Wikipedia:Changing username/Usurpations

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This page is a forum in which users can request, and global renamers (including Stewards) familiar with local usurpation guidelines, can consider and carry out, the "usurpation" of usernames primarily held locally. This consists of renaming an existing account in order to vacate the username and allow another user to take it.

Please note that global accounts whose "home wiki" is another project or which have significant attachments on other projects cannot be usurped here; these requests must be made at meta:Steward requests/Username changes (see meta:Help:Unified login).

A few users have agreed to provide assistance with the mechanics of this process. If you wish to assist as well, please read the linked page carefully.

Notes

The account you want to usurp must have the English Wikipedia as its "home wiki", i.e. or should be displayed next to the en.wikipedia.org entry for the account at Special:CentralAuth.
The account you want to usurp should have no edits or significant log entries to qualify for usurpation (though rare exceptions are made in some circumstances). This includes edits or log actions on other Wikimedia projects. These can be checked through Special:CentralAuth.
Please do not request usurpation of another account if your own user account is less than several months old, or barely used. In order to ensure that usurped usernames be put to good use, we prefer only to grant requests from reasonably well-established users.

Instructions

Log in to your present account.
- Please do not leave a talk page message or e-mail the target account yourself. If this becomes necessary, a user familiar with the usurpation process will do so.
Click here to place your request.
1. Replace "TARGET NAME" with the username you wish to usurp.
2. Replace "YOUR REASON" with a description of why you want to usurp the account.
3. Leave the "Subject/headline" field blank.

If the URL above does not work, simply copy the following text, click "edit this page" and paste it at the bottom of the page. Modify it as indicated.

{{subst:usurp|TARGET NAME|reason=YOUR REASON}}

Advanced usage

For requests involving renaming an account other than your logged in account, use this:

{{subst:usurp|CURRENT NAME|TARGET NAME|reason=YOUR REASON}}

For usurp only requests, which leaves your logged in account untouched, set the usurponly parameter to yes:

{{subst:usurp|TARGET NAME|usurponly=yes|reason=YOUR REASON}}

To add an optional non default signature, use the sig parameter:

{{subst:usurp|TARGET NAME|reason=YOUR REASON|sig=OPTIONAL SIGNATURE}}

Preview the changes and make sure both names are spelled correctly. Click "Publish changes".
Your request is now complete and ready to be processed after the hold period (usually about a week). If the owner of the target account does not object, a global renamer will fulfill your request provided other requirements are met. Do not be surprised when you find yourself unable to log in to your old account.

Requests that do not adhere to these instructions or that are grossly malformed are subject to removal.

Please place your request in the section for the current day, at the bottom of the list. It is currently 15:11:02, 25 April 2024 (UTC) (Update).

Place your request here

April 29, 2021

Requests left here should be addressed on or after May 7, 2021.

Dominic Mayers II → Dominic Mayers

Status: On hold

Current username: Dominic Mayers II (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · target logs · block log · list user · global contribs · central auth · Google) (ping user)
Target username: Dominic Mayers (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · target logs · block log · list user · global contribs · central auth · Google) (advise user)
Previous renames: current user, target user, Queue: open req, closed req
For renamer use: Email target username, usurp user, rename user
Datestamp: 21:02, 29 April 2021 (UTC)
Reason: This is my previous account of which I lost access. People are telling me it's confusing for them, because obviously I go under my name, which is Dominic Mayers. Dominic Mayers (talk) 21:02, 29 April 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Note:

The target username has made edits to Wikipedia. Due to licensing concerns, this may be a barrier to usurpation.
The target username has Wikipedia user logs entries. Due to licensing concerns, this may be a barrier to usurpation.
The target user has edited since this request was filed. Unless the edit was to give permission to usurp, this may be a barrier to usurpation.
Target user has 3542 undeleted edits and 17 deleted edits, for a total of 3559 edits. An SUL account (primary enwiki) exists for the target user, with 4469 total edits on 31 wikis. Requesting user has 879 undeleted edits and 10 deleted edits, for a total of 889 edits. An SUL account (primary frwiki) exists for the requesting user, with 2355 total edits on 20 wikis. AnomieBOT ⚡ 21:09, 29 April 2021 (UTC)[reply]

@Dominic Mayers II: In order to usurp it you need to confirm ownership by some means; if you can't then I am afraid, we can't do usurpation. ‐‐1997kB (talk) 01:57, 7 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

I will collaborate to any procedure that you propose to verify that I owned the previous account. Perhaps you can check the IP address. It's a dynamic one, but at the least it will be the same provider for both accounts. Also, "Dominic Mayers" is not a very common name and I can easily prove that I am Dominic Mayers. Clearly, you can check that I am interested in the same WP articles. The chance that there are two distinct Dominic Mayers with the same IP provider and interested in the same articles are practically speaking zero. Perhaps you can think of other things to check on top of that. I will collaborate fully. Dominic Mayers (talk) 02:09, 7 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

@Dominic Mayers II: The way to confirm is logging in by Dominic Mayers account, so can you try password reset if you had email attached to that account? ‐‐1997kB (talk) 02:18, 10 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

If I had an email, I would simply use my old account and ask for a merge. I know a merge is too much too ask without access to both accounts, but I was told by someone of experience that I could ask for an usurpation, which is not as much asking as a merge. I am still hoping that an usurpation will be possible, but there might be some legal or other kind of issues that I am missing. I don't want to create legal or other kind of difficulties to Wikipédia. Dominic Mayers (talk) 08:02, 10 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

@Dominic Mayers II: Could you please share that how you lost access to your old account so that I can ask and convince devs to reset its password? About the usurpation: There wouldn't be an issue if the old account had fewer edits but since it has thousands, I'd like to be completely sure that it was yours as it's gonna alter the attribution of edits of both accounts. ‐‐1997kB (talk) 10:42, 11 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

I had an email attached to it, the same email as for my current account and I removed it and a bit after I changed the password, but did not write it down. So, I could not get back to my account the next time I tried to login and had no email to recover it. BTW, in the archive of my mail client, I have records of emails that I received under my previous account. Would that be useful? Dominic Mayers (talk) 13:58, 11 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

@Dominic Mayers II: T282656. ‐‐1997kB (talk) 08:36, 12 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

@1997kB: Let me know if anything is expected from me. Dominic Mayers (talk) 15:26, 19 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Dominic Mayers II, We were not able to find anything on your account data that shows that both accounts are linked. So the only option left is that you show us something onwiki that relates to your something offwiki. Eg. somewhere on wikimedia site you shared your account on any other platforms with former account. ‐‐1997kB (talk) 15:36, 29 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

1997kB I have communicated on IRC on fr.wikimedia.org as the owner of my previous account in regard with this account. I still have my IRC account, but I don't know if you can trace that on your side. I also have emails from fr:user:Jean-Christophe BENOIST that I exchanged with him while I had the previous account. He could confirm that he sent these emails if I show them to him. These emails are about my work on fr:Réfutabilité done with my previous account. Dominic Mayers (talk) 20:56, 29 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Also, a technical question. Are you sure an usurpation will change the attribution of edits? I thought it would only rename the old account so that I can use the name, but without changing the edits attributed to the accounts. Is there a place where the technical definition of usurpation is given? I am interested about the name, not about the edits, but I am fine also if they all attributed to me. Dominic Mayers (talk) 22:29, 29 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Dominic Mayers II, Hi, Jean-Christophe BENOIST Could you please confirm that you have received email from their previous account User:Dominic Mayers? ‐‐1997kB (talk) 13:10, 1 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

I can confirm I've received a mail from Dominic as far as 09/17/2018 and later, he was at that time on "Dominic Mayers" identifiant, if I remember well. I can confirm on which email, I can't write it here, if 1997kb send me a private mail by Mediawiki tool. Regards --Jean-Christophe BENOIST (talk) 14:19, 1 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

The email was different, but I still own it. If needed, I can (temporarily) change my current email address to this previous email address. Dominic Mayers (talk) 21:20, 1 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

@Jean-Christophe BENOIST I sent you an email, asking you about the email address @Dominic Mayers II used to talk with you. Thanks! Martin Urbanec (talk) 12:29, 3 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Merci @Jean-Christophe BENOIST ! @1997kB and Martin Urbanec: thanks to you too! Sent from my old account. Dominic Mayers (talk) 13:28, 4 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Dominic Mayers, Dominic Mayers II Now will you use this old account or still want to move new one under old username? ‐‐1997kB (talk) 14:02, 4 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Using the old account does not seem a good idea, because people might not understand the gap. Between merging and usurping, I will go with whatever seems best to you. My preference would be merging, because there will be more information available to me and others and the two accounts were used for the exact same purposes. Dominic Mayers (talk) 14:29, 4 June 2021 (UTC) Dominic Mayers II (talk) 14:43, 4 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Dominic Mayers, Merging is technically not possible so the option we have is usurpation. Is that ok for you? ‐‐1997kB (talk) 14:35, 4 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

1997kB What will happen with the old information? Would it remain available in some form? My hope is that it will simply be renamed say as "Dominic Mayers (old)". Dominic Mayers (talk) 14:41, 4 June 2021 (UTC) Dominic Mayers II (talk) 14:43, 4 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Dominic Mayers II, You got it right. We generally rename the account being usurped to AccountName_(usurped) but if you want, we can swap usernames too. So your new account will be old and old will be new. ‐‐1997kB (talk) 14:51, 4 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

1997kB The usual name Dominic Mayers_(usurped) for the usurped account does not seem ideal in this specific case. I think Dominic Mayers_(old) is a better description of the situation. To put it in another way. I see this process more as a renaming than an usurpation. Dominic Mayers II (talk) 14:59, 4 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Dominic Mayers II, Alright so Dominic Mayers => Dominic Mayers (old) and Dominic Mayers II => Dominic Mayers. Should I proceed? ‐‐1997kB (talk) 15:03, 4 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Yep, you should proceed. The older account is simply an old account that I am not going to use and Dominic Mayers (old) is fine. If I need another account for a different purpose, I will create a third account with an appropriate name for that purpose different than Dominic Mayers II, but it's not going to happen soon, if it happens at all. Dominic Mayers II (talk) 15:10, 4 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

May 29, 2021

Requests left here should be addressed on or after June 6, 2021.

Amx2203 → Waterrail

Status: On hold

Current username: Amx2203 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · target logs · block log · list user · global contribs · central auth · Google) (ping user)
Target username: Waterrail (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · target logs · block log · list user · global contribs · central auth · Google) (advise user)
Previous renames: current user, target user, Queue: open req, closed req
For renamer use: Email target username, usurp user, rename user
Datestamp: 11:14, 29 May 2021 (UTC)
Reason: The target account is 8 years old with no edits. I'd like to change my username to the one I use on other platforms, for uniformity. Amx2203 (talk) 11:14, 29 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Note:

The target username meets the requirements for usurpation.
The current owner of the target username does not have an email address specified.
Target user has 0 undeleted edits and 0 deleted edits. An SUL account (primary enwiki) exists for the target user, with 0 total edits on 3 wikis. Requesting user has 9 edits. An SUL account (primary enwiki) exists for the requesting user, with 42 total edits on 73 wikis. AnomieBOT ⚡ 11:20, 29 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

On hold until June 8, 2021. —k6ka 🍁 (Talk · Contributions) 12:57, 1 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]