Wrong. Only one user will be notified, being the latest Jon to post a comment.

I'm almost 100% sure, that I've addressed users below a post where they didn't commented already. Are you 100% sure that I'm wrong? :)

I can prove by bringing my sock who also starts with "Sha" and you can ping @Sha and I'll prove that only one got notification. :)

You most likely talk about the case when you address the post author - they are always notified, even if they did not post comment before.

First, thanks for your reply! Are you a developer at Stackexchange? I trust code more than 1000 words! :)

No, no. Don't care about the addressed user being the OP too much. It was just the case in that example. It doesn't matter.

Three downs! Damn! I don't care about, but hey guys! I spent 30 minutes using Stackexchange's crap search engine to check if this is a duplicate and than other xx minutes to phrase my question. Still don't care, but common! @Servy Thanks for that link, let's see if it really answers my question. At least I put more effort in it than the guy who got 300+ ups.

I admitted - in my question - that my first problem might not be a problem at all (the help doesn't state that), but the second still exists. Or do you like to follow a conversion where @foo is addressed - a user which doesn't exist anymore since he now named itself @bar. What if I wan't to address the author of that comment? Which should I use? I only have @foo -> not working. Not a problem? Downvotes for that? I don't get that! Do you like people who care about the site(s) or not? Do you expect me posting more stuff here?

Also I tagged it explicitly as discussion, not feature request! Btw, I've never seen a domain before where user names aren't unique!

I'm not sure what you mean with that language. I was always polite and tried to address my concerns. Looks like there is not much more to do for me here. Thanks for the discussion which I've requested.

@Servy Again: I didn't requested a feature! I would never request a feature before talking to guys which know more about that feature. That's why I tagged it discussion.

@psubsee2003 This could be an answer: Note that I explicitly asked if you don't think it is major problem. (I wouldn't wonder, I've just asked)

I didn't read all comments, but to address the downvotes - you imply that the system is "unstable" or "unreliable" - people disagree with this. The comment reply system works just fine.

@ShadowWizard Thanks for your reply. If you read carefully trough them you see that I never implied instability of the system - and even if I would?! .. I admit I'm a bit disappointed - but not because you.. I would appreciate to point the discussion towards here. But only if you are still interested. Otherwise don't matter. cu

@hek2mgl umm... you start this with "I'm wondering about the reliability of the feature" - me and probably many others understands from this you doubt the reliability of the current system i.e. imply it's not reliable, while it is. Not much to discuss - everything proves the system works just the way it's supposed to work.

@ShadowWizard Would you say a 99% working feature is reliable? Not even worth a question?

@ShadowWizard Do you still say user names can't be exploited?

@Sha yes indeed, you could also use my exact name. :D

(and no, I didn't cause a notification to myself :))

I don't wanted to do that since I respect you as a person, but hey!!! :D :D

oops

misclick #10832

Hi Shadow Wizard! :)

haha

but you got different avatar :D

I could grab that as well

second...

no no

you know I could, but I don't want

I hope you see that it can be easily exploited.

But again, I only wanted to ask what others say

Probably you say: The flagging system is good enough for that (since the reputation, badges can't be faked that easily. other user might get aware of the fake and flag it) ?

I have been around the sites for a few years now, and having read tens of thousands of questions/answers and even more comments, I can honestly say I have only once or twice come across two users with the same name and commenting to one or the other was an issue.

And even more rare where a user has changed their name and I/someone else can no longer ping them

It is a valid issue you raise, but it just doesn't happen very much at all. If it did, we'd have many more Meta posts from many users complaining about it :)

But you see, it can be exploited. Isn't it?

It can be yes, but is it?

I never talked about the importance. I just said there is something. I really wondered and that's why was curious about answers from the community.

But importance (and frequency) of a problem often determines if it needs resolving

I can do this every day if you want.

Tomorrow I'm James

there are 83 james

I never had an issue where it was a real problem or counlt be ignored/worked around

With your avatar? Saying rude things in discussions?

(I will never do that, be sure)

Note that even new users can rename themselves and give them your avatar.

(Not everybody looks at the reps and badges, also it does not need to get 10k to immitate every user, look at me, I have just 154)

What if the system would add something like @foo renamed to @bar DATE_TIME in discussions? Sure this would others give the chance to track if when a user changes his name. Probably prohibiting this is the thinking behind?

I'm back in 10 minutes

Anyway looks like what you actually want to discuss is uniqueness of names in general, which is already discussed many times, first I could find:

another one, regarding "stealing" identity:

All in all, @James already told everything I was going to say :)

@ShadowWizard Many thanks for that links. Might you give me search terms you've used?

btw, I'll change my name back now :)

Display name may only be changed once every 30 days; you may change again on Jun 4 at 19:17

Uupss.. Did you knew that?

@ShadowWizard2 yup. But there is a trick to bypass it. ;)

how ?

@ShadowWizard2 what will you give me? :D

my last sock!

hmm.... only if it's not smelly!

smelly socks sucks

:P

Not my, I never walk! ssh keeps me moving :)

Hey who said sock? :D

:)

Anyway to change name simply change it on some other site and choose "Save and copy changes to all communities"

This should change the name of all sites

I have a creeping suspicion though it was "fixed" not long ago so if this fails....

I'm truly sorry! :D

(but worst case you can ping a dev in chat or flag one of your posts and pledge your case :))

@ShadowWizard2 meta.stackexchange.com/search?q=user+name+theft

and meta.stackexchange.com/search?q=%5Bdiscussion%5D+unique+name

no iron rule, just using key words I think should fit

@ShadowWizard Thanks! I tried "user name change" , "user name change comment" and so on ... :)

@ShadowoftheShadow I tried to edit my user name with that trick but it didn't working (anymore?)... Seems I'm ShadowWizard2 for one moth.. (and talk rude things in chats :) )

lol

it's kinda funny actually

did you visit the Tavern already? ;)

@it's kind a funny... That's what I wanted! :)

no

go ahead... wonder what will happen :P

let me try ...

(if you're into WAG you can also come to my Den, there's a bot there as well :))

can you share a link ?

(I'm now really back in 10 minutes)

@ShadowWizard2 to the Den?

@ShadowWizard I'm unsure what I'm expected to post there... :)

ok, now I know

@ShadowWizard May I ask again if you are working for Stackexchange?

@ShadowWizard2 yup, nice - just missed the Reply part :)

@ShadowWizard2 not at all, just been on Meta for way too long :D

ah ok :)

all good! Now I'm the one who need to be away, shower time... but I'll be back soon, cleaner and fresher ;)

@ShadowWizard Ok, now worries. Probably I will sleep then already. Zzzzh... If you have something interesting, just address me through @user. Note that @ShadowWizard2 might work only for 30 days. After that period you need to use @hek2mgl again.. (hihi :) , have a nice day!)

lol, thanks! (actually night here, 12:20 AM now ;))