Glossary

Username terminology, in plain English.

• Username

  A unique identifier you pick to log in or be addressed on a platform. Usually called a handle on social platforms.

• Handle

  A username, especially on social platforms. The part you @-mention. Often public, often global to that platform.

• Display Name

  The name shown in the UI alongside your handle. Usually editable, often allows Unicode and emojis.

• Discriminator

  A four-digit number Discord used to add to usernames before May 2023. Now deprecated.

• Leetspeak

  Substituting letters with similar-looking numbers (e.g. e→3, o→0). Originated in 90s online culture.

• Namespace Collision

  When the username you want is already taken on a platform's global username pool.

• Shadowban

  A platform silently restricting your account's visibility without telling you, often based on signals including username pattern.

• Platform Validation

  The check a signup form runs to decide whether your candidate username is allowed before checking if it's available.