You Tube username changed.

[Deleted member 2157292]

I noticed just now after posting a comment to a regular channel I follow, that my Google account / email name I had changed to a 7 letter username 2 years ago for anonymity (I write nice useful comments) now has 4 numbers added to the end. For example if it were Tomahawk it would now be Tomahawk8647.

Looking at the comment notification history, (only those that had a like, quote or reply are the only past comments I can bring up), now all my comments have the new extended name,

I thought I was lucky originally that no one else was using the 7 letter word made up of three car brands.

Anyone hear of this?

 

[mikedt]

Yeah, I noticed that in the YT comments as well. I guess they done that to differentiate one e.g. "tomahawk" from another "tomahawk", as there's probably thousands of users with that user-name/handle. I guess you can probably change your YT user-name/handle to something more individual.

 

[Milo Williamson]

Mine for at least fifteen years or so has always been symaticsl0vers

 

[svim]

Last month Google sent out at emails to all account users that it was implementing a change in our Youtube identifiers. At the time you had the option to find and pick a unique handle of your own but otherwise it would just be assigned to you in accordance to your actual naming.
https://support.google.com/youtube/...fier-to-discover-and-connect-on-youtube?hl=en

 

[Dannydet]

As svim stated above, everyone will automatically get new YouTube "handles"

 

[Bearsyzf]

Especially if you have your own channel, i do remember seeing something stating the change.

 

[nickdalzell]

Unfortunately no idea why this even got implemented. Yet another solution in search of a problem, right next to USB-C, 64-bit, and gesture navigation...

Time to find a new mobile OS and a new YouTube alternative. Seriously didn't Google get enough crap forcing Google+ accounts to post comments on YouTube years ago? "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it"

 

[Deleted member 2157292]

I've just sat down to You Tube on my TV since my late night posting.
I did find one Gmail since a big clear out (I rarely more than glance at my Gmail inbox) but it was ambiguous and would appear to pertain to people who run channels professionally or who have a following.

I'm sure like myself, most people who watch and subscribe to channels never upload anything themselves.

The link by svim is a little clearer so I may have deleted a previous email, but I still wouldn't think it affected me on reading it.

As of now I don't like it, but it probably suits You Tube. IDK

We won't recognise regular posters anymore, and surely those who output channels will not straight away recognise those who regularly contribute additional info either.

There are many reasons this is a crazy move, but I couldn't think of any atm!
It will all settle down but .... I'll see.

I agree with @nickdalzell this seems a stupid move, but I haven't looked for any complaints feedback on other sites, yet.

Thank you anyhow though mikedt0752, dannydet4893, bearsyzf9944, nickdalzell9533 milo8751867893442 and svim8766587643222.

 

[Deleted member 2157292]

Reading the link again less exhausted, I'll look in to changing my "handle" back to what it was, but I think that's unlikely to be possible.

No info about this through You Tube that I could find yesterday.

 

[nickdalzell]

At first I thought every YouTuber would need a new name or something. I was seriously concerned that well-known names like Markiplier and PewDiePie would have either rando numbers or new names and I'd have a hell of a time locating their content.

Seems nothing has changed on my end, but then I run outdated software and have extensions that restore both dislike count and the 2006-era YouTube layout.

The original app on my Note 10.1 doesn't seem to show any changes either. Still stuck in Gingerbead land! Where everything remains sane. My name (same as here) remains unchanged.

I HAVE however noticed a lot of scammers in the comments with numbers at the end. One such example was a 'reply' by MrWhosetheboss2000 congratulating me on winning a new PC in a contest (the real MrWhosetheboss has no number in his name or in comments) so this is already backfiring.

 

[Deleted member 2157292]

@nickdalzell That's the other big issue with You Tube that's been going on for 6 months to a year. I first got a comment reply on I think Tech Spurt looking like the real deal, red heart, authentic looking name graphic saying I had won a prize and to "WhatsApp" me.
I didn't think it was fishy but replied in the comments again that I don't use WhatsApp. (I do now)

There have been many I've seen regularly on other channels I subscribe to, but while they look just as authentic they become easier to spot in how they word things.

How come You Tube never issued a bulletin or stamped it out. I'm sure enough people report it.

I have more respect for the channels who warn posters than those who chose to not acknowledge and gnore it, although they can only warn so often.

I think MrWhoseTheBoss did a piece on it: or someone I follow did.

 

[mikedt]

Don't think it makes any difference for me what YT has done with the user-names/handles. As I only watch videos, my subscriptions are all still there, and I rarely look at comments, as they mostly seem to be abuse and crypto scams.

 

[nickdalzell]

The scam comments mirror the old 'This is bob he will take over youtube' mess from the 2010s. Nobody did anything about those either--they eventually died out.

 

[Deleted member 2157292]

OK - It was simple enough in the end

My previous handle / username was accepted.

Why the OP of this thread made such a fuss is beyond me

Maybe everyone's attempt will not be successfully accepted, or many just won't bother finding how to do it.

youtube.com/handle

Thanks again to @svim

 

[nickdalzell]

The gripe is that it's another solution in search of a problem that nobody asked for. Companies are supposed to cater to their customers not the other way around.