display_name

This tutorial is an extension of the tutorial Generate Random User Display Name and Nickname that describes a process to generate random display names for users. In this tutorial we will explore how to add a process to the User Profile page that would allow users to select a new randomly generated display name from a list of choices.

The concept here is that we don’t want users selecting their own display names so that they fit within a specific rule set. Preventing the user from choosing their own display name that fits the rule set makes it easier to manage.

This is a good tutorial for anyone that wants to build more complex user dashboards, but to implement it you should familiarize yourself with the part 1 of the tutorial as this will only be extending that process. Continue Reading →

One thing I love about WP-Members is how versatile it is. Because of this it gets used in many applications that I did not really envision when I first released it in 2006. Recently, I had a support user ask about something that I am surprised has not come up before involving using alternate display names and/or nicknames for users because the user base is made up of minors (children).

This made total sense to me and I understand the needs of sites that have to protect identities of users, especially minors. In this particular case, the suggestion was made to create random values for the user’s display name and nickname that was used on the site.

Here is a set of scripts that will allow you to generate random display names for users. The given example uses colors and numbers creating results such as red22 or blue99, but this can be adapted to use as many different words as you would like and can also use more than two digits. It tests for name uniqueness, not allowing duplicate results, and also includes scripts for allowing users to update their name as long as it remains unique. Continue Reading →