Why not have the Username for the url instead of the ID as the default?

[Josh Lewis]

Right now when I comment on photos and such the profile link goes to: http://www.panoramio.com/user/7097081

That works alright, but certainly could be better. Considering that we are allowed to have a username with a valid url, why not make the default for the username? For example: http://www.panoramio.com/user/joshlewis

Facebook displays the username by default instead of the ID because they know it is more obvious to the viewer and looks much better for linking.

[Wim Constant]

What's the difference?

Why is it more obvious?

And what's the advantage?
(BTW: This is Panoramio and Facebook is Facebook)

[RoarX]

You can change your username at will as long as the new name is not already taken. After a change of a name, all links to URLs with the old name will not work anymore. The user number cannot be changed, using the number in links will make the links valid no mater how may times you change your user name. So, IMHO using the number in links instead of a user name is better. In Facebook there are restrictions on name changes, so we wont have the same problem with links loosing their validity.

[hvbemmel]

I prefer user id because there are so many names I will not be able to read and write . Asian characters, Russian, Greek, Arabian .
No,let's stick with numbers

[Wim Constant]

Well, for me it's very obvious: There's no advantage what so ever, only disadvantages

Let Facebook do what THEY like. We stick to the numbers!

[Tomas K☼h☼ut]

I think the idea is good. If we can have alternate URL (alias) of our galleries, why not to promote them?

For Herman:

At the moment, you cannot use special characters as part of URL (nowhere on the web!). So there are already restrictions implemented on username (used as URL alias). You are restricted to use only lowercase english (ASCII) letters, numbers and few special characters (dot, dash, etc.). 

I can have www.panoramio.com/user/tomas alias for my gallery, but cannot have www.panoramio.com/user/tomáš

You don't need Russian, Czech, Greek or Hebrew keyboard. ;-)

For Wim:

I think I can remember easier my gallery URL as www.panoramio.com/user/tomas than http://www.panoramio.com/user/3181113 and it is also easier if you want to tell somebody the link to your gallery. Is not it an important advantage?  

I am pretty sure, nobody would remember the basic version with sequence ID. 

BTW, I am not Facebook friend too, but not everything that comes with Facebook is bad. ;-)

For Roar:

Good point, ID is persistent, whereas alias chosen by user need not to be persistent. But it's under my control. If I ever use my alternate URL with alias as a link somewhere, I will not change it later.

[hvbemmel]

I keep the point of view that someone from china will not use english characters for his name, Consequently a system with names instead of numbers will not work for all, so it will not work at all. :-)

[Wim Constant]

For me it's very easy to remember my user ID 828315, but if you ask me: "When do you have to remember it?" I don't know. I never use it. If I want to tell someone where to find my photo's, I mail him/her a link with, indeed, my ID, but that's always on top of the page, so no need to remember, just copy.  Further more a name, for instance, as:  Elios Amati (tashimelampo) is harder to remember than his ID: http://www.panoramio.com/user/332921 don't you think?

[Wim Constant]

I have to add one more thing. When using my own name, there are still a few possibilities: The name I use now: Wim Constant, but also WimConstant, wimconstant, W.Constant, W. Constant, W Constant, wconstant. I still don't think that makes it easier to remember for anybody. And what to think about a name as John Smith? I don't have the figures, but maybe there are 100 John Smith's member of Panoramio, so they all have to create a uniqe ID-name.

[RoarX]

"Further more a name, for instance, as:  Elios Amati (tashimelampo) is harder to remember than his ID: http://www.panoramio.com/user/332921 don't you think?"

I'm one of them who remembers names way better than numbers, so for me the answer is no.

I haven't memorized my user number yet, so when I give my panoramio address to people, I use my username. But I still think that the number should be used as the default address, because of the reason given in my post above.

[Tomas K☼h☼ut]

On Wednesday, July 10, 2013 4:22:51 PM UTC+2, hvbemmel wrote:

I keep the point of view that someone  from china will not use english characters for his name, Consequently a system with names instead  of numbers will not work for all, so it will not work at all. :-)

Of course users still can keep on using wicked and special national characters in their visible user name (as I have "sun" in my user name: Tomas K☼h☼ut), but they are strictly limited to use basic characters within their URL alias name.

[Tomas K☼h☼ut]

On Wednesday, July 10, 2013 5:14:40 PM UTC+2, Wim Constant wrote:

I have to add one more thing. When using my own name, there are still a few possibilities: The name I use now: Wim Constant, but also WimConstant, wimconstant, W.Constant, W. Constant, W Constant, wconstant. I still don't think that makes it easier to remember for anybody. And what to think about a name as John Smith? I don't have the figures, but maybe there are 100 John Smith's member of Panoramio, so they all have to create a uniqe ID-name.

OK, Wim, you don't like this feature, so it's not for you. It's only optional to use URL alias.

BTW, as you cannot use capital letters and spaces in URL alias, many of your examples simply will not work. wimconstant, wconstant or w.constant are OK, rest is not allowed.

About John Smith... of course, first one can "squat" the name with "johnsmith" and others are forced either to use some derived name like jsmith, johns, john.smith, john-smith OR their nickname (if any). Or they can resign from using this feature. But freedom of choice is better than no freedom.