Allow users joining Scratch to generate suggested usernames?

[benjiwheeler]

One part of the process of joining Scratch where users sometimes get stuck is creating usernames. It can be unclear what the constraints on usernames are (character set, length, etc.), and users need ideas. Often they try usernames that are already taken, and don't know how to tweak or add to them to find unique ones.

A possible feature would be some sort of username generator as part of the join flow. We've made some initial designs for this, but it could work in a variety of ways.

For the generation interface, we might have a simple button alongside the username input field that will create a username. We might have the form have 10 or so usernames pre-created in the background, that users can cycle through, so they would have choices, but not an overwhelming number.

We could use words chosen from a goodlist, perhaps according to part of speech, maybe with smaller connecting words or numbers thrown in.

Using a system like this, some examples might possibly be:

ReflectingWand
SnazzyBlueBee
OnCarefulCloud
HelpfulBranch5
WhatUpRoof

[adroitwhiz]

Reddit implements such a feature like this:

[kenzievt]

can you appeal a ban.please the account is the kenziecarsono

[Shluffy]

can you appeal a ban.please the account is the kenziecarsono

@kenzievt in order to get a ban appealed contact the scratch team using this