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> Until recently, 70% of all Telegram usernames had been reserved in inactive channels by cybersquatters from Iran. This created a graveyard of dead usernames t
by diimdeep 4y ago
> Until recently, 70% of all Telegram usernames had been reserved in inactive channels by cybersquatters from Iran. This created a graveyard of dead usernames that cluttered search results and prevented millions of Telegram users from selecting appropriate public addresses for their accounts, groups and channels.
https://t.me/durov/195 https://t.me/durov/195
- t0w5a 4y agonow they cannot select "appropriate public addresses for their accounts, groups and channels" as well because most of the names are listed for sale on auction!
- uni_rule 4y ago> We noticed this problem and therefore have found a very profitable solution to sell everyone
- brink 4y agoThey have to pay for servers somehow. Selling long dead channel handles is better than privacy invasion.
- duskwuff 4y agoIt's not better when it comes at the cost of taking some of those handles away from people that were using them.
- jaywalk 4y agoBut they weren't using them. That's the whole point.
- ls15 4y ago@pg hasn't posted on HN for two years. Can I have his username?
- brink 4y ago@pg is paying for the servers
- ls15 4y agoBut he does not need the account name, right? However, Aaron Swartz is not paying for reddit servers anymore, can I have u/AaronSw then? Has been inactive for 10 years.
- NayamAmarshe 4y agoYou can't claim reddit usernames but you can claim inactive Subreddits by contacting the mods.
- duskwuff 4y agoThere are a number of situations I'm personally aware of where users had usernames revoked for channels they were actively using. One common case where this occurred is when users used a channel as a "bio" or "blog", and posted to the channel infrequently to update it.