4 ms·

I agree with the direction one of the comments takes - if you're going to this trouble, why differentiate, if the username isn't taken, take the user straight t

by NikkiA 17y ago

I agree with the direction one of the comments takes - if you're going to this trouble, why differentiate, if the username isn't taken, take the user straight to a 'confirm your password to create account'. One dialog box, two functions. Having to notice and choose the radiobutton is just another barrier to both types of users.

rudd 17y ago
There's at least one problem with this approach: trying to sign up with a username that's already taken. If you want the username "foobar" and it's already taken, you're just going to get a "wrong password" error, when you really wanted to sign up. That certainly creates some sort of user confusion.
- saikat 17y ago
  This approach only really works with signups that ask for an E-mail instead of a separate username.
  - BerislavLopac 17y ago
    As should all of them, really...
    - ryanwaggoner 17y ago
      False. If I'm just using a web app myself, email may be sufficient, but if I'm creating a public-facing profile, I want a username to be visible, not my email address.
      - BerislavLopac 17y ago
        Of course, there is no reason why shouldn't you be able to log in using any of the unique information in your profile, be it email, your username/alias, your phone number etc.
saikat 17y ago
I implemented exactly that for my web app (one dialog box - after the user enters an E-mail, automatically validate it and if it is unrecognized, just add a confirm password field and change the button to "Register"), and the response has been entirely positive.
- DTrejo 17y ago
  His webapp: http://gomockingbird.com/mockingbird/ http://gomockingbird.com/mockingbird/ Login/Register button at top right
camccann 17y ago
This sort of approach will leak information about what usernames exist in the system, which has security implications. Depending on the nature of the application you may or may not need to worry about this (e.g., obviously irrelevant if the site has a user list that shows the login names).
- jonknee 17y ago
  Most sign up forms give away that information anyway--try putting in a name or email that's already taken and you'll get a form validation error.
teej 17y ago
If an existing user misspells their username, being taken to a register screen is not where they want to go.

by NikkiA 17y ago

rudd 17y ago

There's at least one problem with this approach: trying to sign up with a username that's already taken. If you want the username "foobar" and it's already taken, you're just going to get a "wrong password" error, when you really wanted to sign up. That certainly creates some sort of user confusion.

saikat 17y ago
This approach only really works with signups that ask for an E-mail instead of a separate username.
- BerislavLopac 17y ago
  As should all of them, really...
  - ryanwaggoner 17y ago
    False. If I'm just using a web app myself, email may be sufficient, but if I'm creating a public-facing profile, I want a username to be visible, not my email address.
    - BerislavLopac 17y ago
      Of course, there is no reason why shouldn't you be able to log in using any of the unique information in your profile, be it email, your username/alias, your phone number etc.

saikat 17y ago

I implemented exactly that for my web app (one dialog box - after the user enters an E-mail, automatically validate it and if it is unrecognized, just add a confirm password field and change the button to "Register"), and the response has been entirely positive.

DTrejo 17y ago
His webapp: http://gomockingbird.com/mockingbird/ http://gomockingbird.com/mockingbird/ Login/Register button at top right

camccann 17y ago

This sort of approach will leak information about what usernames exist in the system, which has security implications. Depending on the nature of the application you may or may not need to worry about this (e.g., obviously irrelevant if the site has a user list that shows the login names).

jonknee 17y ago
Most sign up forms give away that information anyway--try putting in a name or email that's already taken and you'll get a form validation error.

teej 17y ago

If an existing user misspells their username, being taken to a register screen is not where they want to go.