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Usernames with spaces
Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 1:41 pm
by ody
I was just registering with a web site when I started to wonder what the whole thing about not allowing spaces in usernames is about.. I've always made the restriction myself with the work I do but can't actualy think of any good reason for the restriction.. anyone have any insights or thoughts?
Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 2:29 pm
by Maugrim_The_Reaper
Traditionally usernames were used as the basis of filesystem paths - so it was a restriction. With applications this is not the case, so if spaces are disallowed I can't think of any good reason other than long standing convention.
Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 2:53 pm
by MrPotatoes
Maugrim_The_Reaper wrote:Traditionally usernames were used as the basis of filesystem paths - so it was a restriction. With applications this is not the case, so if spaces are disallowed I can't think of any good reason other than long standing convention.
personally i didn't know this BUT i don't allow login usernames to have spaces but i do allow display names to have it tho.
i love computer history
Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 3:15 pm
by Chris Corbyn
Good question. I never knew about the filesystem thingy... sounds logical, thanks for educating

Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 3:18 pm
by Weirdan
I never knew about the filesystem thingy...
Didn't you notice /home/<username> directory in your filesystem? (you were using Linux, if memory serves)
Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 3:22 pm
by Chris Corbyn
Weirdan wrote:I never knew about the filesystem thingy...
Didn't you notice /home/<username> directory in your filesystem? (you were using Linux, if memory serves)
Hehe obviously, I just hadn't allowed the cogs in my brain to turn far enough for that thought to enter my head while I read the post

Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 5:22 pm
by Maugrim_The_Reaper
A lot of my early internet activity included user webspace in the format domain.com/user/~maugrim.

Seemed pretty obvious from thereon in. It should of course still be enforced in any application assigning userspaces...
i don't allow login usernames to have spaces but i do allow display names to have it tho.
A lot of folk do - traditions are hard to evade. Look at my own username

, I automatically use underscores in my username all the time out of habit. But there's no reason for a username not to be allowed have spaces, or any other valid printable character imaginable.
Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 6:27 pm
by DrTom
What's kind of funny is you CAN have directories with spaces on linux and have been able too for a while. Although it still doesn't allow you to do it for user names.
Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 1:30 am
by ody
One reason I could think of last night was email addresses.. which would be at least one reason why Unix based systems certainly wouldn't allow spaces. Also if you planned on giving your users email addresses your wouldn't want them registering with usernames that are illegal for email.
Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 2:57 am
by Maugrim_The_Reaper
Actually spaces are allowed in email addresses under RFC822. AFAIK they must however be part of a quoted string for the addressee.
Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 4:13 am
by Chris Corbyn
Indeed, it looks like this:
"Username with spaces in"@domain.tld
Nutz.
Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 5:31 am
by ody
Hrmm interesting, I guess you really do learn something new everyday.