User:Robkelk/Username policy

''This is a draft proposal for a new global policy. If it's not a copy/edit and a more major change, please indicate what it is on the discussion page before editing.''

This proposal incorporates work by User:Reception123.

Above all, common sense should be applied when creating a new user account.

Permitted and Forbidden Usernames
Usernames that would cause the underlying wiki software to malfunction simply by existing are not permitted under any circumstance.

Usernames that exist on other wikis or other social media may be used by the same account holder for a username on Miraheze, in accordance with the spirit of Miraheze's default Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license. If there is any doubt, the person requesting the username on Miraheze will be asked to confirm his or her ownership of the identical username on the other wiki or social media site by posting a confirmatory comment to the talk page or equivalent on the other wiki or social media site, showing that the person is identified by the username on the other site.

Users who wish to use their legal names or dimunitions of their legal names as usernames may do so, in accordance with the spirit of Miraheze's default Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license. (For example, Johnathan Smith is permitted to use "Johnsmith" as his username, if the username is still available.)

In cases where two people wish to use the same username and the username is permitted under these rules, the first person to request the username will be allowed to use that username.

Usernames that already exist and are not permanently globally locked when this policy comes into effect are "grandfathered" and are permitted to remain in use.

Where the following rules do not conflict with the preceeding rules, these types of usernames are not allowed on any Miraheze wiki:


 * Usernames that in and of themselves would be a felony to publish (including but not limited to usernames that can reasonably be read as counseling someone to commit an illegal act or usernames that can reasonably be read as hate speech), for the legal protection of Miraheze.


 * Usernames that advertise a product or service, in accordance with the Code of Conduct prohibition against spam.


 * Usernames that identify the user as belonging to a particular organization, in accordance with the Code of Conduct prohibitions against spam (e.g. President of Company X).


 * Usernames that harass another user or a person, in accordance with the Code of Conduct prohibition against harassment.


 * Usernames that claim a nonexistent relationship between the user and another user, in accordance with the Code of Conduct prohibition against harassment.


 * Usernames that contain phone numbers or email addresses, in accordance with the Code of Conduct prohibitions against harassment and spam.


 * Usernames that otherwise do not respect the Code of Conduct.


 * Usernames that give the impression that the account in question has permissions which it does not have (e.g. "administrator", "bureaucrat", etc.).


 * Usernames that contain the exact name of a wiki that existed when the username was requested, no matter where that wiki is hosted (e.g. a user named "Wikipedia").


 * Usernames that resemble IP addresses (as these are expected to designate non-logged-in users), in accordance with the spirit of Miraheze's default Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license.


 * Usernames that are deliberately similar to other usernames in the possible scope of impersonation, in accordance with the spirit of Miraheze's default Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license. (e.g., if user A has the username "Example", user B may not have the username "Examplee" or "Exaample")


 * Usernames that are deliberately similar to the real name (or a dimunition thereof) of a person who does not have an account on Miraheze, in accordance with the spirit of Miraheze's default Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license.


 * Usernames which could reasonably be confused with system identifiers or messages generated by the wiki software, including but not limited to usernames that resemble timestamps.

Cases where Miraheze officially does not have an opinion on usernames

 * Usernames that someone might find discomforting but not offensive or harassing. Constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression (in the British Commonwealth) or freedom of speech (in the United States of America) take precedence by law over an individual's discomfort.

Enforcement
Usernames which do not respect this policy after it has come into effect will be given a warning and invited to change their username immediately. If they do not due so in a limit to be determined by a steward, they will be globally locked. The steward must provide a reasonable amount of time in setting this limit, keeping in mind that not everyone logs in to any particular site every day.

If in doubt about a username, you can contact staff (preferably email at staff@undefinedmiraheze.org) to determine whether the username you would like to use is acceptable or not.