This week: Usernames and Handles Edited by: Annette More Newsletters By This Editor
1. About this Newsletter 2. A Word from our Sponsor 3. Letter from the Editor 4. Editor's Picks 5. A Word from Writing.Com 6. Ask & Answer 7. Removal instructions
username noun
less commonly: user name
plural usernames also: user names
a sequence of characters that identifies a user (such as on a computer system, website, or social media platform)
~ Merriam Webster
A social media handle is a public username used on social media accounts. |
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Usernames and Handles
You are here. You have created an account here with a username and a password. On top of it, you had to choose a handle. Your handle can be the same as your username, but it can also be something else. Not only can you have a different handle, you can change it as often as you like. Even several times a day.
Of course, the concept of usernames is nothing new or revolutionary on the internet, but it is worth knowing that they are very important on Writing.Com as they serve multiple purposes.
sign in
email address
merit badges
tagging
When it comes to usernames, it's very important to know exactly whom you're trying to reach. To illustrate, I have here a link that goes to pages of members called Maria .
Let's say your buddy Maria sent you a great review. You reply with an email, but a few days later, you have enough gift points to send her a merit badge. Now, you need her username. Maybe her username is something entirely different than Maria. Maybe her username is 123Maria7. That is the name that you have to type into the merit badge sending form.
Some members, like me: annette is: Annette , jeff is: Jeff , and jayne is: Jayne make it easy to remember how to get in touch with us. We have the exact same username and handle. (With some occasional seasonal variations.)
Other members have names that are completely different from their handle: satet is: iKïyå§ama , soul-writer is: . . . Jeremy , or poulynoe is: A E Willcox make you work a little harder to keep track of them. Luckily, you can easily find out a member's username by hovering the cursor over the suitcase. This requires a computer. It doesn't work on my phone. I am not sure if it works on iPads or similar tablets.
One way that you are guaranteed to know the correct username is to click on the portfolio suitcase and then click on the envelope as if you mean to send an email. The email addresses here are always the username@Writing.Com. This is the definite failsafe to ensuring you have the right person.
One way that you can easily check if the username you remember brings you to the correct person is to type it on a newsfeed message. The preview of your message shows right above the text box. Names become clickable links as long as you use the correct linking format with user, suser, or huser. (See WritingML Help for more options.) This is a technique I use a lot when I have to create a link to a member. You don't have to click the "post note" button to make this work.
How and why did you choose your username and handle? Does your handle change often or never? |
| | We Writers (E) An acrostic poem of my username, winklett. About writing, of course! #859533 by winklett |
| | Galahad (18+) A man finds that his name is not a complete waste of time after all. #2291684 by Beholden |
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Replies to my last Noticing Newbies newsletter "Come In" that asked Are you unsure where to start?
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