On my forum I am considering having users' real names display. I know that you are thinking I am crazy but I am setting up a site like classmates and I think it is important that users know who they are talking to on the message board.



Should I make users:

1. register their real name as their login/username or
2. register a username and ALSO require their real name at registration (which I will display in their postbit and profile)
3. just register any username


Here are the problems I see with option 1:

ome users have the same real name and therefore, all of the John Smith's will have to alter their real name to make it unique.

there might be a greater likelihood that users will forget that they need to login with their real name. I think people have a tendancy to use the same username on lots of sites that they are a member.


Here are the problems I see with option 2:

iit feels like a privacy or security issue if you display both a username along with a real name.


Here are the problems I see with option 3:
you won't know the real identity of the classmate(s) you are messaging with

while your at it have them take a photo of themselves as an avatar. just to make sure its them.

That reply is a lame as storagedump.