- Written by Tom Gerkin
- Technology reporter
image source, Getty Images
Discord has announced that everyone using the platform will be required to change their username “over the coming weeks.”
Previously, users were identified by a name preceding the hash and four digits.
The new system will require people to create a unique username that follows the “@” symbol, bringing it in line with Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms.
A Discord representative told BBC News: “After hearing from many users about the challenges associated with connecting with friends on our platform, we’ve made changes to our username system to make Discord more accessible and user-friendly for both new and existing users.
“We value user feedback and are committed to improving the overall Discord experience.”
‘step back’
The change was criticized online, with people questioning its reasons.
One person called itBig step back“, while Compare it to another To a telephone network that changes its customers’ phone number to their full name. Popular photographer Ora said users “risk” identity theft if they fail to secure their username.
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The order in which people will be able to choose their new usernames will be determined by the age of their accounts – oldest first.
It must be alphanumeric and can include underscores and full periods but, unlike Twitter, does not contain uppercase letters.
‘sensitive information’
Launched in 2015, Discord is widely used by people who play games but also to arrange group activities, because users can divide conversations into easily searchable “channels”.
Users can join groups – or servers – with no member restrictions. Massively popular games like Genshin Impact and Valorant each have over a million users on their public Discord servers.
But now the most popular public server is not about games at all – the Midjourney server, an artificial intelligence that can create images from text, has 15 million members.
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