.

Doik · 06/06/2016 15:19

I had the same problem as you when I registered, user, in that it was greyed out and I was unable to change it. I emailed via the address on the contact page and it was sorted for me the same day.

user1463321771 · 06/06/2016 15:10

I'm one of the dreaded numbernames, and it's not that I haven't tried to change it or got confused - it was the username assigned to me for some reason, I can't change it, when I try my username box is greyed out and won't let me do anything to it.
I joined a few weeks ago via my laptop, not the app, but registering and verifying were glitching about that day so maybe it's because of that. Trust me I'd change it if I bloody could.

Rai

FuckingFattyBitch · 25/05/2016 16:54

Well we know that, but I think some people are thinking they can't.

FruStefanOla · 25/05/2016 16:17

But you can totally ignore that daft box, FFB Grin

FuckingFattyBitch · 25/05/2016 16:12

I've recently name changed. The box tells you that you can only use a-z A-Z and 0-9 I think people are confusing that with having to have a number.

BertieBotts · 25/05/2016 15:58

It's the new default one. People used to have n9475938450975 as the default name but they must have changed the system at some point.

Weird that people are seeing a message about usernames needing upper and lowercase and numbers. Confused Isn't that for passwords? Not usernames.

There are lots of possible usernames left without numbers, you just have to be creative.

FruStefanOla · 22/05/2016 18:19

I think we're near enough each other to have a mini-meet-up?!

Original poster
BIWI · 21/05/2016 22:08

You're on, Fru! We should definitely do that.

OP posts:
FruStefanOla · 21/05/2016 22:07

Never mind, BIWI, let's go out and 'verify' ourselves with a few gin/s?!

nancy75 · 21/05/2016 18:09

Him= gin!!

nancy75 · 21/05/2016 18:09

Can someone come round and verify me? I do prefer cake to him though

MNHQ
DawnMumsnet · 21/05/2016 18:05

@FruStefanOla

Me neither BIWI

We're halfway through the weekend shift. If there WAS any gin left in the building, I'd be nabbing it for myself!

FruStefanOla · 21/05/2016 16:58

Me neither BIWI

Original poster
BIWI · 20/05/2016 20:53

Nobody came to verify me with gin

OP posts:
FattyNinjaOwl · 20/05/2016 19:54

Oh, I had wondered about this too. Now I know.

GibbousHologram · 20/05/2016 19:50

I was hoping you'd bring gin. Wine

WickedLazy · 20/05/2016 19:42

I would imagine verified by e-mail Grin looks out window for mnhq spies

MNHQ
DawnMumsnet · 20/05/2016 19:41

@GibbousHologram

Verified?!?!?

Are you going round their house to check they are who they say they are?

Absolutely. Have we not been round to yours yet, Gibbous? Expect a knock any time now...

Nah, only kidding. We meant once the email address has been verified. Smile

nickelbabe · 20/05/2016 19:37

Damn right Gibbous ! It's the only way to kkeep this place safe.

GibbousHologram · 20/05/2016 19:32

Verified?!?!?

Are you going round their house to check they are who they say they are?

MNHQ
DawnMumsnet · 20/05/2016 19:27

Hi BIWI,

So sorry for the delay here.

As far as I'm aware, the usernames with all the numbers in are temporary ones given when someone joins the site using the app.

Once their account has been verified, they're able to go in and assign themselves a proper username, but not everyone does this immediately, which is why you'll see a few username12345 ones knocking around from time to time.

I'll check to see if it's possible that any app-joiners can get sent a reminder to change their random number names to something more meaningful! Grin

WickedLazy · 20/05/2016 15:57

"There is only one poster that I've seen with all numbers and they've been here a long time now"

If it's all 0's and 1's, it's probably the poster refered to as "binary". (It was explained on a thread once that the numbers refer to binary code).

I've also wondered about username86438 etc before. I assume people sign up quickly to comment, and put username plus numbers as they can't think of anything else, then when they get hooked, end up name changing.

Swipe left for the next trending thread