Timwi (timwi) wrote in lj_userdoc,
Timwi
timwi
lj_userdoc

FAQ #25 revisited

In addition to what I mentioned in my previous posting, a recent entry in lj_support showed that we also need to add a paragraph saying something on the lines of:

It is also possible to rename a journal to a username under your control. If the two accounts have the same validated e-mail address and password, you can rename one of them to the username of the other. For example, if you have two accounts with the usernames "bob" and "nick", and you wish to rename "bob" to "nick", change the e-mail address and password of "nick" to match that of "bob" before attempting the rename. The account with the new username ("nick" in this case) will be renamed to something like ex_nick232, i.e. we will put "ex_" in front and tack some random number onto it at the end.




The complete FAQ will then look like this:

First of all, please make sure your desired username is available before considering a rename. Deleted and purged accounts are not available for reuse (http://www.livejournal.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=127).

Usernames of personal journals - not communities - can be changed for a $15 fee. The process has complications and can create confusion for other users, so we charge a fee to discourage people from doing it lightly. See http://www.livejournal.com/rename/ to purchase or use a rename code.

LiveJournal identifies your account by your user number, not your user name. Renaming an account simply changes the name associated with that number - everything else about the account remains the same. Paid or permanent account status, user privileges, friends, personal info, and other account-related data will be the same with the new username. All existing comments in other journals and posts in communities will display the new username.

What happens when someone tries to access the old username? You have two options. The old username can automatically redirect users to the new username - we encourage you to use this option, so links to posts in your old journal don't break. This redirection will remain in place as long as your account exists. Alternately, the old username can be marked as deleted, so anyone who visits the journal will receive an error message. The old username will remain unavailable for at least 30 days.

As a convenience, you can also choose whether or not to preserve friendofs when renaming a journal. If friendofs are preserved, then everyone listing your old username as a friend will continue to list your new username as a friend. If friendofs are not preserved, you will be removed from the friends lists of all other users when your account is renamed. (Of course, they can then add you again.)

If you want to hide your journal from someone who has found your username, the rename feature is probably not what you want. See "Can I make my whole journal Friends-Only or Private?" (http://www.livejournal.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=120) or "How do I delete/undelete my entire journal?" (http://www.livejournal.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=16).

It is also possible to rename a journal to a username under your control. If the two accounts have the same validated e-mail address and password, you can rename one of them to the username of the other. For example, if you have two accounts with the usernames "bob" and "nick", and you wish to rename "bob" to "nick", change the e-mail address and password of "nick" to match that of "bob" before attempting the rename. The account with the new username ("nick" in this case) will be renamed to something like ex_nick232, i.e. we will put "ex_" in front and tack some random number onto it at the end.

If you have just created a free account and accidentally misspelled your desired username, you do not need to use this service to rename your journal. Instead, you can wait for a week to get an invitation code (http://www.livejournal.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=103) and use that to create another free account with the username you desire (http://www.livejournal.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=104).

If you have created a paid account with a misspelled username, you do not need to wait for a week before creating a new account. When your payment is processed, you get an invitation code for each month of paid time, and you can generate them immediately to create a free account. However, your paid time is not transferable to the new account. You would either need to pay to upgrade the new account as well, as it is separate from the original paid account, or use the rename service outlined above.
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