Topic: Please Change Your Display Name

[The Chief]

Please change either your display name or username.  Spammers are attempting logins using a display name which they found on the forum, and an algorithm to guess the password.  By using a different username and display name, even in the unlikely event they guessed your password, they would not be able to login without also guessing your username.  Sorry for the inconvenience!

[-<WillyP>-]

Just a note that if you change your username, you will have to login with that new name, but the name displayed on the forum will not change.  Make sure your e-mail address is correct, as you will need to verify via email.  I believe it sends you a new password.

If you change your display name, you will still login with your old name.  There is no e-mail verification for changing display name.

[SaladBadger]

Regular users can't change usernames as far as I can tell. They can only change display name.

Also please keep your changed usernames short. I don't really like broken tables :/

[Kaiaatzl]

That seems to be the case... I changed my password instead (to a random string of letters numbers and symbols).  But I see how changing either could work.  If I knew what the algorithm was I could probably attempt to foil it...

Edit: And now I'm changing my avatar to The N.I.P (a mysterious creature that no one knows anything about, not even its gender -- except me because I made it up... but I'm not telling... and from that you can probably guess what gender it is) and going into full-blown undercover disguise mode to make this fun.  (Ya, everything can be fun).  I'll tell Xaihyv.  He hasn't made any posts but he could still theoretically be found by someone who has already logged in as someone else.

[The Chief]

You are correct, no one can change their username.  There is not even an option to enable it, there is in SMF2 which is why I thought you could.

The algorithm seems to be more a pseudo-random guess based on likely character combination, with a new guess every 8 minites, from a different IP each time.  It was directed at one particular display name and while I won't mention who, I see he has changed his display name.  They were not successful.  The attack lasted three hours and twenty some odd miniatures this early morning.

Willy and Sapphire, please shorten your username.

[Sapphirus]

done and done.

[TechPro]

Well, this should be fun. 

[-<WillyP>-]

3hrs and 20min, divided by 8 minutes... that's only 25 guesses.  Not likely to guess a good password, but better safe than sorry!

[NUMBERZero]

Hmph

[Matthew]

Yay?

[Scyphi]

Gee...this is...hard. I haven't ever registered on a forum and not used the username "Scyphi." I can't...I can't part with it! *sniff*  :'(

Hence...my end solution. Meh, it'll do I guess. Meets the requirements at the very least and it keeps me somewhat happy.

'Cuz happy's good.

@ wazzazzle-previously-known-as-Alter-Fox: You're NIP looks kind of like an Ocelot but I'm guessing it isn't.

[NUMBERZero]

You should rename yourself to Revolver Ocelot if it is an Ocelot.

[Kaiaatzl]

@ScyphiProductions it's not.  I do have an ocelot pilot though.
It's not even a cat.
The precise reason I chose it for The N.I.P is because it's so obscure.

[VANGUARD]

Why do I feel like we are all in the basement preparing for some tornado?

[Kaiaatzl]

Maybe because of your signature?

I enjoy a chance to make a new character.  It's like playing a mission for Descent that I haven't played yet.