When the forums first opened, we allowed any name to be used. As the site got larger, we encouraged people to use a first and last name. When we moved to the new software, we required a real sounding first and last name.
The current all
volunteer staff looooves to talk about homesteading and
permaculture. And once in a while somebody decides that what would be heaps of fun is to
fuck with the staff. One angle is clever names like "Hugh G. Rection". And I confess, that name is hilarious. So when the staff contacts them and says "please change your display name" they will point at the old names and insist that a clever name is okay.
So, the staff at CodeRanch came up with this solution. The old names that don't comply with the current policy are just a gray box.
My impression is that this has done a lot to reduce "clever" names. So the staff spends more time having fun and less time dealing with ick.
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