Dev. blog - Changing Names, 27 August

[Jard_Y_Dooku]

My word... they use player usernames as the primary key?! It is incredible that a company filled with software engineers doesn't appear to have heard the concept of an unique ID number for each account as the primary key. If they'd done this in the first place, there would be no issues whatsoever. ID numbers are meant to be transparent to the user of the application and never change. Usernames are very poor record identifiers.

 

 

 

Consider the way phpBB is designed (correctly). All our usernames are not the unique reference to our ID. Yes, they are unique, but they are not identifiers. We have ID numbers for that... for example, mine is 189809. This number, in the Tip.It's phpBB database, references everything about my account, and is why username changing is easy and efficient.

 

 

 

Now theres what, a 9 year backlog on RuneScape, prevention is better than cure, but it's going to be a nice feature just I hope too many people don't change their names, people coming up to me;

 

 

 

Him: "yo do you remember me?"

 

Me: "not really"

 

Him: "my name was propker34"

 

Me: "no?"

 

Him" "b4 dat it was pwnage66"

 

Me: "no."

 

Him: "b4 dat it was zezima9462"

 

Me: *teleports*

 

 

 

Why did you quote me lol? I was talking about technical stuff, your post doesn't...

[Toad]

Definately won't be changing mine though I like it :D

 

 

 

Jard, I kind of drifted off topic :P I just mean't that forums do use secondary id's but I guess jagex never really concidered that aspect when the game was first created I mean they started off with 2 people, andrew and his brother, then slowly adapted and hired new staff, they posted when they moved offices and hired new staff so they didn't really look at name changing more at game content and expanding as an MMORPG :-#

[Smapla]

i wish i could change my username, and leave my display name as is. i'd love a second password.

[Toad]

i wish i could change my username, and leave my display name as is. i'd love a second password.

 

 

 

They mentioned your new login can be your email, I might set up a new email just for that, and have it only for that runescape login I believe it was said in the players question and answer session with MMG.

[unkn0wnwarrior]

I'll probably never use it, but the feature isn't a bad idea.

[Racheya]

I'm perfectly happy with Racheya :?

 

 

 

Still - I expect this to be an interesting change in the game :)

[Mr_Adam]

I'm just gonna change it to Adam, so people don't come up to me and say 'Hey Admant' anymore. Because it's Adam. Not Admant.

[obidiah]

My word... they use player usernames as the primary key?! It is incredible that a company filled with software engineers doesn't appear to have heard the concept of an unique ID number for each account as the primary key. If they'd done this in the first place, there would be no issues whatsoever. ID numbers are meant to be transparent to the user of the application and never change. Usernames are very poor record identifiers.

 

 

 

Consider the way phpBB is designed (correctly). All our usernames are not the unique reference to our ID. Yes, they are unique, but they are not identifiers. We have ID numbers for that... for example, mine is 189809. This number, in the Tip.It's phpBB database, references everything about my account, and is why username changing is easy and efficient.

 

 

 

In fairness when "in the first place" occurred. - they didn't have a company at all, let alone one filled with software engineers. Just a couple of guys who were almost still hobbyists.

[Toad]

My word... they use player usernames as the primary key?! It is incredible that a company filled with software engineers doesn't appear to have heard the concept of an unique ID number for each account as the primary key. If they'd done this in the first place, there would be no issues whatsoever. ID numbers are meant to be transparent to the user of the application and never change. Usernames are very poor record identifiers.

 

 

 

Consider the way phpBB is designed (correctly). All our usernames are not the unique reference to our ID. Yes, they are unique, but they are not identifiers. We have ID numbers for that... for example, mine is 189809. This number, in the Tip.It's phpBB database, references everything about my account, and is why username changing is easy and efficient.

 

 

 

In fairness when "in the first place" occurred. - they didn't have a company at all, let alone one filled with software engineers. Just a couple of guys who were almost still hobbyists.

 

 

 

Yup pretty much straight out of university and started up with 2-3 people.

[Den]

I would like to change mine, but im not sure if its a good idea. :P

 

 

 

Right now, I cant show myself on Norwegian, Swedish or Danish worlds without someone saying "Lol, u arent invisible."

 

 

 

Though, its an awesome name to have if your from scandinavia.

 

 

 

Hmmm. :?

[Carl]

This update looks awesome, I've been looking forward to it since I first heard about it. ;)

 

 

 

I wouldn't be changing my name, however. I think I'd, if possible, reserve "Carl" though. That would be nice. 8-)

[Aslan]

It'd be nice to remove the 1 from my name as it would sound better.

[lcchs]

does this means the people on your ignore list dont know you changed ur name? If it means that i can say yesssssss. And whats the minimum and maximum number of characters allowed in ur name?

[Jard_Y_Dooku]

does this means the people on your ignore list dont know you changed ur name? If it means that i can say yesssssss. And whats the minimum and maximum number of characters allowed in ur name?

 

 

 

Min 1, Max 12

[lcchs]

really? the least i saw is 4 character

[Range_This11]

I've seen multiple people with names that are just one letter.

[Leik]

I've seen multiple people with names that are just one letter.

 

 

 

They created their accounts before that 4 letter minimum was placed, or you know.

 

 

 

I can't wait for this update, finally I can remove that stupid 10 on my name. Or I think I will, not sure.

[la la la]

I don't see that big of a use. I'll probably stick to my name or simply change it to Eye for Wit, my secondary account name.

[Ronan]

[hide=Rather large quote pertaining to Username as a Primary Key]

My word... they use player usernames as the primary key?! It is incredible that a company filled with software engineers doesn't appear to have heard the concept of an unique ID number for each account as the primary key. If they'd done this in the first place, there would be no issues whatsoever. ID numbers are meant to be transparent to the user of the application and never change. Usernames are very poor record identifiers.

 

 

 

Consider the way phpBB is designed (correctly). All our usernames are not the unique reference to our ID. Yes, they are unique, but they are not identifiers. We have ID numbers for that... for example, mine is 189809. This number, in the Tip.It's phpBB database, references everything about my account, and is why username changing is easy and efficient.

 

 

 

In fairness when "in the first place" occurred. - they didn't have a company at all, let alone one filled with software engineers. Just a couple of guys who were almost still hobbyists.

 

 

 

Yup pretty much straight out of university and started up with 2-3 people.

[/hide]

 

 

 

Granted, and yet - I'm a very inexperienced student, just about to start a Computer Science course in September and I would of never considered using a username as the primary identifier in a database. ;)

 

 

 

Maybe it's a sign of the change over the years, or just me - but it seems a rather bad move, they understand that now though obviously.

 

 

 

Shame they didn't sort out a better identifier than the username with this update, although I don't want to imagine the work involved in Runescape's systems to straighten out that issue... -.-

[Mike_Ike111]

[hide=Rather large quote pertaining to Username as a Primary Key]

My word... they use player usernames as the primary key?! It is incredible that a company filled with software engineers doesn't appear to have heard the concept of an unique ID number for each account as the primary key. If they'd done this in the first place, there would be no issues whatsoever. ID numbers are meant to be transparent to the user of the application and never change. Usernames are very poor record identifiers.

 

 

 

Consider the way phpBB is designed (correctly). All our usernames are not the unique reference to our ID. Yes, they are unique, but they are not identifiers. We have ID numbers for that... for example, mine is 189809. This number, in the Tip.It's phpBB database, references everything about my account, and is why username changing is easy and efficient.

 

 

 

In fairness when "in the first place" occurred. - they didn't have a company at all, let alone one filled with software engineers. Just a couple of guys who were almost still hobbyists.

 

 

 

Yup pretty much straight out of university and started up with 2-3 people.

[/hide]

 

 

 

Granted, and yet - I'm a very inexperienced student, just about to start a Computer Science course in September and I would of never considered using a username as the primary identifier in a database. ;)

 

 

 

Maybe it's a sign of the change over the years, or just me - but it seems a rather bad move, they understand that now though obviously.

 

 

 

Shame they didn't sort out a better identifier than the username with this update, although I don't want to imagine the work involved in Runescape's systems to straighten out that issue... -.-

 

 

 

It's been over 10 years. Certainly you can see that the internet is not the same as it was 10 years ago.

[sheep455_is_the_best]

Will be fun with all the people ranting over "loosing" their names 8-)

[obfuscator]

Overall I haven't enjoyed many of the Dev. blogs as they seem to give trivial information and useless insight, but this one was actually a great read.

[Kaioke]

Bummer! I liked being a part of a small crowd that didn't have numbers in their name; "Kaioke." Perhaps I'll change it to something ridiculous like, "Coat Hanger", "Sneakers", "Converse", "Sanitizer", "Signpost." It should be fun.

[buzz_knight]

I don't like this idea, your name should stay the same in my eyes.

 

It is what your character was born with and it is how it should die , with the same name.

[strilmus]

If you pick "Signpost", Jagex will try to censor you in an attempt to hide unreleased content, even when you've been in full view of everybody.