Forum Thread

New Rule- Username Mimicry

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Nezumi

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                                                Posted: Thu, 25/06/2015 03:06                                                (9 Years ago)
                                            

I believe there should be a new rule which states that you may not mimic a user's username in order to appear to be them. I've seen multiple accounts which use a username similar to an existing one and then the mimicking user pretends to be the original one. They do this in order to scam or get the other user into trouble.
Any support or criticism is welcome, as long as it is provided in a polite and explained way.
If you feel that I need to explain further, please let me know and I will.

Since I am getting a bit tired of repeating myself, I'm going to say this right now.
I am not suggesting a rule preventing users from choosing usernames that are similar to another. I am suggesting that we make a rule about pretending to be another user.

Here is an example scenario (these are made-up users and a made-up scenario. It is just an example):
User A's username is DIlly. (D I L L Y)
User B's username is Dllly. (D L L L Y)

Quote from Nessy

These names are similar but clearly not the same (the Nessy quote is from a mobile).
These two users have similar usernames and play the game however they please.
One day, User A, Dilly, makes a feed about trading for a Pokémon, which another User C accepts. User B, Dllly, sees this feed and goes to the GTS, making an offer on the Pokémon intended for User A.

Some possible outcomes:
1. User C does not notice the slight difference and accepts the trade. User A and C are now short a Pokémon and potentially even reporting each other for scamming.
2. User C catches this difference and does not accept the trade. User A receives their Pokémon like they normally would.
3. Any other number of outcomes.

The point of this suggestion is that no matter which outcome occurs, one user deliberately pretended to be another one.
If this is in the rules, the user can be reported for it and the mods can deal with the situation.

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-Strek-

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                                                Posted: Thu, 25/06/2015 03:10                                                (9 Years ago)
                                            

Thats a very good idea you have my full support (Y)

Pleiadesu

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                                                Posted: Thu, 25/06/2015 03:11                                                (9 Years ago)
                                            

Hmm...... I need to think about this.
There's the fact that if you were gonna have someone that you talk/trade/etc. with regularly, you probably would memorize their username, and there's also the fact that the profile links are different.

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Muse

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                                                Posted: Thu, 25/06/2015 03:12                                                (9 Years ago)
                                            

Support.
Someone tried to steal something I won in a raffle by using a username close to mine.

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SealVsGaming

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                                                Posted: Thu, 25/06/2015 03:21                                                (9 Years ago)
                                            

Full support
And also, if a user changes their name, other people can't take their original username for the reasons stated.

Nezumi

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                                                Posted: Thu, 25/06/2015 03:24                                                (9 Years ago)
                                            

I was thinking that too, @NightStrider. Good point.

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Kagabi

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                                                Posted: Thu, 25/06/2015 03:54                                                (9 Years ago)
                                            

I support this. Of all the sites I've played, some users were framed by someone else. Such as stealing drops from monsters, etc.
Though, doesn't PH have a system where you can't have the same username as someone else has/had before? Most do have it.

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SissyFox

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                                                Posted: Thu, 25/06/2015 03:58                                                (9 Years ago)
                                            

What if a new user wants to have a specific username, but cant have it, or anything like that name, because of this.
I know of several websites that do this and it's annoying
I constantly forget the username and end up losing everything

Plus if someone were to look just a little closer, you can tell the difference
Such as by their trainer ID number

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Nezumi

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                                                Posted: Thu, 25/06/2015 04:07                                                (9 Years ago)
                                            

@SissyFox, they'd be allowed to have a name similar to another one, that is almost unavoidable sometimes, but I want it to be against the rules to purposefully pretend to be another user. It is like PH identity theft.

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SissyFox

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                                                Posted: Thu, 25/06/2015 04:12                                                (9 Years ago)
                                            

What would count as proof to prove identity thieves guilty and newbies innocent?

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Nezumi

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                                                Posted: Thu, 25/06/2015 04:20                                                (9 Years ago)
                                            

Like any other proof, a screenshot of a user actively pretending to be another user is generally accepted. With cases like Cynda, she would have to take a screen shot of the feed/post/etc which states that she won, and then have screenshots of the other user acting as if they are her in order to take her prize. Also like many other rules and reports, sometimes a newbie makes a mistake. It is up to the mods to decide when given both sides of such a situation to decide if the user in question is guilty.

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Nessy

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                                                Posted: Thu, 25/06/2015 06:36                                                (9 Years ago)
                                            

Yes, I've seen this before.

One user changed their name to match another's, except they changed the lowercase "L" to uppercase "I"

In certain areas of the site, the I and l look very similar

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Omosky

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                                                Posted: Thu, 25/06/2015 07:58                                                (9 Years ago)
                                            

I support the fact of making an official rule against pretending to be another user. Including the use of manipulation of characters, letters, and numbers in their username to appear to be the other player.

On another site, there was an incident where another user replaced their name with a zero followed by the normal lettering in my username, all to make it look like they were me. It fooled a great deal of players, even two of those whom I daily chat with on aim over the past 3-4 years. I nearly got into a lot of trouble, and because of them I ended up leaving that site due to that a few players were still convinced that it was still me who scammed a lot of players out of a lot of things even though proof was publicly made that I had nothing to do with it.

I'm not saying make a rule against closely related names, nor even lock in names, but to make an official rule so that this problem can be nipped in the butt before something truly awful happens.

Edit: The problem with locking names in / making it impossible to use a name previously used by someone else is that someone can come trolling along a bunch of different usernames and lock in a bunch. The only way I was support it is either if it was time based (X time before it can be used by someone else) or if it counted only the previously changed name. (Example, I'm Omosky now. So I changed my name to Omo, and then Sky. Omosky would be dropped off and then anyone else could take it.)

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vanillite1

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                                                Posted: Thu, 25/06/2015 08:30                                                (9 Years ago)
                                            

support, I remember someone called darkvolt won a ditto in a raffle but a user changed username to darkvollt and the user who hosted the raffle accidentially accepted the offer from darkvollt so darkvolt didn't get his ditto

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mojoryan2003

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                                                Posted: Thu, 25/06/2015 15:41                                                (9 Years ago)
                                            

No support, people can have whatever username they want as long as it is not offensive

Credit goes to carpetmonster

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Nezumi

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                                                Posted: Thu, 25/06/2015 15:49                                                (9 Years ago)
                                            

@mojoryan2003, it isn't about them using a certain username, it is about them using a username in order to appear to be another player. If you aren't a certain person then you shouldn't be allowed to act like you are. Again, I will use Cynda's case as an example. If a user wants their username to be exactly like Cynda's, whatever, that's fine if a little lacking in creativity. However, once they start trying to convince any users that they are her, it becomes a problem.

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mojoryan2003

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                                                Posted: Thu, 25/06/2015 15:50                                                (9 Years ago)
                                            

People need to be more careful about their friends username and be able to tell the difference

Credit goes to carpetmonster

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Nezumi

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                                                Posted: Thu, 25/06/2015 15:51                                                (9 Years ago)
                                            

I think you're missing the point. It doesn't matter if the user actually gets away with anything. The person they're trying to trick could notice right away that it isn't really them. The point is that they just tried to be someone else. It doesn't matter what the motive behind it is or what they get away with, the fact that they are trying to convince people that they are another user should be a reportable offense.

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Iskandar

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                                                Posted: Thu, 25/06/2015 16:19                                                (9 Years ago)
                                            

It would be ridiculous if my girlfriend tried to join PH not being able to choose a username like Iskandara or Iskandr

Pokéheroes has "moderators/GMs" and one of their functions is to work against thieves/scammers, I guess. Even you never receiving your stolen stuff back (which sucks).

Nezumi

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                                                Posted: Thu, 25/06/2015 16:42                                                (9 Years ago)
                                            

Like I said before, it isn't about preventing someone from picking a username that is similar to another one. I am saying that once a user deliberately pretends to be another user it should be a reportable offense.

I have updated the first post in order to clear up some misunderstandings about the suggestion.

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