Name change request +time +search engines

[Wazoo]

Received from a PM;

Several years late I've become aware of the potential problem of having forum name same as mail address. . . .

Please change my forum name from xxxxxx to XXXXXXXX (I've checked the members list) at your earliest convenience.

Thanks!!!

While willing to do this, there is a bit of a question about the timing of the request compared to the issue raised. One post made in September 2005, a second post made November 2006 .... user's display name is a single 'word' .. not an e-mail address.

Point being that this user's display 'name' has been floating around here for a number of years, multiple search engines have had years to collect and index this data. The 'concern' that spammers might decide to use this user's display name as an addition to their "forge the From:, Reply-To: addresses, add this 'name' to the random e-mail address generator, etc." seems way, way, way late in the game ...???? It would seem that making the requested change at this point in time is pretty much a waste of time, for the purpose posed in the request.

On the chance that I'm not seeing the whole picture, open for any additional input.

Name change accomplished, now working through editing of posts, cleaning up the database etc. User has been requested to take a look here, perhaps make a Reply.

[Lking]

It will be interesting to follow this. When raised in other threads I could always understand the need to change a forum ID similar to name[at]domain.com

Not sure how many what-ifs it takes to get from a single word to an compromiseble email address. If you know the answer I guess one ID looks more at risk the an other ID.