(Suggestion) Username Generator
![[Deleted User]](https://wc.vanillicon.com/v2/c749ff5e0a615afa8dcc8e7628d5ca05.svg)
Hello, I would like to suggest to have a Username generator similar to Password Generator on 1Password
Why a Username Generator?
1. You can trace some personally identifiable information (PII) of a person by simply searching for their username which most people used the same in many other online sites such as forums, Reddit, etc.
2. 1Password users can enhance their privacy in the internet by having a random Username for websites they just curiously registered in and don't intend to be active there.
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Comments
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Hi @Zeinfier
Unique usernames across services may help with privacy, but they do not generally help with security, because they are not designed to be secret. More on this here:
Why is this information sensitive? The deeper Equifax problem | 1Password
I mention this primarily for someone else who might stumble across this thread and think they might up their security by randomizing usernames. :) That said, I'd be interested in hearing more about this request. What would a username generator do differently than the existing password generator (i.e. why not use the password generator for this purpose)?
Ben
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Hi @Ben
The username generator is primarily suggested for privacy purposes. It works as a complement to the password generator rather than on its own.
For example, if you search "Zeinfier" on Google, you can find profiles with these usernames in all the places some of which might be me or some other person who has similar usernames.
Given, that if the username is quite unique. Public sites that have community features that username is registered can be searched on Google.
In fact, I tried doing tracing some people using their usernames and found good results on finding their habit, likes, personal information, places and websites they frequent, etc.
Like emails. It's one of the most common identifier of a person's digital identity. Many people can't think of random usernames and most likely used their most used usernames when registering on websites that asked for a username instead of an email or even alongside email which may or may not a website they will be using actively.
However, regardless once registered with that username. It will become public data and if the website allows web crawling from Google.
The person's profile with that username will appear in Google.
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Sure; I understand the thought process. I guess the remaining question is how such a generator would function differently than the existing password generator? Why could the existing password generator not be used for this purpose (e.g. using the 'words' recipe and a low word count)?
Ben
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Oh... Good thinking. Yes, the Password Generator can be a username generator.
On the Filling function, this can be implemented when the user hovers over to a Username field providing them an option to use a randomly generated Password as a username.
But limit the generator to Memorable Password as Username and PIN as Username since Random Password as Username is overly random on this point.
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Agreed with this - I've used hex and 1Password generators to create random usernames, but as @Zeinfier said the settings to generate a random username vs most passwords are different — usernames are usually random alphanumeric, while passwords are usually longer and contain more characters types.
If I were to make a username generator, I'd probably start with something similar to the password one — the value of having a second generator is not having to change the settings.
Or... maybe one generator with different modes, and settings can be saved in each mode. Maybe user namable/definable modes...? Not sure what other things would need to be generated.... hrm.
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I would love to see this feature integrated in 1Password. Even though we have a family license and are customers for quite some time now, we are currently using the username generator from last pass (but just for usernames :chuffed: ). They have one accessible for everyone on their website (I won't link it here, just in case...). But just another reason to implement it inside 1Password :chuffed:.
Regarding Ben's answer:
[...] Why could the existing password generator not be used for this purpose (e.g. using the 'words' recipe and a low word count)?First, this wouldn't be a dedicated feature, it would be more of a workaround. The password generator is accessible via the password-field and not the username field. The benefit of the functionality already being there is to reuse the code in your app, not for the user to reuse a function that has been implemented for a different purpose.
Second, minimum number of words (at least on my testing) is three, with different separators. So not useful after all (for me). Therefore, I had to use the password-tab and once I found the settings that work for a username (e.g. 10 chars, no symbols, etc) I have to copy it and fill it in the username field (let alone the fact that I only want to use lowercase chars, which is not possible). THEN I have to adjust the settings once again back to create a password (different requirements, symbols allowed, usually longer etc.).
So no, for me this would not be a solution, not even a good workaround.
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Hi. I am a normal, non-power user. I would also love a username generator built in. Am reading more and more how important it is to use a random username. It seems it should be easy for you to add, since the password generator already works so well. You could roll this out with a recommendation, enhancing 1Password's positioning, and also your users' security! (Yes, I know I can work around with the password generator, but why settle for this when you have worked so hard to make things intuitive and slick?).
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Thank you for letting us know @Londoner2016! I will add your feedback to the issue we are using to track this :+1:
ref: dev/projects/customer-feature-requests#120
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