Random generated user-names on this forum

Apologies if this has been asked before but what's up with the random-string generated usernames on this forum? (unity_36jfsdkj23k...)

No disrespect to anyone, just noticed it and I never seen non-bots, sentient humans use such names.

Is it an effort to keep anonymity? Or a recent trend? Some app doing it automatically?

If for anonymity, I get it. A lot of Unity users in China and I wouldn't want the CCP to track me either.

If not, I just... find it difficult to reply to someone with such a username. Feels counterproductive to the community.

 

I think it happens when they sign up with a certain service such as with a google sign in or something similar

They can change their username using the profile controls.

 

It is not anonymity, it is some sort of signup glitch.

Anonymity isn't really possible these days anyway....

 

Unless unity forum leaks information you are pretty anonymous here

 

Even something simple like a user nickname is easily corelated with social accounts and known email addresses. Crawling those is -very- easy for any government/entities bent on finding your identity. E.g China, Russia, any hostile actor.

Building a data visualisation app with Unity for showing any type of statistics can be interpreted as going against a regime's "national interests". People have been know to disappear for much less.

 

I have no doubt Unity would respond with all the information they have on you when presented with a warrant.

 

Or Facebook.

I'm not. Activity creates breadcrumbs, and those can be easily pieced together. I'm probably traceable down to street address and real name level. Some intermediate steps likely would need to rely on data leaks though.

 

Sure, me too since I use my company name as alias. But it's not very hard to be anonymous if you want

 

Here in Sweden many ISPs regulary flush their logs so the data can't be used to track their users. They started doing this becasue of anti piracy lobby groups fishing for money by random individuals

 

While ago I have been told, that randomness is generated, when account is linked with facebook.
I suppose other services may result the same, as mentioned earlier.

Messy one huh? Need a brush


Btw. this thread should be on Meta-Forum sub forum.