18
July
Keep it simple – user names
All right, now after the lengthy discussion on user names and ids let’s have some simple rules:
- Do not use sequential numbers for user ids.
- Do use random numbers for user ids.
- Do not use any scheme for user names that ties (semi-)public user information to the user name.
- Use user nicknames (aliases) if “natural” user names are not sufficiently unpredictable.
- Allow users to change user names.
The last point was not mentioned previously but it is quite logical, isn’t it? The system identifies the user by a fixed random user id. But the user identifies itself to the system by a nickname that can be changed once the user is logged in and his id is known.