Wikipedia:Username policy
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- See also: Wikipedia:How to log in and Wikipedia:Changing username
When you create a new account, so you can log in, one of the things you'll have to do is pick a username. This page gives some advice on this.
What are usernames used for?
Your username will be attached to all your edits while you're logged in. This is partly for reasons of accountability. It's also helpful from a copyright perspective: if someone wants to use your contributions in a way not allowed under the Wikipedia copyright, they can ask you on your talk page, for example. Also, the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL), the license that is used on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia Foundation projects, encourages giving appropriate credit to authors, and your username is used to give that credit. Other reasons can be found at Wikipedia:Why create an account?
Rationale
The primary purpose of usernames is to identify and distinguish contributors. This facilitates communication, Recognition and record-keeping. The username is not a forum to be offensive or make a statement. No one has a right to any particular username. While colorful, interesting, or expressive names may add to the pleasure of Wikipedia, they are not essential to our goal of building an encyclopedia. This might include legitimate names and long-established internet pseudonyms that can be misconstrued.
Signatures
Through the Preferences, one can choose a nickname used in signatures, independent of the actual username (connected to a User: page). Unless stated otherwise, the same rules apply for signatures as for usernames. A signature should not be misleading. In no circumstance should a signature be used to impersonate another user: in particular, a signature should not be identical to the actual username of an existing user. While not an absolute requirement, it is common practice for a signature to at least somewhat resemble to some degree the username it represents.
For more information on signatures, read the official guideline at Wikipedia:Signatures.
Choosing a username
The best username is typically your real name, a longstanding Internet pen name, or a new name that you use only for Wikipedia, depending on how much of your anonymity you want to preserve while editing.
Please pick a username that helps us to write an encyclopedia. That means picking a name that you're comfortable writing under, but it also means picking a name that others are comfortable seeing and collaborating with. Remember that a controversial name may color other users' perspective on your own credibility or political viewpoint. In addition, Wikipedia is a world-wide source book, so take care to avoid anything that might cause offence to someone from a different culture, religion, or ethnic group.
Wikipedia recommends that users avoid names of politicians, military or religious figures, movements, or events, as well as any other names that may be seen as potentially offensive, or endorsing or opposing the politics, policies or beliefs of a public figure.
People should be able to judge you based purely on your contributions, rather than on an emotional response to a potentially controversial nickname. Avoiding such names is in your own interest. So do please be careful. Remember you are working as part of a community. Show everyone else the respect for their beliefs that you expect them to show yours.
Real names versus pseudonyms
Historically, many wikis have encouraged users to use their real name as their username in the belief that a user will offer constructive contributions to the project if they are more likely to be accountable for their actions. Most Wikipedia users choose to use pseudonyms, although many disclose their real names on their user pages.
Wikipedia editors, especially administrators, have occasionally been subject to harassment outside of Wikipedia due to their contributions or vandal-fighting activities on Wikipedia. Some people have ended up switching from their real name to a pseudonym and perhaps regretting not using an untraceable pseudonym from the start. If you choose not to use your real name, you are welcome to use a name-like pseudonym instead. However, avoid impersonating any well-known persons or fictional characters.
If you wish to use your real name, but it appears that it might violate any of the rules on inappropriate usernames, please contact an administrator. A mutually acceptable solution can very likely be found.
Username capitalization
Wikipedia usernames are case sensitive and, for consistency, the first letter of all usernames will be capitalized when you create an account. This means that if you request the username "your name", the account created will instead be: "Your name".
If your username will consist of more than one name, and you'd like your signature to be internally consistent, you might prefer to capitalize each one when you create the account. This conforms to the widely accepted rules of capitalization: usernames are, after all, proper nouns. Examples would be "Your Name", "Your Middle Name", and "Your M. Name".
Names with non-Latin characters
Some editors on this Wikipedia will be unable to read a username written in Cyrillic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hebrew, or other scripts, and for some editors, names in these scripts may be displayed only as question marks ("??? ??"), white squares ("□□□ □□"), replacement characters ("��� ��") or mojibake ("æ–‡å—化ã‘"). If your username is written in a non-Latin script, you are strongly urged (but not required) to provide a transliteration in your signature (which you can set in your preferences) either instead of or side by side your username, and a link to your userpage (and preferably your talk page) in your signature to allow other editors to contact you easily and to facilitate communication.
Username disambiguation
Some Wikipedia usernames are similar to or identical to the titles of Wikipedia articles. This has the potential to create confusion when inexperienced users find these pages in search engine results. As a common courtesy, it is recommended that a simple disambiguation hatnote be added to direct readers to the correct page. The templates {{thisuser}}, {{thisusertalk}}, and {{userpage otheruse}} can be used to create a standard hatnote at the top of your user page and user talk page, or you can write your own. Similar disambiguation should be carried out if your username is similar to that of another Wikipedia editor. Examples are User:Carcharoth, User:Opabinia regalis, and User:John Reid.
Please note that if a username is both ambiguous and inappropriate, merely adding a disambiguation note does not make a username appropriate.
Inappropriate usernames
Inappropriate usernames include both clear and masked names. Fairly or unfairly, the line between acceptable and unacceptable user names is drawn by those who find the username inappropriate, not by the creator of the name. Please don't try to find this line.
Wikipedia does not allow certain types of usernames, including the following:
Confusing, misleading, or troublesome usernames:
- Usernames that can be confused with other contributors. (If someone else is using a nickname that you wish to use, please consider using either an alternative pseudonym or your real name instead. In the unlikely event that someone else is editing Wikipedia with your real name, please add a middle name or initial or some other way of distinguishing between you and the existing contributor).
- Wikipedia terms. This includes commonly used Wikipedia software or community terms, or names implying an official position on Wikipedia. Prohibited username components include, but are not limited to words resembling the following:
- Usernames that imply an official role or a position with access to additional tools not available to a standard user, such as "Administrator", "Admin", "System operator", "Sysop", or "Moderator".
- Usernames that contain the word Wikipedia or the name of any other Wikimedia Foundation project such as Wikiquote, Wikispecies and Wikibooks. (Rule added 19 February 2007. Such usernames created before this date may be allowed if they do not imply an official role or authority, or violate any of the other existing username rules.)
- Editing processes, such as "Delete", "Upload", "Pagemove", or "Redirect".
- Usernames that give the impression that you intend to cause trouble, such as "Vandal", "Hacker", "H4X0E", "Spammer", "Troll", or "on Wheels". This includes names that may refer to malware, such as "Virus" or "Trojan horse".
- Usernames that imply bot accounts, potentially but not necessarily including "Bot", "Robot", "Script", "Initialize", "Automated", "Daemon", etc., unless the name is intended as a designated bot. Names that imply bot accounts may be blocked, and the user may be requested to contact an administrator to confirm that the account is indeed a bot account.
- Technical terms, such as visible toolbar buttons or namespaces. They may be confusing to inexperienced users or otherwise imply a capacity different than that of a normal user.
- Misleading or confusing use of characters. The capital i, lower case L, and the numeral 1 look exactly the same (I/l/1) in certain fonts, as do upper/lower case O and the numeral 0 (O/o/0). This should be taken into account and creative use of one in place of the other (I where L would be expected and vice versa) is discouraged, given its past misuse.
- Usernames of well-known living or recently deceased people, such as Chuck Norris, Ayumi Hamasaki, Babe Ruth or Ken Lay, unless you are that living person. If you are, please note this on your user page. These accounts may be temporarily blocked pending confirmation, if in an administrator's best judgment or per community consensus at WP:ANI discussion, there may be doubt over the validity of the claim. (See also Wikipedians with articles).
- Usernames that consist of random or apparently random sequences of letters and/or numbers or of extended repetition of a particular character.
- Extremely lengthy usernames.
- Usernames that resemble an IP address, including "invalid" IP addresses (like xxx.xxx.xxx.xx.xx or xxx.xxx.xxx.xx. or a number which goes over the range, such as 256.889.72.0).
Inflammatory usernames: Wikipedia does not allow potentially inflammatory or offensive usernames. Inflammatory usernames are needlessly discouraging to other contributors, and disrupt and distract from our task of creating an encyclopedia. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Usernames that promote or imply hatred or violence.
- Usernames that are recognised as slurs or insults.
- Usernames that refer to symbols of hatred, including historical figures or events that are widely associated with such.
- Usernames that refer to or imply sexual acts, genitalia, or sexual orientation including slang, innuendo, and double entendre.
- Usernames that refer to or allude to reproductive or excretory functions of the body.
- Usernames that promote or refer to violent real-world actions (e.g terrorism, organized crime)
- Usernames mentioning or referring to illnesses, disabilities, or conditions (e.g. AIDS, amputation, Asperger syndrome, etc.).
- Usernames that contain profanity, obscenities, or other potentially offensive language. This includes non-English languages.
- Usernames of religious figures such as "God", "Jehovah", "Buddha", or "Allah", which may offend other people's beliefs. Usernames partly comprised of these terms are not always necessarily prohibited but may be subject to review.
- Usernames that promote a controversial or potentially inflammatory point of view.
- Misspellings or spellings of any of the types of names listed above with "creative substitutions", such as using numbers or similar letters.
Harassing or defamatory usernames: Harassment and defamation in any form is inappropriate on Wikipedia; your username is not an exception. In particular, your username is not a vehicle to attack other users with whom you have a disagreement. Your username should not be used as a tool to insult or mock other users, usernames, articles, or actions. Additionally, a username should not be used to defame other people, companies or groups, regardless of whether they edit Wikipedia. Nor should usernames divulge the personal information of other users. This can include parts of a name formatted similarly to a telephone number, social security number, or street address.
Usernames that closely resemble any used by vandals: Any usernames that are similar to those that are known to have been used in the past as a signature by returning vandals will likely be blocked on sight.
Usernames that promote a company: Usernames of or closely resembling the names of companies and groups are discouraged and may be blocked as a violation of Wikipedia policy against spamming and advertisement.
Usernames that contain a domain or imply a web address. This may include usernames that contain .com, .co.uk, .net, .org or any other top level web domain. These usernames will be blocked as a violation of Wikipedia policy against spamming and advertisement.
E-mail addresses: As of September 26, 2006, the MediaWiki software has been changed so the users may no longer register usernames with "@" in them. Previously, these usernames were discouraged. Preventing the usage of @ stops editors from receiving spam, reduces work for administrators and prevents hurt feelings due to being blocked, which may have led editors to simply leave in the past. Existing usernames with the sign are not blocked, but editors should be encouraged to change their names as the sign interferes with some MediaWiki functions. There is a similar character (@) that is also prohibited in a username.
Unique trademarked names: Non-trivial trademarked names that undoubtedly refer to the owner of the trademark, such as "Google", "Wikipedia", or "New York Yankees", but not necessarily "AIBM" (IBM), Accord (Honda Accord), Goggle (Google) may be blocked on sight because of legal concerns involving copyright and trademark issues.
Dealing with problem usernames
Changing an inappropriate username
If enough people complain about your username (through talk pages or the mailing lists or Meta), the bureaucrats will change it. Neither complaints nor name changes should be arbitrary, but usernames that are offensive to a significant number of people will be changed—with notice, but without appeal.
How to report an inappropriate username
If you notice someone whose username is inappropriate, please ask them on their talk page to change their username.
When contacting them, {{subst:UsernameConcern|reason for objection}} or {{subst:uncon|reason for objection}} may be helpful, but feel free to paraphrase it or write your own original text if you prefer. Please try to assume good faith and don't bite the newcomers, if possible: allow for the possibility of innocent error or other reasonable explanation.
If they don't seem to respond, list them at WP:RFC/NAME, and if it appears that their name is inappropriate, they will be blocked indefinitely from editing using that username if community consensus is reached at RFC discussion that that their username distracts in any impermissible way from our goal of building an encyclopedia through its controversy and violation of policy.
Please inform them of the RFC/NAME on their talk page. Again, if a template would help you, use {{subst:UsernameDiscussion}} or {{subst:und}}. If the RFC is closed as "Allow", please follow up by informing the user with {{subst:UsernameAllowed}} or {{subst:una}}.
Admins who impose username blocks, please detail the specific reason with {{usernameblock|reason for block}} or {{unb|reason for block}} (not just "Violates WP:U", please). Otherwise some users might have no idea what to change to make their names acceptable.
Co-operative contributors should normally just be made aware of our policy via a post on their talk page. Voluntary changes (via Wikipedia:Changing username) are preferred: users from other countries and/or age groups may make mistakes about choosing names — immediate blocking or listing on RfC could scare off new users acting in good faith.
Blatantly inappropriate usernames should be reported at Wikipedia:Administrator intervention against vandalism.
Evaluating a username
Where a change must be forced, we first discuss it. If the user will not voluntarily change their name, bring it up at Wikipedia:Requests for comment/Usernames. The user should also be made aware of the discussion. The time this discussion can take varies upon how active the user in question is.
After an appropriate time for discussion, an admin can take a judgment on the name in question. They should only take action if their judgment is that a "rough consensus" has arisen that the username is inappropriate. This will involve blocking the inappropriate username, for which see Wikipedia:Blocking policy.
Blocking
If a username was obviously chosen in bad faith, or if a username is so problematic that it should never appear in article histories (e.g. a very offensive username), then admins may block it on sight. Admins should not block usernames that may have been chosen in good faith. We do not want to scare off good contributors.
- For inappropriate usernames that may have simply been created by someone without knowledge of this policy, blocks on the username should be indefinite and should typically not use the Account Creation Disabled blocking feature, so the user can create another appropriate username, as we invite the user to do if they have not vandalised.
- For inappropriate or borderline inappropriate usernames that are coupled with vandalism, or attempts to impersonate other legitimate editors, the username may be blocked indefinitely on sight (refer to Wikipedia:Blocking policy). Blocking account creation and keeping autoblock on is typically a good idea in these cases.
- Admins who impose username blocks, please detail the specific reason with {{usernameblock|reason for block}} or {{unb|reason for block}} (not just "Violates WP:U", please), in the block reason field and on the user's talk page. If the "reason for block" is not provided, the template will supply a list of possible reasons to the user, but won't specify which one applies.
Using multiple user accounts
It is recommended that users not edit under multiple usernames, unless they have a very good reason. See Wikipedia:Sock puppet.
Deleting your user account
Accounts with contributions cannot be deleted since this would allow another user to create the account, and claim authorship of those edits. It is not possible for your edits to be removed entirely. They can only be reassigned to something else so as not to violate the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL). Since the edits cannot be removed completely (even to free up server space in the case of deleted articles), removing the account would thus potentially violate copyrights by allowing for such authorship claims.
If you decide after creating an account, particularly if you did so using your real name, that you would rather be anonymous, you can have your account renamed. You can request this at Wikipedia:Changing username. When this is done, your contributions list will be assigned to the new user name.
You may also request your user and talk page be deleted as explained at Wikipedia:User page.
Any talk pages that you have signed will still display your former username. These need to be changed manually by editing the pages concerned. If you feel strongly about your name no longer appearing on the site, you can edit these pages to remove your signature. The easiest way to find these is by clicking "what links here" from your user page. There is currently no means of removing signatures from old revisions in the page history.
- See also: Right to vanish