Advice sought regarding usernames for forum members

[edprush]

On my forum I am considering having users' real names display. I know that you are thinking I am crazy but I am setting up a site like classmates.



Should I make users:

1. register their real name as their login/username or
2. register a username and ALSO require their real name at registration (which I will display in their postbit and profile)
3. just register any username

Here are the problems I see with option 1:

• some users have the same real name and therefore, all of the John Smith's will have to alter their real name to make it unique.
• there might be a greater likelihood that users will forget that they need to login with their real name. I think people have a tendancy to use the same username on lots of sites that they are a member.

Here are the problems I see with option 2:

• it feels like a privacy or security issue if you display both a username along with a real name.

Here are the problems I see with option 3:

• you won't know the real identity of the classmate(s) you are messaging with

[Yogler]

Register and login with the username. This solves the problem of having a unique identifier (so multiple John Smiths don't clash), and will be more natural to your users.

Provide an optional field for their real name. Have a nice bit next to it persuading them that they really should enter their real name, outlining all of the benefits.

There is no real way to ensure they are entering their real name anyway, so forcing them to is probably a less than ideal solution. Try to convince them that it's in their best interest.

- Yogler

[GTAce]

I agree 110% with Yogler. Don't force people to give you their real name. The internet is a scary place and I can completely understand if/why people don't want to give out their real names. Because of this, you'll risk losing members who would otherwise be interested and others will simply lie about their real name - kind of defeats the whole purpose.

If you were to do it, I dont see a problem with duplicate names, because there shouldnt be many people with the same exact first and last name...Sure, there are people out there like that - but the odds are not too great that two of these people will come together in your forums.

[edprush]

I am trying to build a site like classmates and that site (and other sites similiar to it) display the user's real name.

I like your idea, Yogler and GTace, but I also think that people don't want other people to know what their real name is especially when it is associated with a username.

Maybe I could charge a nominal subscription fee to keep members honest with their real names.

[iTechno]

I think it could be a good idea to have a "Your Real Name" field in the profile but make it optinonial.

[dojo]

Poeple are not always pleased with the idea of making their "official" name known online ... I wouldn't force this either

[edprush]

I agree but I think a classmates-type of site will lose a great deal of it's purpose if you don't know who you are writing to.

This is a tough decision.............

Thanks for the input!