Ubiquitous Usernames

Ubiquitous Usernames November 6, 2008

Posted by Eric Smith in Internet, Monitoring, Sites, Social Networks, Tips, Tools, Web 2.0, Website review

I'll be the first to admit that when it comes to online user accounts, I am rather protective of my favorite usernames. I prefer my aliases to be free of numbers and clutter. When other people on various websites see my online identity, I want them to be in awe of the sheer minimalism and genius of the moniker I chose.

For corporations and organizations looking to control their brand's messages online, this is of greater urgency. We've already seen examples of individuals "hijacking" corporate accounts by posing as a company representative on websites like Twitter and Blogger.That's where the website Username Check comes into play. It's a simple and novel online tool: a user inputs his or her username and the website returns a check on whether that username is registered on various popular web 2.0 sites. Thanks to this tool I was able to snag the username "eric" on a couple of websites. In the case of an organization, it could be useful checking out if there's something out there that you should be aware of.

Able to register an awe-inspiring username after checking with this tool? Let us know in the comments.

4 comment(s)

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Comments

Hannah - November 6th, 2008 at 5:24 pm

At first I was disappointed that my usernames of choice were taken…then I realized that it was probably me who registered them. I just haven’t used those sites in years.

Know of a tool that will keep track of my logins to sites I use once in a blue moon?
Nigel - November 7th, 2008 at 5:59 am

@Hannah: Something like RoboForm (Windows) or 1Password (Mac) will be able to keep track of all your log-in data on your computer, although obviously can’t retrieve data you’ve lost.
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dede - December 11th, 2008 at 5:00 am

yeah its right to have such good ones to be posted with an unique name but all the things are to be well knownso make an alternative…………………..===
dede
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