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Adopting someone elses username?


Geoduck419

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I wanted my username to be the same here as it is on Instagram, but someone has it already here. However they have they have never used their account and they joined nearly 3 years ago.

I emailed geocache and asked if I could have that username, but they said it was too soon to do that yet.

When will I be able to aquire that username please? Thanks

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Maybe alter the user name a wee bit - add a "-2 " or slightly misspell the other such as: original name Goofball becomes "Goofball-2 or Jr.", or Goophball".

If  you have my luck the alternatives will already be in use though!

 

 

The only bad part of adopting another name I can think of is maybe the original user had a known history of "negative' geocaching"; not maintaining caches, rudeness in logs and responses etc,.

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When will I be able to aquire that username please? Thanks

 

I'm not anyone with authority or inside knowledge, but if I had to guess, I'd guess AT LEAST 10 years.

 

For a definitive answer, you'd have to ask The Powers That Be.

 

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The only bad part of adopting another name I can think of is maybe the original user had a known history of "negative' geocaching"; not maintaining caches, rudeness in logs and responses etc,.

 

That, and if/when they come back and find their user name has been taken from them. :drama:

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1 hour ago, Geoduck419 said:

I wanted my username to be the same here as it is on Instagram, but someone has it already here. However they have they have never used their account and they joined nearly 3 years ago.

I emailed geocache and asked if I could have that username, but they said it was too soon to do that yet.

When will I be able to aquire that username please? Thanks

 

You were already in a conversation with HQ about this - why didn't you ask them? They're the ones who would decide.

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4 hours ago, Geoduck419 said:

I wanted my username to be the same here as it is on Instagram, but someone has it already here. However they have they have never used their account and they joined nearly 3 years ago.

I emailed geocache and asked if I could have that username, but they said it was too soon to do that yet.

When will I be able to aquire that username please? Thanks

 

Not sure what the timeframe is...  One similar happened to me when first joining, no finds, hides, or entering the site.

I was known by that name for some time, and curious if I could take it.  I was told no, maybe at a later date JIC life got in the way and they'll be back.  

I simply changed it slightly, and every once in a while, would check back with the same reply.

Five years after we started someone was able to take that name, and I got skunked.  Maybe it depends on who's there in HQ at the time...

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3 hours ago, Jayeffel said:

The only bad part of adopting another name I can think of is maybe the original user had a known history of "negative' geocaching"; not maintaining caches, rudeness in logs and responses etc,.

 

You can't "adopt" a name that has been in use, good or bad.  It's part of the hobby's history...

 

 

Edited by cerberus1
edited for nitpickers...
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8 hours ago, Geoduck419 said:

I emailed geocache and asked if I could have that username, but they said it was too soon to do that yet.

To be honest, I'm surprised that they didn't outright reject the request. As has been said, the account might look unused, but what if its owner decides one day to give geocaching a try after all?

 

In fact, I created my own account in 2006 (hence my nickname ;) ), but didn't even think about actually starting geocaching at that time. That only happened more or less by coincidence on short trip with friends in 2008. The first thing my GC "mentor" explained to me was that I should create an account of geocaching.com - that's when I remembered that I already have one. The second thing they said was, that it's really important that I enter my GC nickname into the logbook before I log an online find - so I wrote "baer2006" in all the caches we found on the trip. I would have been rather annoyed, if I had found out back home that the "baer2006" account had been taken away from me.

 

Also, the "baer2006" nickname was not my first choice. That would have been plain "baer", a nickname which I had been using in several online communities in the late 90s / early 2000s. But that's how it goes with these things - "first come, first serve" - so if you're late to the game, you have to choose from what is left.

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1 hour ago, baer2006 said:

To be honest, I'm surprised that they didn't outright reject the request. As has been said, the account might look unused, but what if its owner decides one day to give geocaching a try after all?

 

I think there is a small number of people who get an account to use the app, but never log online (they don't see the point or simply want more privacy) and never interact with the community. They may not even sign physical logs. It's a very casual hobby they do occasionally. They are using their account, just not in any way that can be tracked.

 

I have met a few of these over the years, either at caches or when geocaching comes up in a conversation.

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2 hours ago, JL_HSTRE said:

 

I think there is a small number of people who get an account to use the app, but never log online (they don't see the point or simply want more privacy) and never interact with the community. They may not even sign physical logs. It's a very casual hobby they do occasionally. They are using their account, just not in any way that can be tracked.

 

I have met a few of these over the years, either at caches or when geocaching comes up in a conversation.

 

I agree, although I'm assuming by "They are using their account, just not in any way that can be tracked" you mean tracked by us, the great unwashed, publicly, as opposed to Groundspeak who would definitely be able to track activity and therefore may be in a position to say no based on what activity they can see... but also not giving a reason, based on that user's right to privacy.

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13 hours ago, Geoduck419 said:

I wanted my username to be the same here as it is on Instagram, but someone has it already here. However they have they have never used their account and they joined nearly 3 years ago.

I emailed geocache and asked if I could have that username, but they said it was too soon to do that yet.

When will I be able to aquire that username please? Thanks

Yes, it's possible but you'll have to wait a long time. For over ten years my name started with a lowercase R and ended with a period. The original name owner was never active or logged a cache. After seeing a similar post, I emailed HQ and requested the name change. They kindly granted me my request. I had to put up with that period for over ten years. Your patience maybe rewarded. 

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Another option is to reach out to the owner of the current username, ask them to change theirs and then they can keep their finds and you can change yours to their name.

 

As far as tracking them down, I used to do that professionally for a corporation, there are many gentle and legal ways to do that. reverse image search their profile pic, same with any photos they've uploaded, look at the area they've found caches and see if anyone else in the game nearby knows them.

 

That's a start...

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On 1/16/2023 at 12:11 PM, Geoduck419 said:

I wanted my username to be the same here as it is on Instagram, but someone has it already here. However they have they have never used their account and they joined nearly 3 years ago.

I emailed geocache and asked if I could have that username, but they said it was too soon to do that yet.

When will I be able to aquire that username please? Thanks

Thanks all. I'd made cards with that username ln too, so don't really want to change it. I also already contacted the owner but got no word back

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13 hours ago, Geoduck419 said:

Thanks all. I'd made cards with that username ln too, so don't really want to change it. I also already contacted the owner but got no word back

I am assuming from your profile picture that the user name you want is GeoDuck92?  It looks like the account was created using the app and they never visited the site otherwise. There are no finds, no hides, no profile picture to search for...nothing. I think emailing them or doing anything to remind them of the account is a bad idea. If they log in to the account on the site it will reset the last visited date and if they log a find from the app the account will have a history and I don't think HQ will ever adopt the name over then. 

 

If it were me I'd change my Geocaching name to Geoduck_92  which (IMHO) is close enough that most won't notice. Then I'd mark my calendar and at the 5 year mark, assuming no activity, try HQ again. 

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