Wikipedia:Changing username/Simple

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Michael Slone (talk | contribs) at 09:09, 22 January 2006 (Reverted edits by 61.18.170.4 (talk) to last version by Terenceong1992). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

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The user name Wikipedians choose for themselves is no longer set in stone. On request, Bureaucrats can change user account settings and article histories such that all previous edits of a given user are attributed to the new name using Special:Renameuser. Note - you must make the request from the account you want renamed; anonymous requests are ignored for security reasons. (Historical note - In the past, this page was used to log requests for developers to manually change attributions and usernames. This practice has long since been discontinued by developers as being too time consuming for the few number of developers available)

See also: The Wikimedia m:Privacy Policy, m:Right to vanish

Currently, only users with fewer than 6800 edits can be renamed (edit counter). You can only be renamed to an account that does not exist. If you have very few edits, it is far quicker to just create a new account.

Requesting a change

  1. To change your user name on the English Wikipedia only, please make your request on this page.
  2. To change your user name on another Wikimedia project that has a local bureaucrat (see Special:Listusers on your wiki to check), please ask one of those bureaucrats.
  3. To change your user name on another Wikimedia project that has no local bureaucrat, please ask a steward at meta:requests for permission.
  4. Re-attribution of edits from an anonymous account to a username can not be carried out by bureaucrats. Please see Wikipedia:Changing attribution for an edit.

Alternatives

  • Instead of changing your name, you can change your preferences to change your signature. This will change your "public appearance" on talk pages without requiring costly changes to the database. All your edits will be attributed to the same user. Although it will be your Username and not your sig that appears in page histories, most public interaction here goes on via talk pages. If you have the desire and the patience, you can use "What links here" from your User: page to manually edit all your old signatures to use the new sig as well (probably not necessary in most cases).
  • You can simply create a new account with the desired name, and redirect your old User: and User Talk: pages to your new account. Put a note at the top of your new User: and User Talk: page to explain the change. This does not merge your contributions history; but anyone investigating the old edits will be redirected to your new one. Again, if you have the patience, you can use "What links here" from your old User: page to manually edit all your old talk page signatures to display the new sig as well, using a piped link of the form [[User:OldUserName|NewSig]]. Use an informative edit summary so that people do not think you are tampering with someone else's entry on a talk page (a definite community no-no). To transfer your watchlist from the old username to the new one, see Wikipedia:Copying watchlist to new username.

Instructions

Please follow the procedure carefully or your request will not be fulfilled.

  1. Check that you have fewer than 6800 edits (edit counter).
  2. Check that the new name you want does not exist (Special:Listusers). Do not create an account under the new name.
  3. Sign in with the account that you want renamed.
  4. Add your request in the "current requests" section.
  5. If you are a sysop, please note this fact with your request so that the necessary changes can be made.
  • Once your request is fulfilled, all edits and other user data (including preferences, watchlist, and password) from your old account will be reattributed to your new account.
  • You should check that the old account has been recreated and blocked to prevent someone else creating the account and impersonating you.
  • You will probably want to move and redirect your userpage and talk page to your new name.

Current requests

Please put new requests at the end of this section. Fulfilled requests will be moved immediately to the current archive.

Please note that renaming users puts a large load on the database. Please do not request a rename unless it is necessary. If you have only a few edits, see the alternatives above.
  • Preface your request with a heading, thus: === Target username ===
  • Sign your name at the end with four tildes: ~~~~

Muchosucko

Please change my name to User:Quartermaster. I think User:El_C has been stalking my User:Muchosucko account. Therefore, Please, somehow, try to hide the fact that this name change has occured. Thank you kindly.--Muchosucko 18:19, 10 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

On second thought the much better solution to prevent User:El_C from stalking me is to create a brand new account User:Quartermaster but to transfer my Watchlist from User:Muchosucko to the new account. I only really just want to keep my old watchlist and I don't know how to transfer it to my User:Quartermaster account. The ultimate solution would be to have you all teach me how to do that by myself, in privacy, to prevent User:El_C from following me to User:Quartermaster. Thank you.
Sorry, User:Quartermaster is taken - please register it to User:pillowtalk. Thanks --Pillowtalk 03:01, 11 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
All username changes are available in the logs. Secretlondon 16:29, 11 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I also think that you're a controversial user and therefore that this rename wouldn't be in the interests of the project. You are being "stalked" because your contributions have been seen as disruptive. Allowing you to pretend to be an entirely new user is not in our interests. Secretlondon 06:35, 18 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Do not make accusations without proof. Give me the diffs on how I have been controvertial and disruptive. RE:Allowing you to pretend to be an entirely new user -- I'm afraid you have not read my request closely - I can pretend to be an entirely new user right now. Thank you kindly --Muchosucko 23:25, 18 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]


Please, I know you can't delete the accounts, but I wish to no longer be here please delete my account. I would appreciate it^_^

Cykitty

What would you actually like us to do? We can't delete accounts as you say. Secretlondon 15:43, 21 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

username: robertcmorgan to new name: brin64

Hi- can you sign in as robertcmorgan? We can't do anything unless you do. Thanks Secretlondon 06:31, 18 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Username: Spum To-username: User:JSpudeman Cheers The magical Spum-dandy 15:05, 18 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Current: YepNYC999 New: Larry V
Thanks! —Larry V. 05:32, 19 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Username: Allmotordc2 To-username: Satellite -Could you also rename my old edits to my new username? I am avoiding evidence of my old screenname anywhere on wiki. Thanks, Satelliteanonymous 06:10, 19 January 2006 (UTC)

Username: Alpha1Estates To-username: Egoiste79 -Could you also rename my old edits to my new username? Thanks, Alpha1Estates 08:07, 20 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I would like to have my username changed from User:Ddhuyvet to User:psi36 since that last one is the one I use everywhere on-line, in all my Messengers, a lot of forums I'm active on, my MySpace acount, and more stuff like that. Since I'm contributing on issues that are duscissed on thse forums an I use MySpace to hook with other people who are interested in the same stuf (mainly breakcore), it would be handy to have the same name here on the wikipedia. Plus ddhuyvet is a reference to my real name and I'm a bit paranoid about getting stalked. psi36 13:00, 19 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Please change my username from User:Nihplod to User:Stephen Dolphin, thank you very much,

Nihplod 15:13, 19 January 2006 (UTC) Stephen Dolphin[reply]

Username: AJ Ramirez To-username: WesleyDodds Thanks. WesleyDodds 06:42, 20 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Please change my username from User:BoneValleyALCo to User:UbiquitousGeep if possible. BoneValleyALCo 08:01, 20 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Xcoldricex

Old Username: Xcoldricex New Username: Dwansom Thank you xcoldricex 14:37, 20 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]


IKWOWE

Old Username: jpb1968 New Username: IKWOWE

Thank you Jpb1968 12:53, 21 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Old Username: User:Ddufek New Username: User:SkerHawx Thanks SkerHawx 22:49, 21 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

MichaelWard

I have changed my name and would like my Wikipedia login changed accordingly.

Old Username: Mbwardle New Username: MichaelWard

The username search feature doesn't seem to be working, but I did check there was no page for this user.

Thanks Mbwardle 03:55, 22 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Archives

Fulfilled

Rejected/Cannot be fulfilled

Earlier archives – These archives predate the Special:Renameuser feature.

Requests from users with over 6800 edits

These requests will not currently be fulfilled; but may be in the future. See also m:Changing username for other complicated requests

  1. User:Kevin_baas to User:Kevin Baas signed: 23:18, August 16, 2005 (UTC)
  2. User:Snowspinner to User:Phil Sandifer Snowspinner 16:25, 24 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]
  3. User:Dcoetzee to User:Deco - For privacy purposes. Currently I have User:Deco registered and redirect it to my user page, and additionally I use it in my signatures. 23:29, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
  4. I would like to change my current user name, User:Karol Langner (my actual full name), to User:Karol. Unfortunately, I have about 80 edits more than the 6800 limit. I hope that's not a big problem, because the change is important to me, due to privacy concerns. Karol 10:38, 14 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
    There is already a User:Karol, although they have not made any edits. If this is you, please sign in and confirm. If not, User:Karol L is available. Warofdreams talk 10:45, 14 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
    I don't think so. Before, I didn't really know how to check that, so I figured if there's no page then it's free. I then played around with the 'create account' page and realized WP creates an account even if I leave the password field blank (I created User:Karol L by mistake, sorry for that, you can delete the account)! If User:Karol is inactive, can't I take over the account? Karol 17:43, 14 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
  5. User:Ambi to User:Rebecca. Would involve usurping an account with no edits as below, but I figured it'd be better to put it here. Ambi 11:30, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Requests to usurp an existing account with no edits

Occasionally, someone will request to be renamed to an account that exists (has been registered) but has not made any edits. While there is precedent for making such changes, as yet there are no guidelines for handling such requests.

  1. Please move User:Fito to User:Tiko. Thanks.--Fito 00:42, 21 September 2005 (UTC)[reply]
    User:Tiko already exists but has had no edits.. Secretlondon 02:56, 21 September 2005 (UTC)[reply]
  2. Please delete User:Havoc, this name is registered, but no contributions were made using this name. I come from the german part of the Wikipedia using this name and want to have one identity within the Wikipedia. Thank you. (I see no reason why a member(name) that only exists on paper should not be deleted for someone with the intention to use it)de:User:Havoc 12:12, 25 September 2005 (UTC)[reply]
    There are plans to have one sign in for all Wikipedias. This would give you one identity in Wikipedia. Someone having your name in en.wikipedia would cause problems with commons, wikisource and other cross language projects. We don't have the ability to delete user accounts anyway. Secretlondon 12:36, 25 September 2005 (UTC)[reply]
    But this name is not used by anyone and only exists in en:wikipedia. The Username "Havoc" in commons is registered by myself, as well as "Havoc" in MetaWiki. When there is no chance of deleting it, maybe there is a chance to assume control by editing the e-mail address of this account, it would have the same effect because i don´t have an account within the en:wikipedia, yet. de:User:Havoc 16:23, 25 September 2005 (UTC)[reply]
  3. Please delete "Moxons", it was only experimental. Thanks --moxon 23:02, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
    Deletions are not possible. =Nichalp «Talk»= 12:41, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
  4. Please change my name from ZZq to A. I go by this user name in many online communities such as slashdot and would like to use it here as well. User exists but does have zero edits. Thank you for considering this change. ZZq 08:46, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
    I'm afraid we can't take over an existing account. =Nichalp «Talk»= 12:41, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
    With all respect, then what is the point of this section? ZZq 19:48, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
    If and when it happens. =Nichalp «Talk»= 04:26, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
    I have been editing for a month now with the username А. I would still like to have the username A, but if the policy changes I would like to have my new account (А) moved rather than this account I no longer use. ZZq 01:46, 5 January 2006 (UTC) Signed by new username: A 01:47, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  5. Please move User:AmbientArchitecture to User:Aldaron, a user that already exists but has had no edits. AmbientArchitecture 21:37, 11 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
  6. Please delete user:Brian NZ, I think that it might be trying to imitate my account Brian | (Talk) 05:58, 12 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
  7. Hey folks. Username 'Adrian' has no edit history, userpage, or discussion. I note that there are no fixed guidelines for reallocation of existing unused usernames -- has there ever been a proposed set of guidelines? Oh, and also, as you might guess, I'd like to evict the existing 'Adrian' account, if anyone with the ability and will to help in that respect is reading this. Cheers :) Adrian Lamo 07:18, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  8. If this sort of thing ever does happen, I'd like to put in a request to usurp User:Miles. Thanks — Miles←☎ 05:00, 9 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]