Titan Network login option

Hey all, just a quick informal poll to help us with some stuff we're working on at the Titan Network. As some of you know, we're working on revamping a lot of stuff over there, and we're thinking of changing the login mechanism to use your e-mail address instead of a user name, kind of like how sites like Facebook, Hulu, Safari Books Online, and other sites are using these days. The rationale is so that users don't have to remember yet another username for yet another site, as remembering the e-mail address is generally a lot easier.

If we do it, the e-mail address would not be displayed publicly--every user would also pick a unique display name that identifies you to other players, but the display name wouldn't be your login name. The motivation here isn't to spam you (which we won't) or harvest e-mail addresses (which we really won't); we'll still have your e-mail address on file either way from when you register*, and I really don't care if you use a fake address for privacy reasons, unless you're doing it for some malevolent purpose.

So what do you think? Would it be easier and more convenient for you to use your e-mail address to log in? Would it be harder? Do you object to it, and if so, why?

*We have two primary reasons for this. First, to keep people from casually spamming creating accounts for no good reason. Second, we plan on implementing more opt-in social-networky features to the sites. We've also used it on occasions to help validate user's identity when they request something like an account deletion. The point, though, is that having you log in by e-mail address is not some sneaky back-door way to try to get your e-mail address, it's not like we're going to make you validate the address every time you log in. It's purely a convenience feature we're considering.

sounds alright to me

As long as it is not public like you say, that sounds fine.

Cool. Coolcoolcool.

Easier. The fewer "Names" to remember the better. My passwords are all sentences if possible anyway.

Fine with me. I have Firefox save username and passwords to sites so all I have to do is go to the site and click the log in button. Doesn't work on all sites though, and sometimes it seems like my browser asks if I want it to save the info even though I already told it to before. No biggie. Takes a moment to change that.

1 thing you could change is to make it easier for people to register. A short while back I went straight to http://www.cohtitan.com/forum/index.php to register so I could post bugs with Mid's and I got an error saying registration is disabled. Still says that now. It was suggested to go there by someone on the CoH forums here and when I mentioned I couldn't register, they posted a link to the proper place to register here http://cohtitan.com/

So fix the register button or post a link on the home page for the Titan forums to go to cohtitan for registration. Would make things less confusing. I'm still fairly new to the community.

Edit: 1 question though, would our current usernames be usable for posting or would we have to create new ones and hope ours isn't taken before we switch to using our email address for log in?

No! Not on your life!


.... since someone needs to object.

See my Guides and Tutorials

Could you tie it to email addresses? So for the first month if someone wants to register using an old Titan Network Username the email address used has to match the old email address on file? That would seem to solve 90% of the problems and the rest could be solved by petition.

Yeah, that's what I meant. Thinking out loud*, for the first month, it would do something like let you import your existing Titan username as your display name when you register. After that, it would still let you use that username if it's available, but it wouldn't stop someone else from using it, which means that you'd have to pick a new one. In any event, we would try to yell from the mountaintops what's going on so that people wouldn't miss out on getting their preferred usernames.

*Metaphorically. I'm not literally saying this as I type.

Sounds good Tony

PW is a fantastic resource I use daily. I have never had the need to register so the account changes will not affect me. It is very usable so any change there I would be reluctant to see.

Honestly, the main reason is because a lot of those accounts are years old and owned by folks who are never coming back. There are probably some other settings that we're going to need to collect as well under the new system (not personal information, just stuff like your timezone, possibly a language option, that kind of thing), so I'd like to take the opportunity to clean things up.

I'm wondering if you could provide an option to log into our existing account and then migrate that to the new system while getting the extra information that you want.

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I'm fine either way. I'll probably take advantage of the switch to change my Titan Network username to match my CoH Forum Username.

At least give us as much warning as possible before making the change so that we can try to keep our preferred Display Name.

Going along the lines of others. Give us a combination of chances and time restrictions.

Give us like 3-5 chances (in say an initial popup, once per site visit) to either do what we want at the time or proceed to make the necessary changes/confirmations. Make this affect Everything tied to the Titan site. If possible, make it so I it's smart enough so I don't have to do this on each of the different branch sites when I login to them. Mind you I don't fully understand Cookies in this sense, but perhaps set the cookies to expire at the end of the time restriction.

Tony, why not give us a pop-up that tells us to visit out account settings and a simple form or button to port our existing Titan Key elements to the new system. Then, after the conversion period is over, you can start shutting down the old Titan Key and switching to the new one - at which point, New accounts will only be registered in the new system.

That will give your existing members a chance to get everything squared away, with names registered and such, Before the new system goes into effect. Also, just happens to give you live data and activity to test the system with.

Be Well!
Fireheart

Doesn't matter either way since whatever is used will simply be saved by the browser. It's not like the site has banking or billing info.

Please don't... if you do I'm sure I'm going to lose my name (Blue Rabbit) as someone else will snag it. I just know it... also, I don't have trouble remembering it because Firefox does it for me.

Given the HUGE and OUTRAGEOUS fees you charge for every little thing, I DEMAND that you... oh, wait, I was thinking of the dentist, not you guys. Never mind.

I don't see much benefit to the change, but if you do then go ahead. I'll adapt. I mean, I might have to change my name to Blue Rabbit, but somehow I'll adapt.