Remove unique requirement on display names
Μerlin
Most other social chat platforms allow you to have a display name that is already used by other people, why does VRChat require a unique display name?
I can't think of a platform that differentiates between usernames and display names, but does not allow duplicate display names like VRC. Usernames only and usernames + display names are fundamentally orthogonal in their goals. If you want to maintain the unique display names, you should get rid of "display names" and set usernames to the current display names of users since the design patterns are at odds with the established norm.
Now that invisible characters get filtered when you change your name, people will need to visibly mangle their names to get their desired display name. This serves no purpose in a social game where the only method of communication is voice where people will always say the intended name without the mangled characters. It does not allow any more differentiation from just having a unique username that's easily accessible.
Additionally to facilitate this change, the menu UI should also have the username added under the display name when you have a person selected. The website already does this. It should show the username when you receive invite/friend requests as well.
User names should be restricted to a reduced set of characters that are easily readable. User names should be changeable separately from display names via the website.
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mouhou
I agree, I kind of don't want this game to get the name sniping culture minecraft has for example.
I personally want a name real bad and wouldn't mind using some invisible unicode character to get it since the owner of that name doesn't even play the game anymore, however that autonomy is kept from me as well.
Since those characters are banned now.
Making names less authentic would be a simple fix.
They could even add some tag system discord has for example.
So you know that #0001 is the original Merlin and #0002 is the second Merlin.
Lucifer MStar
Removing unique display names will be a shit storm for any creator espeically the more well known ones. I recently had to deal with an impersonator and it was not fun.
Μerlin
Lucifer MStar: See below, it's apparently a common misconception that unique display name == can't be impersonated. I can make an account named Lucifer M Star, Iucifer MStar Lucifɐr MStar, etc. The list goes on. Most people won't see the difference from that alone, even if the name is slightly off they won't know to check.
Again, it is only recent that invisible characters have been filtered, for the last 3 years you've been able to have invisible characters trivially. And yet oddly, there hasn't been a shit storm. There are always going to be people who want to harass and impersonate certain people, and they will find a way regardless of if unique display names are enforced or not. Additionally I have already explained how I believe it's less abusable to show usernames in addition to display names and potentially restrict usernames further. Impersonation is a moderation issue, not a "we need to fuck over new users" issue.
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Hi Im Squares and i approve this messege.
Nіyah
This, PLEASE
blueasis
This would make impersonation very easy, users with large followings already have enough problems with people pretending to be them.
If this is seriously considered then a twitter style verification system would be a necessity. Then verification brings on its own set of problem, just as the ranking system does.
Μerlin
blueasis: Copy pasting my response on Discord here
People were already able to make their display names identical until recently and it was exceedingly rare that people were impersonated, and when they were you could just report the accounts. In fact it was harder to report them because it was difficult to get the actual username or ID to report.
This asks to the username to be shown in the menu UI and notifications while requiring that usernames are readable specifically to improve this issue.
There's also the bar where most people who might be impersonated would also be at Trusted, but impersonator accounts would need to invest a lot of time into getting that trust level.
The current system is worse since it is 1 name that can have ambiguous letters. Someone could, if the names aren't taken already, register accounts with the name Blue ASIS and most people wouldn't know the difference since they don't mentally register that there's no space. Or they could replace the lowercase L with an upper case I, or replace the upper case I with a lower case L. Or some mix of the 3 and most people wouldn't think about it.
blueasis
Μerlin: Ill go through each paragraph.
So, they fixed the issue, why would they reintroduce it?
Having both appear in the UI is a good step but I don't think its fool proof, especially for new users.
The accounts may not be trusted at first, but getting there is easy enough currently, and most new users will not know the difference.
Yes the system is not fool proof but it works! there's almost no reason to do this considering it would make creators lives way way way harder, I've already dealt with this personally and its stressful enough having someone pretend to be you, the average creator would have to go through the report process which takes several days, in which a lot of damage could be done.
Most of the names you mentioned have already been banned, ive dealt with this constantly for the last four months, its not theoretical, it happens; making it EASIER is not the solution.
Μerlin
blueasis: I'm not saying to make it easier... I'm saying make it harder while allowing people to not have to fight with the naming to be able to identify as themselves. As you have demonstrated, unique display names are not effective.
I want to reiterate that you had to get those accounts banned because the current system is not effective at mitigating it which I am saying it needs to be by showing the usernames and applying more stringent restrictions on username characters.
You are also one of the largest, if not the largest outlier and have a skewed view on this. Your situation is exceedingly rare in the context of the 25,000 concurrent active users in VRC and the unknown, probably hundreds of thousands of monthly users of VRC. Your situation is something that can and should be handled on a moderation basis and should not be used as the basis for decisions that affect the other 99.996% of active VRC users.
blueasis
Μerlin: If it can be implemented in a way that protects creators then yes, go for it.
Before I was an outlier I was just a creator making things, id never ask or even expect another creator to go through what i have just because something they made became popular.
You are right that I am an outlier, but I just cant see the system you are proposing, working in practice.
Μerlin
blueasis: I don't see the current system working in reality since you've clearly had issues with it. So I'm proposing something that doesn't constantly increase the barrier to entry with playing VRC as time goes on and reduces ambiguity further.