JavaRanch would not let me sign up with my proper name

I think I'm in compliance with the user name policy, but I ran into this problem where the site would not allow me to join using my proper name. Using either "Timothy" or "Tim" as my first name, I kept getting told that that name was already in use. However, I had never used this site before, and neither my email address nor the user name I chose were already in the system. I don't really care that I had to use my initials. But I think someone might want to fix the site so that it can allow multiple people who truly have the same names to sign up using their real names. Does someone else have a different opinion?

Tn Miller wrote:But I think someone might want to fix the site so that it can allow multiple people who truly have the same names to sign up using their real names. Does someone else have a different opinion?

And what if someone else registers and uses display name "Rob Spoor"? Then how will people see whether I'm posting things or the other Rob Spoor? They won't be able to, and that's why we require display names to be unique. Just about any forum I've ever visited has unique user names. For us the display name is similar.

Welcome to the Ranch

I have searched our database and there are other users with similar names to yours. As Rob says, we cannot cope with two users with identical displayed names, but I could suggest this link about duplicate names. You could, for example, change to Tim[othy] N Miller, if you so wish.

Agree with Rob and Campbell.

However, it looks like one of the Tim accounts registered in 2001 and never posted. So, if you like, we can change that account to something else -- and let you be the "Tim Miller" on the ranch.

Henry

Handled. Tim, please check your private messages.