I can't change my username back to my old username.

  • Unknown's avatar
    authenticbrain · Member ·

    I can’t change my username back to my old username.

    For example, if my old username is called olduser and my new username is called newuser, then this is what happened.

    I was olduser. I then changed this in settings, to newuser. I then wanted to change back a minute later to olduser, only to be told that that user is taken! Well yes… taken by me!

    Note, that I only made this change because I thought I was changing the username of one blog and not the username for all of them. It is particularly awful that I can’t have one user per blog. It is also awful that I can’t add new users… this functionality is buggy. I think the whole ‘users’ part of wordpress.com is messed up. Just yuck! Anyway that explains why I wanted to change the username back.

    The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

  • Unknown's avatar
    shawnajroberts · Member ·

    Hi there!

    I’m sorry. Once a username has been used it can not be recycled, even by you. A username applied to an entire user account, so you may have several blogs, but one user account that owns all of them.

    You can always create additional user accounts with separate usernames. And then you can add those users to your sites through your dashboard at Users:

    http://en.support.wordpress.com/user-roles/

    I hope this helps. Let me know if I can help with anything else.

  • Unknown's avatar
    authenticbrain · Member ·

    Thanks for your help Shawn.

    I have to say that from a technical viewpoint it is ridiculous that I’ve now lost my username. It’s all down to a really bad design of the part in WordPress.com relating to users. That is the whole reason why I lost my original username.

    The fact that I can’t now get that username back is an even bigger farce. I have designed user interfaces professionally and have a computer degree so I know what I’m talking about. I hope you change it soon.

    Thanks
    Mike

  • Unknown's avatar
    shawnajroberts · Member ·

    Hi Mike!

    Thanks for your feedback. We restrict the reuse of usernames to avoid instances of impersonation or mistaken identity. I understand your frustration though.

    Let me know if there’s anything else I can help with.

  • Unknown's avatar
    authenticbrain · Member ·

    Hi again Shawn

    Can you get me my old username back? If not surely someone with access to that part of the system can sort something out?

    I would highly recommend that if making the following fix: If I am logged in with my email address, and I change my username, then that new username is surely associated with my email address? Surely therefore, if I want that username back while logged in with the same email that the old username used to be associated with then I should be able to get it back? Your database should show this history so the system should be able to work this out. At the moment it is very faulty logic not to let someone who owned the username not to have it back.

    What frustrates me is when a company gets feedback and is polite but then does absolutely nothing to fix the problem. I hope you can try and persuade someone in development or in the user interface design department to make this fix. It makes complete sense I hope you agree?

    If not for me then for future users. Your reasoning for what happened to me does not mean that the design flaw does not exist. You can still have security AND make the fix I suggested.

    If companies make fixes to products when they get feedback, then over time the quality just gets better and better, and users are happier and happier. If changes are not made then users like myself feel disheartened.

    My attitude in life is that if I find a problem, I will try and ensure that I fix the situation so that it can never occur again, or at least reduce it’s likelihood. I do this in my life as well as at work. I hope that WordPress can take on this positive attitude. It save a lot of stress and makes for an excellent world.

    Best regards
    Mike

  • Unknown's avatar
    jeremeylduvall · Member ·

    Hi Mike,

    I definitely understand your concern here. However, once you change your username, you cannot reuse the old username. This is explained at the top of the support page here:

    Change Your Username

    This is also highlighted in a yellow warning label when you change your username. It reads as follows:

    Please read this page carefully. This page is for changing your username (currently USERNAME), which you use to login with. Please make sure you read the instructions and understand what’s going to change. You will not be able to change your username back.

  • Unknown's avatar
    authenticbrain · Member ·

    Hi Jeremey.

    Telling me to ‘read something more carefully’ still doesn’t mean that the design of WordPress is right in relation to usernames.

    Your last message is equivalent to this:

    Imagine there was a car with a design flaw where the faulty left indicator light didn’t work in half of all the cars sold. Imagine that if instead of fixing it when people complained, the engineers said:

    “It says in the manual only ever to turn right at junctions, and never to turn left”.

    The right answer is:

    “Sorry, we’ll fix this design flaw”

    Sorry to play chess with you, but my post is checkmate. You can’t get out of the fact that your design is wrong!

  • Unknown's avatar
    jeremeylduvall · Member ·

    Hi Mike,

    Once you change your username, you’re not able to use the old username at all.

    If you have any additional questions, please let me know!

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