[Wikimedia-l] Single User Login finalisation: some accounts will be renamed

[MZMcBride]

Federico Leva (Nemo) wrote:
>James Forrester, 12/05/2013 19:56:
>> On 12 May 2013 10:40, Federico Leva (Nemo) wrote:
>>> James Forrester, 12/05/2013 19:20:
>>>>Sorry for the disruption to everyone's plans. If you have any
>>>>questions, please do ask.
>>>
>>> Will you still make the lists and send out the notifications so that
>>> people can start planning?
>>
>> Yes.
>
>We're in August, so the account unifications may happen any time soon,
>but no notifications have been sent to users. Is the plan again to give
>them only few days to fix their accounts before they are messed up with?

It needs to be made explicit here and now that this change needs to be
managed _incredibly carefully_ or it will result in very negative
consequences for Wikimedia. As I understand it, many users will likely be
forcibly renamed. Given that usernames are the primary source of identity
on Wikimedia wikis, even if this process is carefully managed, it will
still inevitably result in some users being incredibly upset at the loss
of their preferred username on their home wiki.

In my view, this process should move very slowly, with ample warning (six
months to a year) given to any users affected. A long warning period will
allow users to voluntarily rename themselves. Only after a sufficient
warning period has been provided should there be any forcible renaming.

The process outlined at <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/SUL_finalisation>
is currently unacceptable and needs to be rewritten. We must not have a
repeat of the recent VisualEditor deployment fiasco in which arbitrary
deadlines and requirements lead to thousands of Wikimedians being angry.

MZMcBride