4 ms·
> What we really want in terms of identifying users is some combination of: > System-level identifier, suitable for use as a target of foreign keys in our d
by jarofgreen 9y ago
> What we really want in terms of identifying users is some combination of:
> System-level identifier, suitable for use as a target of foreign keys in our database
> Login identifier, suitable for use in performing a credential check
> Public identity, suitable for displaying to other users
Some sites want a fourth one:
Public Identity, suitable for other users to use to refer to each other.
Like on Twitter: "Discussed this with @bob and @jane yesterday, you'll find ..."
Now, you don't need a unique username to be able to meet this requirement - StackOverflow is an example of a site that handles this I think? But having a unique username is a common pattern that many sites use to solve this so it seems worth mentioning.