Tom's Hardware Google Sign-in Default Account Name

[joeblow19800202]

The policy states that a username must be selected but upon a first time sign, the username defaults to the google address username--there is no way to change this and once an email address is associated with an account it cannot be associated with with a different account.

1. Obfuscate the email address from the username. E.g. I can start emailing users with no capital letters with an @gmail.com and likely get a hit in say ten user address? This doesn't seem private.

2. I don't see a way to change the account name?

3. I don't see a way to delete the account?

 

[COLGeek]

Account names can't be changed once established. This is a limitation of the software the site is built upon.

There is an unsubscribe feature in your profile settings that should allow you to close an account.

What specifically are you trying to change?

 

[joeblow19800202]

It appears that this option is missing on an account that has been banned. I had my account banned because of the account name that defaulted from the Google Account name email. So . . . I can't recover the email used to register the account to use in a new account to correct the reason I was banned. In other words to register a new account I would need to have a new email.

I was also trying to bring into the light that if defaults for a google sign in is the email address sans the "@gmail.com" then this is potentially a way for spambots to mine for valid emails. It doesn't seem like good practice.

 

[COLGeek]

Will make sure the devs see your concern. The banned account (we are aware of the one) did tie up the email address associated with it.

I am guessing that you don't like the username for this account. Is that correct?

Welcome to the community.

 

[Jsimenhoff]

I was also trying to bring into the light that if defaults for a google sign in is the email address sans the "@gmail.com" then this is potentially a way for spambots to mine for valid emails. It doesn't seem like good practice.

This is only the case if you sign up using your google account. If you sign up in the lower field you can choose your username: