Who is who?

electrov

Being new to the forum, I'm in the unfortunate position of not knowing who most of you are, and when I see a post from someone I quite often would like to find out a bit more about them to provide some context (i.e. do they work on games full-time / part-time ? programmer / artist / designer ? which part of the country? etc).

Is there perhaps any way to attach a post or something to a profile, where a user can put this information for others to see? I realise that it is possible to go looking for the person's post in the "Welcome" thread, but that doesn't seem ideal.

Or perhaps I'm just being nosy :)

Elyaradine

Yeah, being able to fill in a bit more information in our profiles would be pretty cool.

Karuji

Also lurking about is a pretty good way to learn about people on the forums.

Kobusvdwalt9

Just being able to link to a website would help a ton.

Boysano

a mini linkedIn for games devs..?

Gazza_N

Karuji said:

Also lurking about is a pretty good way to learn about people on the forums.

I think the old "Lurk Moar" argument only applies for people with the time to lurk, and doesn't provide much of the context the OP requests. I'll add my support for some sort of expanded profile information thingum.

EvanGreenwood

I had trouble recently when organizing a real-world event.

I got PM's from members who I may have met in person at some point, but I have no way of reconciling who their forum personality is to who they are in real life.

Being able to at least know what their real name or twitter handle or something is would have made things easier for me (in this one particular application).

Tuism

I'd like to just come out the closet at this moment regarding nicknames. They destroy my sanity when meeting people IRL, and one should always meet people IRL.

Hence why my "nickname" is actually my surname. So much easier XD

From this moment on I'd like to address people by their actual names on this forum, if that's ok? :P

EvanGreenwood

Yes Steven : ) ...unless someone here wishes to stay anonymous I guess?

petrc

great idea @electrov

Gibbo

Yes Steven it certainly helps to know for RL meetings! (I also went for a nickname tying to my surname)

On the forum I wonder if people would like a degree of anonymity, I guess having the option to fill in a name under your profile (under About) would be a good addition that people can choose to add.

Fengol

I've added an About me plugin so you can put your personal details if you want.

Go to your profile and click Edit My Details on the right-hand side.

electrov

@Fengol : awesome, thanks! Would have been nice if it supported hyperlinks (i.e. for company website/linkedin/portfolio), but other than that it is great.

Elyaradine

Yay! Yeah, would also be nice if the "relationship" entry wasn't compulsory, and if we could add links to our games there too.

Tuism

Add "It's complicated" :P

rustybroomhandle

Well, the Whos live in Whoville, which is a city that exists on a speck of dust, or in a snowflake - depending on which story you believe. Whoville is for the most part a city with an ordinary city type structure, including it having a mayor. Presumably it also has a doctor, but it's not Doctor Who. That's a different Who entirely.

Fengol

Martial Status: Complicated and Not Specified added.

I'll update the plugin with more appropriate fields for our forums during the week

Fengol

I've changed the Interests section of the plugin to be Game Development orientated

AngryMoose

The Game Credits string is too short :(

dammit

Tuism said:

I'd like to just come out the closet at this moment regarding nicknames. They destroy my sanity when meeting people IRL, and one should always meet people IRL.

Hence why my "nickname" is actually my surname. So much easier XD

From this moment on I'd like to address people by their actual names on this forum, if that's ok? :P

It may not be about being anonymous specifically, but gender neutral.

So, that's a no from me in using my real name on the forums.

Fengol

Tuism said:

From this moment on I'd like to address people by their actual names on this forum, if that's ok? :P

I think that's impolite as my user name is my preferred name. You can change your username to your real name but I think you'd just confuse other readers who were following the conversation and didn't know who you were referring to.

That's why, IRL, I call people by their nick.

damousey

I prefer my nick as an identifier, because spelling and findability, I'm not super private about my real name, I just don't think it's that useful in written communication when my own dad still tends to mispell it. The surname doesn't help.

Back on topic though, it would be really great to have an addition to the profile space that makes finding each other and figuring out what experience a person is speaking from a bit easier

Elyaradine

AngryMoose said:

The Game Credits string is too short :(

No, Luke, your experience is too vast.

francoisvn

I like the "About Me" page, and I think it can be tweaked and improved as the need arises.

I prefer using nicks on the forums and real names IRL. Another reason to use nicks online is because people can get an email when mentioned in that way (I believe this is the default). I find this very useful myself, and I agree with the idea that people are free to change their nick to their real name if they prefer that.

BTW: If I ever refer to you by the a name or pronoun that isn't your preference, please let me know :)

Tuism

Ok, I'll refer to people by their chosen preference in as far as I can. If I screw up, feel free to bring it up. Cool.

mattbenic

I have a shocking memory for.. everything. The fact you all make me learn two names (real and nick) AND associate them with who you actually are (your face, your personality) is just unacceptable and unaccommodating of my disability/mental laziness. You should all set your nicks to your real names, like me. Or just let me call you all Bob and be done with it :P

Thanks for the About Me addition @Fengol :)

pieter

Hi electrov, welcome to the forum.

I'm Pieter Visser :P. I develop games full time using Game Maker, but my primary skill is creating digital art.

I would also urge you to come to the monthly meetups (if you're close enough to a venue), there is no quicker way to get to know someone than by chatting about a shared passion :)

Tuism

@mattbenic has the absolute rightest idea :)

If @steventu wasn't squatted on/taken on just about everything else ever, surprisingly, I'd have gone with that :)

(do people actually get notifications when they get @ mentioned?)

Karuji

@Tuism it's an option that can be set in the profile. And I believe that it's 'on' by default, not that I would really know what's going on with new users these days :P

Also I kinda have to lol at the lazy people. Because they're, ye know; lazy.

But huge ups to @Fengol for the rapid work for getting this done and more adapt for game devs! And if I could make a suggestion of a dedicated twitter field in addition to the personal website. Also having the company link to either a MGSA page for company profiles or the company's website would be cool but that's totally wishlist stuff.

garethf

From this moment on I'd like to address people by their actual names on this forum, if that's ok?

No no no, I post under my real name but I want you to refer to me only by my nick.

electrov

@pieter : thanks. I've been to one Jhb meetup so far, will be going to another next week, after that though I'm moving down to George, which I believe is currently void of local meetups :( Will have to see if I can occasionally come through the to CT one!

Gnoblar_agency

@electrov : Since moving to Knysna I've been contacted by a person or two interested in doing meetups in George. Once you move down maybe we can get something going :)

electrov

@Gnoblar_agency : sounds like a plan, let's chat early Jan and see what we can organise :)

dammit

Tuism said:

(do people actually get notifications when they get @ mentioned?)

Yup.

mikethetike

My name is Mike. I am a tike.