[irc/freenode/web-7.0.git] / content / news / 2008-05-31-new-services-nicknames-and-accounts.md

---
author: skenmy
date: 2008-05-31 17:56:35+00:00
slug: new-services-nicknames-and-accounts
title: New Services: Nicknames and Accounts
category: freenode
category: technical
imported: yes
robots: noindex
---
We've noticed a lot of people who are confused (and rightly so!) about the new nickname system - particularly the way that nickname grouping has changed. Hopefully this blog post will clear some of it up.

# Nicknames and Accounts

freenode now uses a system of ownership that is different to the old nicknames system. Now, when you register a _nickname_ for the first time, that _nickname_ becomes the primary _nickname_ on your _account_ (which has the same name). An example:

> **User1** vists Freenode for the first time. She registers by using the
> command:
>
> > /msg NickServ REGISTER myshinypass my@shiny.email
>
> **User1 **now has an _account_. freenode services have automatically assigned
> the _nickname_ **User1** to the _account_ **User1**. **User1** is now
> happy.


So, _nicknames_ are now assigned to your _account_. But what does this actually mean, practically?

# Identification

When you identify:


> /msg NickServ IDENTIFY &lt;password&gt;


freenode services will try and identify you to your _account_.  It does this by taking your _nickname_, and looking it up in the database - to find the _account_ associated with it. Let's go back to User1 for a little demonstration:


> **User1** returns to freenode. She identifies using the command:
>
> > /msg NickServ IDENTIFY myshinypass
>
>
> freenode services finds an _account_ (**User1**) with the same _nickname_ as
> her (**User1**), and so identifies her succesfully.


But what happens when you try and identify with a different nickname?


> **User1 **connects to freenode, but her client decides to connect with the
> _nickname_ **User12.** She tries to identify using the command:
>
> > /msg NickServ IDENTIFY myshinypass
>
> freenode services tries to look up an account called **User12** (as this is
> her current nickname). This nickname is unregistered, and so does not have an
> account associated with it. The identification fails, and she is not logged
> in.


With the new accounts system, there is a command that allows you to identify to your account from any nickname!


> **User1 **connects to freenode, but her client decides to connect with the
> _nickname_ **User12.** She can identify using the command:
>
> > /msg NickServ IDENTIFY User1 myshinypass
>
> freenode services will now look for an _account_ named **User1**, and log her
> into that. Since she already registered this, the identification succeeds.


However, this isn't ideal, as she is now logged in, but is using an unregistered _nickname_. She may want to consider GROUPing the _nickname_.


# Grouping

With the new system, GROUP basically means to add another _nickname_ to your _account_. **User1** is fed up of being connected as **User12** and using an unregistered _nickname_, so she has decided to GROUP the _nickname_ to her existing _account_.

There are two ways to go about this:


> **User1 **connects to freenode, but her client decides to connect with the
> _nickname_ **User12.** She can identify using the command:
>
> > /msg NickServ IDENTIFY User1 myshinypass
>
>
> freenode services will now look for an _account_ named **User1**, and log her
> into that. Since she already registered this, the identification succeeds.
> She can now GROUP the _nickname_ (**User12**) to her _account_ (**User1**) by
> typing:
>
> > /msg NickServ GROUP
>
>
> The command takes the current _nickname_, and adds it to the currently logged
> in _account_. She can now, in the future, identify using the command:
>
> > /msg NickServ IDENTIFY myshinypass
>
>
> when connected as **User12**.


Or, she can do this:


> **User1** connects to freenode. She identifies using the command:
>
> > /msg NickServ IDENTIFY myshinypass
>
>
> freenode services finds an _account_ (**User1**) with the same _nickname_ as her (**User1**), and so identifies her succesfully. She can now change her _nickname_:
>
> > /nick User12
>
>
> And GROUP her new _nickname_, as freenode services does not log her out of her _account_ when she changes _nickname_.
>
> > /msg NickServ GROUP
>
>
> The command takes the current _nickname_, and adds it to the currently logged in _account_. She can now, in the future, identify using the command:
>
> > /msg NickServ IDENTIFY myshinypass
>
>
> when connected as **User12**.


# Conclusion

So, to wrap up, freenode now allows you to register an account, to which you add nicknames as explained above. That's not an easy concept to grasp if you are used to the old system, and if you have any questions, feel free to drop into #freenode and ask away!
Commit	Line	Data
c5293e15	1	---
849bdd6f SB	2	author: skenmy
	3	date: 2008-05-31 17:56:35+00:00
	4	slug: new-services-nicknames-and-accounts
eeb00e73	5	title: New Services: Nicknames and Accounts
c5191f36 EK	6	category: freenode
c5191f36 EK	7	category: technical
df8e5765	8	imported: yes
3406dcfa	9	robots: noindex
849bdd6f	10	---
849bdd6f	11	We've noticed a lot of people who are confused (and rightly so!) about the new nickname system - particularly the way that nickname grouping has changed. Hopefully this blog post will clear some of it up.
34876803	12
951245ff	13	# Nicknames and Accounts
34876803	14
849bdd6f SB	15	freenode now uses a system of ownership that is different to the old nicknames system. Now, when you register a _nickname_ for the first time, that _nickname_ becomes the primary _nickname_ on your _account_ (which has the same name). An example:
849bdd6f SB	16
951245ff EK	17	> User1 vists Freenode for the first time. She registers by using the
	18	> command:
	19	>
	20	> > /msg NickServ REGISTER myshinypass my@shiny.email
	21	>
	22	> User1 now has an _account_. freenode services have automatically assigned
	23	> the _nickname_ User1 to the _account_ User1. User1 is now
	24	> happy.
849bdd6f SB	25
	26
	27	So, _nicknames_ are now assigned to your _account_. But what does this actually mean, practically?
34876803	28
951245ff	29	# Identification
34876803	30
849bdd6f SB	31	When you identify:
	32
	33
951245ff	34	> /msg NickServ IDENTIFY <password>
849bdd6f SB	35
	36
	37	freenode services will try and identify you to your _account_. It does this by taking your _nickname_, and looking it up in the database - to find the _account_ associated with it. Let's go back to User1 for a little demonstration:
	38
	39
951245ff EK	40	> User1 returns to freenode. She identifies using the command:
	41	>
	42	> > /msg NickServ IDENTIFY myshinypass
	43	>
	44	>
	45	> freenode services finds an _account_ (User1) with the same _nickname_ as
	46	> her (User1), and so identifies her succesfully.
849bdd6f SB	47
	48
	49	But what happens when you try and identify with a different nickname?
	50
	51
951245ff EK	52	> User1 connects to freenode, but her client decides to connect with the
	53	> _nickname_ User12. She tries to identify using the command:
	54	>
	55	> > /msg NickServ IDENTIFY myshinypass
	56	>
	57	> freenode services tries to look up an account called User12 (as this is
	58	> her current nickname). This nickname is unregistered, and so does not have an
	59	> account associated with it. The identification fails, and she is not logged
	60	> in.
849bdd6f SB	61
	62
	63	With the new accounts system, there is a command that allows you to identify to your account from any nickname!
	64
	65
951245ff EK	66	> User1 connects to freenode, but her client decides to connect with the
	67	> _nickname_ User12. She can identify using the command:
	68	>
	69	> > /msg NickServ IDENTIFY User1 myshinypass
	70	>
	71	> freenode services will now look for an _account_ named User1, and log her
	72	> into that. Since she already registered this, the identification succeeds.
849bdd6f SB	73
	74
	75	However, this isn't ideal, as she is now logged in, but is using an unregistered _nickname_. She may want to consider GROUPing the _nickname_.
34876803	76
951245ff EK	77
951245ff EK	78	# Grouping
34876803	79
849bdd6f	80	With the new system, GROUP basically means to add another _nickname_ to your _account_. User1 is fed up of being connected as User12 and using an unregistered _nickname_, so she has decided to GROUP the _nickname_ to her existing _account_.
34876803	81
849bdd6f SB	82	There are two ways to go about this:
	83
	84
951245ff EK	85	> User1 connects to freenode, but her client decides to connect with the
	86	> _nickname_ User12. She can identify using the command:
	87	>
	88	> > /msg NickServ IDENTIFY User1 myshinypass
	89	>
	90	>
	91	> freenode services will now look for an _account_ named User1, and log her
	92	> into that. Since she already registered this, the identification succeeds.
	93	> She can now GROUP the _nickname_ (User12) to her _account_ (User1) by
	94	> typing:
	95	>
	96	> > /msg NickServ GROUP
	97	>
	98	>
	99	> The command takes the current _nickname_, and adds it to the currently logged
	100	> in _account_. She can now, in the future, identify using the command:
	101	>
	102	> > /msg NickServ IDENTIFY myshinypass
	103	>
	104	>
	105	> when connected as User12.
849bdd6f SB	106
	107
	108	Or, she can do this:
	109
	110
951245ff EK	111	> User1 connects to freenode. She identifies using the command:
	112	>
	113	> > /msg NickServ IDENTIFY myshinypass
	114	>
	115	>
	116	> freenode services finds an _account_ (User1) with the same _nickname_ as her (User1), and so identifies her succesfully. She can now change her _nickname_:
	117	>
	118	> > /nick User12
	119	>
	120	>
	121	> And GROUP her new _nickname_, as freenode services does not log her out of her _account_ when she changes _nickname_.
	122	>
	123	> > /msg NickServ GROUP
	124	>
	125	>
	126	> The command takes the current _nickname_, and adds it to the currently logged in _account_. She can now, in the future, identify using the command:
	127	>
	128	> > /msg NickServ IDENTIFY myshinypass
	129	>
	130	>
	131	> when connected as User12.
	132
	133
	134	# Conclusion
34876803	135
849bdd6f	136	So, to wrap up, freenode now allows you to register an account, to which you add nicknames as explained above. That's not an easy concept to grasp if you are used to the old system, and if you have any questions, feel free to drop into #freenode and ask away!